Protecting and Treating Hooves

How many times have some of us used a combination of gauze pads or cloth soaked in Epson salts, duct tape and a few cuss words thrown in to treat some sort of hoof ailment like a puncture?  Hoof Wraps makes a multi-use, multi-purpose bandage constructed from 2200 denier ballistic nylon and is flat and small enough to fit into your saddle bags so you can carry this on trail rides for the times you lose a shoe, get a bad stone bruise or a hoof puncture. I have been carrying the Hoof Wraps Equine Bandage in my saddle bags for years now. Even used it once on someone else's horse, but was glad to have the Hoof Bandage and EVA foam pad on hand to cushion the hoof that lost the shoe during our ride out of the rock mountainous area.

Hoof Wraps now makes a gel pad infused with Jojoba and Tea Tree oils, so this pad can be used with a Hoof Bandage to treat many hoof ailments. These natural oils has been used for centuries for fighting bacteria. Makes good sense to me. I have used mixes of Tea Tree Oil and Mineral oil to coat hoofs and provide some much needed moisture to soles and frog since the arid desert dries up hooves, and when they are dry they chip more easily. Go here to see Hoof Wraps products. It's worth a look just to see the great pictures they have on their pages.

Horse Hoof Care - Hoof Wraps Soaker

I came across another neat product for horse owners, especially if you own several horses and are having hoof related problems where you need to soak hoofs is Epsom salt or let a wound drain. I have had horses under a halter stand in a bucket of warm water and Epsom salts before, but this product from the people who make hoof wraps may make this chore a lot more simpler and you can place a hoof into a Hoof Wrap Soaker with whatever treatment you are using and leave the horse tied.

Hoof Wraps advertises that, "If your horse likes to fidget with buckets and soaking treatments you could be tied up for a while. Not anymore. Apply the hoof soaker, fill it with your soak of choice and get back to your chores. Hoof Wraps soakers are made with a thick shell of ballistic nylon and a coated nylon liner.

They will fit up to 6 inch diameter hoof and are secured using two straps and an additional string with a cord lock at the top. It is collapsible for easy storage. Cost for one Hoof Wrap Soaker is $34.95 and it comes with two EVA foam pads and an extra strap.

Go see Hoof Wraps Soaker and other products at www.hoofwraps.com

Horse Hoof Care - Hoof Wraps

I finally found, again, the Hoof Wraps source. I have several hoof wraps and always carry on in my saddle bag. In case my horse sustains a hoof injury or bends a shoe where I have to take it off or gets puncture. I have actually never used it on my horses, but have three times used it on other horses. I’m lucky I have an excellent shoer who drives 150 miles one way to trim and shoe my horses every six weeks. I have only had one shoe ever come off with this shoer, and that was when I was loping through the desert, hit a soft spot where my horse got bogged down and over stepped clipping and bending his front left shoe.

Anyway, the Hoof Wrap is a small flat package which consists of a three layers of 2200 denier ballistic nylon and Velcro wrap with a removable, durable EVA foam pad.

Hoof Wraps bandages are guaranteed to fit most horses and stay on in the field no matter the conditions and allows your horse the freedom to stay on. Although I still use Easy Boots to treat hoofs with a cloth soaked in water and Epsom salts, the Easy Boots are too cumbersome to take on the trail where size and weight are a consideration.

The Company advertising that Hoof Wraps are a multi-use bandage – not a boot – that offers an alternative for everyday horse hoof care and saves you the time and expense of home-made bandages. Easily treat common hoof problems like horse hoof abscess, thrush and stone bruise, or use for protection after shoe loss. It’s designed specifically for horses on turn out so your horse can still enjoy the freedom of mobility during treatment.

The one size fits most system works well for most horses and the extreme grip fastening system ensures it comes back to the barn. Three layers of 2200 denier ballistic nylon and industrial stitching offer tough construction.

An EVA foam pad is included for comfort and Hoof Wraps can easily be removed, cleaned and reapplied. Use with a variety of poultice, topical solutions and medicated pads. Light weight and compact, horse hoof wraps are a great addition to your first aid kit or saddle bag.

Machine wash. One size fits horse shoe sizes 00-0-1-2 or rough diameter of 4” to 5.5”. You should have one in your saddle bag, and I suggest pre-trim the pad to fit your horse.

Click on the link to the left to order one, or click here.

Horse Hoof Care - Protective Hoof Boots

One of the pieces of equipment that a Horse Owner should have on hand for Horse Hoof Care is a Protective Boot for the Hoof. The protective boot is sometimes referred to as an “Easy Boot” although this is really one brand type of protective hoof boot.

Typically the uses for these Protective Hoof boots are to protect a sensitive hoof, allow for a hoof injury to be treated and kept clean or for use when soaking the hoof with Epson salts, used to give the horse traction on shoe and ice, or, used on the trail when a horse pulls a shoe or is barefoot (un-shod) and is moving in really rocky terrain.

I divide these Protective Hoof Boots in two categories: One boot that you keep around the barn for use when treating injured or protecting sensitive hooves, and, a smaller, lighter and/or more compact boot that you carry on the trail in your saddlebags for use when a horse throws a shoe or otherwise needs the protection.

There are many different types and manufacturers of the first kind of Protective Hoof Boots. I am only going to show you one kind, which is the original EasyCare Easy Boot, because it is the basic Hoof Protective Boot and is reasonable priced, at approximately $42, so most Horse Owners can afford it. There are many other Protective Boots, some with additional features such as Velcro boots that go around the pastern for extra security.

The EasyCare Easy Boot is a very durable Urethane boot with a tension wire tightening device on front (where the toe of the hoof is). They are sized for the horse’s hoof so you have to have the right size. I find that if I use one size bigger and cut a small slit in the back of the Easy Boot, I can get them on the horse much easier. If I am using them to treat a injured hoof, such as in a puncture wound or using these boots in conjunction with gauze soaked in Epson salts to draw out an infection, I also use regular duct tape to wrap around the top of the EasyBoot and the horse's hoof and coronet band area for added security and to prevent dirt and debris from getting down into the boot.

EasyBoots are available from Horse.com http://www.horse.com/
I have been using Horse.com, formerly known as Country Supply, for many years now for much of my Horse Equipment and Supplement needs.

Another Hoof Protective Device that is lightweight and suitable for carrying into the back country in your saddle bags is called a Hoof Wrap. These are not advertised as boots but rather as Hoof Bandages, however I carry one in each of my saddlebags for use as an emergency boot on the trail. Using ballistic nylon and heavy duty stitching, the Hoof Wrap is well constructed and tough enough for repeated use. At approximately $20 they are inexpensive enough not to have one. Available from Hoof Wraps at http://www.hoofwraps.com/

See video below to watch me put on an EasyBoot and a Hoof Wrap on one of my horses.