Regular horse hoof care is indispensable for their overall well-being. Collaborating with your farrier and veterinarian to assemble a practical hoof care kit tailored to your horse’s specific needs is a cornerstone of responsible horse ownership.
A well-stocked hoof care kit with essential tools is crucial for maintaining your horse’s hoof health. Photo features a hoof pick, brush, rasp, and topical treatments.
Key Items to Include in Every Hoof-Care Box
Deb Simone, a dedicated horse owner, diligently follows a hoof-care routine before each ride for her Trakehner-Hanoverian cross mare, Lovey. Her routine involves using a hoof pick to meticulously remove any accumulated debris from Lovey’s hooves, followed by the application of a hoof hardener to each hoof wall. Simone firmly believes this simple yet consistent practice is paramount in preventing cracks, splits, and microbial infections that commonly thrive in neglected hooves. She emphasizes that this proactive approach is far more cost-effective than the potential veterinary and farrier expenses that can arise from neglecting hoof care.
“Having dealt with significant hoof issues in the past, I prioritize consistent attention to her feet,” Simone explains.
However, even with her diligence, Simone acknowledges that her collection of Hoof Care Tools might be incomplete.
“A hoof hardener and a pick are essentially what I use,” she admits. “I’m aware there are likely other essential items I should have readily available.”
Dave Farley, CF, a past president of the American Association of Professional Farriers and a specialist in shoeing sport horses in Coshocton, Ohio, confirms that many horse owners lack a dedicated hoof care kit.
“Historically, every horse owner maintained a hoof box, but this practice has become less common,” Farley observes. “Fortunately, there’s a resurgence in barns providing communal hoof boxes, which is beneficial for the horses.”
Tracy Turner, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, from Turner Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery in Minnesota, whose research centers on the relationship between equine podiatry and performance, underscores the critical role of routine hoof care in a horse’s overall health.
“Whether it’s a jumper landing after a fence or a racehorse propelling forward, the hooves bear immense stress,” Turner explains. “The adage ‘no foot, no horse’ remains profoundly true.”
Fortunately, maintaining clean and healthy hooves is straightforward, requiring only time, knowledge, and a well-equipped hoof-care box. Turner, Farley, and other equine professionals recommend stocking the following essential hoof care tools:
The Foundational Hoof Care Tools
Hoof Pick
Universally available at tack and farm supply stores, a functional hoof pick is an affordable and essential hoof care tool, ranging from budget-friendly options around $2 to premium versions costing up to $20. The primary function of a hoof pick is to remove debris such as sand, pebbles, wood fragments, and even glass shards that horses accumulate from various environments like pastures, trails, and arenas. While the use of a hoof pick might seem self-evident, Jeannean Mercuri, a New York-based professional trimmer and member of the American Hoof Association, notes that proper technique is often overlooked.
Mercuri points out that many horse owners primarily use a hoof pick to dislodge loose manure and surface dirt. However, effective hoof cleaning requires a more thorough approach.
“Often, horse owners don’t clean deeply enough,” Mercuri states. “The goal is to remove all foreign material—sand, small stones—from the entire hoof structure.”
She also advises against opting for the cheapest hoof picks, as they are typically made from low-grade metal, rendering them inadequate for regular use.
Essential hoof care tools: a quality hoof pick and a sturdy hoof brush are fundamental for daily hoof maintenance. This image highlights both tools against a neutral background.
“Consequently, when using a subpar pick, the metal tends to bend easily, leading users to believe they are applying too much pressure when the tool itself is the issue.”
Similarly, Farley cautions against inexpensive plastic-handled hoof picks with an integrated brush.
“I advocate for a high-quality hoof pick with a robust handle, without attachments,” he states. “Furthermore, the very cheap models tend to wear out quickly.”
Hoof Brush
Another indispensable hoof care tool is the hoof brush. This seemingly simple tool plays a critical role in sweeping away loose debris and finer particles that the hoof pick might miss. Typically made with stiff synthetic PVC bristles, a hoof brush not only cleans the hoof but also allows horse owners to conduct a comprehensive visual inspection of the hoof, from the coronet band to the heel, as Farley explains.
“After using the hoof pick to clean every part of the sole and all areas of the hoof, use the brush to clean the sides of the frog and the sole to reveal any remaining debris hidden within the hoof,” he advises. “Always brush in a forward direction, starting from the heel bulbs.”
Farley also recommends investing in a durable, standalone hoof brush.
“A quality brush is a worthwhile investment as it should last a long time,” he remarks.
Consistent and thorough hoof cleaning is an investment in your horse’s health. “Regular cleaning maintains hoof hygiene and provides an opportunity to detect potential issues early before they escalate,” Turner emphasizes. “It doesn’t need to be a complex task, just a consistent part of your horse care routine.”
Farrier tools for hoof care: This image presents a rasp (left) and crease nail pullers (right), tools helpful for smoothing hoof edges and removing horseshoe nails, respectively, essential for comprehensive hoof maintenance.
