Copyright Colin Reeves epc 2002 – updated 2005
Hoof horn is at its strongest and most durable when it has a stabilised moisture content of around 25%. Unfortunately here in Northern Europe most horse-owners, seeing hooves in this condition, would pronounce them to be too dry. But that is exactly as they should be to withstand the stresses of work and shoeing. Even if the moisture content of horn cannot be maintained at this sort of level it is essential to control and stabilise moisture at a constant level otherwise cracking will occur.
Because of the climatic conditions in this country, wet Winters and then Summers interspersed with wet and dry periods, hoof horn is certainly too wet for probably five or six months of the year, starting when the hooves are saturated with water from high Winter rainfall.
When hoof horn is saturated it swells to accommodate excess water molecules. The swelling causes the surface cracks and defects to disappear leading the uninformed observer to believe hooves are at their best when they are wet. Although they may look better, the horn is actually very weak when saturated with water – just like your fingernails after you have sat in the bath for too long, when they can be easily bent and torn. Everyone has heard tales of shoes being ‘sucked’ off in the mud. Well, for a start it is physically impossible for mud to exert sufficient suction on a properly fixed horseshoe to pull it off, but it is easy for a shoe to be twisted off a water saturated hoof when it goes down through the mud onto hardcore. You would be amazed to see the number of old horseshoes dug out when renovating the surface of field gateways on popular hunting routes.
Given that hoof horn is strongest when it has a low moisture content of 25% one might assume that as hooves dry out after a wet Winter that they will become stronger as they dry. In reality we know that the reverse is the case –with the hooves becoming brittle and cracking. How can this be? Is it genetic? Partly, maybe, in certain breeds. Is it Nutritional? Usually not. The simple answer, coming from extensive scientific research, is that it is caused by a change in the molecular structure resulting from excess water drying out of the horn too quickly. If your horse has a good shiny coat that grows and moults at the right time of year then it is almost certain that there is no nutritional deficiency that will affect horn growth or quality – hair, skin and horn are all based on the protein keratin, so if the coat is good and the hooves bad that points to an environmental cause affecting the quality of the hooves – WATER!
(Dr Melinda Duer of Cambridge University has very recently written a paper about her research on hoof horn using very advanced NMR technology and has proven that once horn goes through the wet (saturated as in winter) dry cycle, some of the intermolecular bonds are irreparably damaged and will not repair naturally)
Since hoof horn is dead, with no blood supply, it is impossible for feed supplements to repair visible horn as once the horn is produced by the cells in the coronary band it dies off and becomes cornified. In real terms feed supplements are inappropriate for the majority of horses with bad feet. As yet, despite all their claims, no feed supplement manufacturer has claimed to stop the effect of rain water on hoof horn. Needless to say there will be those horses with a deficiency, but, in England particularly where we tend to overfeed and over supplement our horses, they will be very few and even these should not be fed a supplement until a horn sample has been tested to determine what it is deficient in.
In non-technical terms imagine hoof horn to be made up of blocks (keratin molecules) held together with cement (intermolecular bonds). When the hoof takes on excess water the water molecules force the blocks apart and stretch the cement making the hoof weaker.
When the hoof dries out too quickly the ‘blocks’ move partly back into place, but the ‘cement’ is damaged and there are gaps between the ‘blocks’. The lack of integrity of the molecular structure causes the hoof to crack and split under stress. A complication when the hoof is in this condition comes from the horn being more porous and easily absorbing water. This again swells the hoof and on a hot day it will dry too quickly, setting in motion the wet/dry cycle that is so damaging.
A further problem occurs when horn splits and cracks in Summer and the first thought is to soak the hoof in water to introduce some moisture. We now know that this is totally contraindicated because it exacerbates the whole problem. Soaking the already damaged hoof horn on a warm day causes the horn to initially swell to accommodate the water molecules and then during the heat of the day all the newly introduced water dries out and the hoof shrinks back again causing further damage to the molecular structure. Hosing or tubbing dry brittle hooves will only exacerbate a problem that was caused by water in the first place and is definitely not recommended.
If it were possible to dry saturated horn slowly and in a controlled way over several weeks the molecular structure would rebuild itself to become both dry and strong, but that of course is totally impractical. It must be understood that there is a big difference between dry horn with a low moisture content and dry brittle horn that has been damaged during rapid drying out. Most people in this country will only normally see the latter, but unfortunately this condition has become synonymous with the warmer conditions in Summer and is now generally accepted as a normal occurrence, which of course science has proved otherwise.
Another important factor to consider is the way in which certain breeds are very much compromised by living in wet climates. The Thoroughbred for instance has only existed in this country for around three hundred years and before that its male ancestors, the three Arab stallions, came from a desert. Again it seems to be part of tradition that Thoroughbred hooves are expected to break up in Summer – and they do with alacrity and they probably have done so each year since breeding started in the 1700’s.
