Keeping Mud Out of Pads?

[peterponie]

sorry if theres already a post about this- i searched quite a few things with no results

anyway, my horse has front wedge pads, and when my farrier did him the other day, he said there was quite a bit of mud that had gotten under them. :eek: it is super muddy in NE Ohio this time of year, so theres really no way to get around my horse going out in the mud.

are there any tricks to keep mud from getting under the pads? horse must have pads as he broke his coffin bone this spring and I want to minimize any chance of him doing it again lol.

thanks!

[SolarFlare]

I had a horse in leather pads in front, and my farrier put silicone between the foot and pad. Once dry it seals out any mud and also provides cushioning. I was worried about developing thrush because of the foot not breathing but I never had an issue.

[PNWjumper]

I have a horse who has lived in wedge pads for 6 or 7 years and lives (read: wallows) in mud pretty much year round given our location (PNW).

We have to be careful with what we put in the pads, as my guy can’t tolerate anything that “solidifies” or hardens at all. Silicone and the like absolutely cripple him midway through his shoeing cycle…presumably because his feet flatten and kind of warp as they grow. Even the dental impression material is a no-go. So we’ve had the most luck with oakum. This allows him to have a packing material that stays in place and keeps rocks and mud out without creating pressure points.

To that point, though, I would think that most packing materials will eventually leave enough space to allow rocks and mud in eventually as the foot grows, assuming a normal-growth foot. We’ve done what essentially amounts to silicone beaded along the heel edge of the shoe to seal the pad a few times over the years, but I’ve never found that the seal it creates lasts long term.

But with all of that said, I haven’t had problems because of mud getting in under the pads, knock on wood!

[csaper58]

[QUOTE=peterponie;8960177]
sorry if theres already a post about this- i searched quite a few things with no results

anyway, my horse has front wedge pads, and when my farrier did him the other day, he said there was quite a bit of mud that had gotten under them. :eek: it is super muddy in NE Ohio this time of year, so theres really no way to get around my horse going out in the mud.

are there any tricks to keep mud from getting under the pads? horse must have pads as he broke his coffin bone this spring and I want to minimize any chance of him doing it again lol.

thanks![/QUOTE]

Wouldn’t you think the farrier who brought it up would have a solution? This helps in the swamp…

1. use a hose nozzle set on stream and aim between the hoof and pad and hydro excavate (blast ) the mud out. Then pour a little 7% iodine in between soul and pad. Protect your eyes from flying debris

2. At the time of shoeing have the farrier pack the void between the pad and the soul with oakum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakum

[peterponie]

csaper58- there is packing under the pad. not sure what it is. and my farrier said we will see how he goes this next cycle and then if it’s still an issue we will figure something out. i don’t really want to spray out the pad as there is packing and a sponge over the frog.

[csaper58]

[QUOTE=peterponie;8960279]
csaper58- there is packing under the pad. not sure what it is. and my farrier said we will see how he goes this next cycle and then if it’s still an issue we will figure something out. i don’t really want to spray out the pad as there is packing and a sponge over the frog.[/QUOTE]

You are correct. If the farrier used packing do not spray water or add additional chemicals unless instructed by your farrier to do so. Just use a hoof pick to clear mud from the opening and check for any small stones that could get wedged in there.

[Foxtrot_s]

My horse has leather pads. A plasticine-like tarry substance is rolled and squished either side of the frog. Never any mud or gravel in there ad her feet are very healthy. I’d have thought the damp would cause softening, but it doesn’t. Perhaps the leather molds so tight to the sole and can breathe.

[SaratogaTB]

My farrier packs the inside with Magic Cushion and his feet have been great

[walktrot]

My farrier always packs with a medicated packing, the brand escapes me. She also has a bottle of powdered copper sulfate which she can mix in. We rarely have problems with mud or thrush, and he’s been in 2 degree pads since about 2002.