Advanced Hoof Care Tools for Comprehensive Maintenance
Rasp
Rasps are primarily used by farriers to refine and smooth the edges of a horse’s hoof wall. While essential for professional farriers, Lori McBride, CJF, a farrier based in Louisville, Ohio, recommends that horse owners also include a rasp in their hoof-care box.
“Inquire with your farrier if they have a slightly worn rasp they are willing to give you,” McBride suggests. “A rasp that is no longer ideal for professional use can be perfectly suitable for occasional filing of hoof edges or smoothing minor cracks—similar to using a nail file.”
Crease Nail Puller
This tool, resembling long-handled pliers, is designed to remove individual horseshoe nails from the “crease,” the groove encircling the shoe where nails are seated. Once nails are removed, the shoe can be taken off.
“A crease nail puller is invaluable in situations where a horse damages or twists a shoe and a farrier appointment is not immediately available,” McBride explains. “Affordable options are available for around $25.”
This tool is also useful for removing “hot nails,” which are nails driven too close to the sensitive inner hoof structures, causing pain.
Hoof poultice application for horses: Image shows a poultice being applied to a horse’s hoof, illustrating a common treatment for drawing out inflammation and infection, essential for managing hoof abscesses and bruises.
Topical Hoof Hardener
Available under various brand names, topical hoof hardeners are liquid treatments applied directly to the hoof horn, which constitutes the hoof wall. Regular application of these products is intended to strengthen the hoof against softening due to prolonged exposure to moisture from urine or wet conditions and to enhance resilience against cracking. Hoof hardeners primarily work to balance moisture content within the hoof, which can aid in preventing loose shoes and the formation of abscesses.
Thrush Treatment
Cracks and splits in the hoof create ideal environments for microbes that cause thrush, a bacterial infection affecting the frog tissue, and other hoof infections. Therefore, including an effective thrush treatment or a mild antiseptic like povidone-iodine (Betadine) in every hoof-care box is crucial.
“Choose a reputable thrush product that is non-corrosive and will not damage healthy hoof tissue,” Mercuri advises.
Poultice Sheets
Easy-to-use poultice sheets, such as Animalintex, are effective in reducing inflammation and drawing out infections. They are commonly used in treating foot bruises and promoting drainage of hoof abscesses.
Hoof-Soaking Boot or Bucket
For conditions requiring soaking of the hoof, such as treating abscesses or white line disease, a hoof-soaking boot or bucket greatly simplifies the process and makes treatment more effective.
Bandaging a horse hoof: Image shows a horse’s hoof being wrapped with a self-adhesive bandage, demonstrating a technique used to secure poultices or protect injuries, an essential skill for horse owners.
Self-Adhesive Flexible Bandage and Duct Tape
A roll of self-adhesive flexible bandage (like Vetrap or Co-Flex) is a versatile item for your hoof-care kit. It can secure wound dressings, hold poultices in place, or temporarily wrap a lost shoe until a farrier can attend to it.
Duct tape, with its myriad uses on a farm, is particularly valuable in a hoof-care context for securing wraps on a foot that has lost a shoe or is recovering from an abscess.
“I prefer duct tape for its durability; Vetrap is less robust,” Turner notes. Consequently, many horse owners use both in combination for optimal foot wrapping.
Gauze Pads
Essential for dressing wounds or applying poultices, a supply of 3×3-inch or larger non-stick gauze bandages or dressings, such as Telfa pads, should be included in every hoof-care box, as recommended by McBride. Some horse owners also use disposable diapers as a cost-effective alternative.
Cutting tools for hoof care: A sharp hoof knife (or scissors) shown, used for precisely cutting bandage materials like gauze pads and Vetrap, ensuring proper fit and application during hoof treatments.
Hoof Knife
A sharp hoof knife, or alternatives like sturdy scissors or a single-edge razor blade, is useful for cutting gauze pads, Vetrap, or duct tape to the desired size for effective application.
Mercuri mentions she always keeps sharp kitchen shears handy for tasks like trimming loose pieces of frog tissue from the hoof.
Clean Towel
Farley also suggests including an absorbent towel in your hoof-care box. After cleaning and brushing the hoof, thoroughly dry it with a towel before applying any hoof hardener or treatment.
“Pick up the hoof, wrap it snugly in a towel, and hold it for a minute to absorb surface moisture,” he advises. “This step enhances the effectiveness of any topical treatments.”
The potential contents of a comprehensive hoof-care box are extensive. Collaborating with your farrier and veterinarian will help you customize a kit that is both practical and perfectly suited to the specific needs of you and your horse.
Key Takeaway
Regardless of the specific items in your hoof-care kit, Turner emphasizes that the overall benefits of consistently attending to your horse’s hooves extend far beyond the tools themselves.
Firstly, regular handling of your horse’s feet trains them to accept this procedure from you, as well as for veterinarians and farriers, Turner points out. This routine makes necessary hoof procedures significantly easier when they are required, as it is not the time to begin training.
Furthermore, regular hoof care offers deeper benefits. “It profoundly impacts the horse—mentally and physically—and strengthens the bond between horse and owner,” Turner concludes.
