Hoof yuck

[reefy]

I have a horse who has a lovely run off her stall where she sometimes goes to the bathroom - mostly she goes in her stall but creates 2 lovely pee spots in the dirt of the run. The problem is that she also loves to sleep where she pees (gross - so lovely in the winter).

The inside of her back hoofs get coated in a mud/urine mixture - I’m trying to see if there is anything I can put on them to help repel the wetness of it?? She has always preferred sleeping in the run area as her stall is big (12x12 ish) but her run is about twice that size and she’s a big girl, so guessing she feels more comfortable in the open space.

Anyone know of anything that might help her back hooves??

[ClassyJumper]

Keratex hoof gel

[S1969]

@reefy

I’m trying to see if there is anything I can put on them to help repel the wetness of it??

Why? Is it irritating or affecting her hoof quality in some way? I’m not sure I’d try to fix it if there really isn’t anything wrong other than it being perceived as gross. My horses pee in leftover hay and sleep on it. They have options as to where they can lie down but I guess peed on hay still meets the basic need of soft and comfy.

[reefy]

I just don’t think that those walls being damp every day are doing her any favors. It’s hard to get it all off as it doesn’t dry quickly like it did in the summer.

I have some of that hoof gel. Thank you for the suggestion! I bought it and never used it for anything.

[J-Lu]

This may or may not apply.

Human bleach toilettes that you probably used a zillion times in the pandemic. My horse can get thrush situations in deep clefts in his heels, and vet recently suggested “flossing” the clefts with these toilettes. It seems to work and I work the toilettes into the clefts with a narrow hoof pick and use minimal “flossing” action. I’m pretty pleased with the results.

Is this something that can help your horse’s hind feet? Even if you are just applying the toilettes to the bulbs?

[2DogsFarm]

@reefy

I just don’t think that those walls being damp every day are doing her any favors.

Don’t over think it.
Some people water down the dirt near their troughs just so horses will stand in mud.
My 3 are now wearing muddy coating on all 4 daily. Acquired from grazing in my big field & passing in & out of the muddy place at the gate.
Most comes off in the shavings when they come into their stalls for feeding.
I’ll clean them off for the shoer (coming 12/6), but otherwise, no harm done.

[reefy]

Now that is a creative solution for hoof yuck! Thank you for the suggestion, I’ll add it to my list.

[reefy]

You know, I swear I need to adopt benign neglect as my motto. I’m kind of known for throwing everything at ‘the thing’ and sometimes it does make things worse. My farrier thinks it’s not a problem. But visually it bugs me - he doesn’t think it’s contributing to the problem we’re having that he does have in hand. I just have a very hard time doing nothing, ha ha.

Sigh - horses. Gotta love em.

[Jaegermonster]

the cleft flossing gave me an idea. I’m not sure what the bleach “toilettes” are, maybe the tablets you put in the tank? but what about those bleach laundry pens? That might work .

[Heinz_57]

@Jaegermonster

I’m not sure what the bleach “toilettes” are, maybe the tablets you put in the tank?

I think maybe J-Lu is talking about towelettes. Bleach wipes.

[Jaegermonster]

ah ok that makes more sense duh. Towelettes. well the bleach pens still might work better than the floss method.

[J-Lu]

Oh thank you. Yes. The things your pull and tear off and disinfect your hands with.

Thank you!

[S1969]

I would definitely not use a bleach pen on hooves. A bleach pen is made for laundry purposes and while I wouldn’t put straight bleach on my horse anyway, I suspect there is probably more in them than just bleach. If you’re worried about thrush, choose a product made for horses.

My horses live outside 24/7 and we are in the middle of fall mud season. I can’t imagine being worried about urine/mud on their feet, nor could I possibly imagine cleaning anything on my horses with a towelette at this time of year. Maybe nostrils, but that’s about all.

They are animals designed to live outside.

[BWP]

Keratex hoof gel is just white spirit, turpentine and aluminium stearate, none of which I believe have any evidence of improving hoof health.

[ClassyJumper]

They don’t even claim it does, only that it helps manage moisture… which was the OPs question. Thanks for your help.

[BWP]

Are you always this condescending?

None of these ingredients are in any way ones I’d want to be regularly applying to a hoof. I’m only a medical biochemist though

[MsM]

If you just want a coating on those hooves, any of the oily/lanolin hoof dressings should work. Just apply Horseshoers Secret, etc, once a week or so and the coating will prevent as much moisture exchange on the hoof walls. I used to have a horse with crumbly feet and Tuff Stuff (which coated more like nail polish) seemed to help.