Science has clarified the cause and effect of environmental water on hoof horn and furthermore has provided the products to repair and protect it.
For many years, centuries even, there was little more available within the Hoofcare armoury than concoctions of different oils and greases, but now not only has research shown that these products are mostly contraindicated and can actually damage hoof horn, but also many farriers and Vets. are actively persuading their clients against their use.
Undoubtedly, some of these oily hoof preparations can give the hoof a pleasing and shiny appearance, but these marginal benefits do still have an adverse effect on the molecular structure of hoof horn and as you will have read earlier it has more than enough to cope with environmentally without further damage being caused by well meant, but inappropriate treatments.
So, if oil and grease have become a dubious tradition then what is the future?
Keratex, who are at the forefront of modern Hoofcare have amongst their range two specific products that have been specially developed to repair and protect hooves against the effects of environmental influences.
Keratex Hoof Hardener is the only product (it is Patented) that actually repairs the molecular structure of hoof horn after it has been weakened by the effects of water. It does this by a process called cross linking and adds atoms to repair the intermolecular bonds which support the molecules of keratin that make up the major part of hoof horn and give it optimum strength.
Having recognised that water is one of the main culprits in the cycle that weakens hoof horn Keratex developed Hoof Gel and this actually provides a protection to the whole hoof capsule that works in the same way as the ‘breathing’ fabrics used for country clothing.
Hoof Gel stops all types of moisture, including urine, from entering the hoof, but it still allows air into the hoof and lets gases and excess moisture out. But it has many other benefits. It disinfects the hoof with every application and by preventing environmental water getting into the hoof it keeps the hoof capsule more healthy by excluding the organisms that cause such conditions as seedy toe, white line disease, thrush etc. as the organisms responsible for these conditions are all carried into the hoof in absorbed environmental water.
The result of using Hoof Gel is that the hoof is virtually cocooned in an invisible coating that protects the horn and other hoof tissue without compromising any of the natural functions, so that the hoof develops to be naturally stronger and healthier. It also makes the hooves easier to clean, by shrugging off water and mud, and helps stop matter adhering to the sole and frog.
Due to the influence of environmental factors in Northern Europe the molecular structure of most horses hooves will be in some way affected and the symptoms may range from slight cracking around the nail holes to frequently lost shoes and ripped away hoof wall.
Because the horn structure usually needs repairing we would always start treatment with Keratex Hoof Hardener and then follow up with Keratex Hoof Gel as an on going maintenance and protection throughout summer and winter. We have found the following regime gives the best results on all conditions of horn. Read the instructions fully, but use the following application frequency:
Start off with Keratex Hoof Hardener over six weeks with the following frequency:
(For general use Keratex Hoof Hardener is best applied in the morning after the horse has been brought in for the night and the hooves have had a chance to dry off.)
Hoof Wall: Every day for the entire six weeksSole: Week 1: Every day
Week 2: Every other day
Week 3: Twice
Weeks 4 & 5: Once
Week 6: Every day
Week 6: Bring the horse in onto a clean dry bed and keep it in for a full seven days.
This is to allow the hoof structure to dry out thoroughly and hopefully revert
to a moisture content of around 25%. During this week do not allow the horse
out at all if possible and certainly not on grass or anywhere which is the slightest
bit damp. Keep the bed scrupulously clean and dry.
At the end of the sixth week after the horse has been kept in, and immediately after the last application of Hoof Hardener has dried, start applying Keratex Hoof Gel every day during winter or wet weather and two or three times a week in dry weather. Remember early morning dew preceding a hot sunny day can be quite damaging if it is absorbed into the horn and then quickly dried in the heat of the day, so continue using Hoof Gel all year round. Use Hoof Gel over the whole hoof, walls, sole, frog and heels
For those of you worried about appearance for showing or special events then that is easy with Hoof Gel. Just allow it to dry fully and then rub gently with a soft shoe brush. The result is a perfect natural shine that does not pick up grass or bedding. Apart from that farriers, vets and show judges will appreciate not getting oil all over their hands!
This regime can be started at any time of the year, but it is of paramount importance to get the hooves absolutely dry before starting with Hoof Gel.
One final point. Keratex Hoof Hardener is a very advanced, and patented, formulation designed specifically for use on hoof horn and because of the way it works, by adding atoms into the structure, it is impossible to over harden the horn. Some of our customers have been told by their farriers that the hoof is getting too hard, but this is not the case. Unfortunately many farriers are so used to working on soft water saturated horn, which is very easy to cut, that when the horn is at the correct moisture content they notice it is much harder to work on. Hard, dry horn is strong horn and should not be confused with the dry brittle horn that occurs after winter water dries out during hot weather.
© Colin Reeves 2002
Equine Products Corporation Limited
Unit 1 Deverill Road Trading Estate
Sutton Veny Warminster Wiltshire BA12 7BZ
Telephone: 01985 841144
Fax: 01985 841188
Email: info@keratexhoofcare.com
VoiP: 05600 762816