6 minute read
SOAK UP THIS IDEA for MANAGING HOOF CONDITIONS
What Is Hoof Soaking?
An effective way to ensure all the tight nooks and crevices within the hoof capsule are penetrated with a liquid to help kick off and maintain your hoof care management. Suitable for various hoof problems or as a routine weapon against hoof pathogens.
Why
Hoof Soak?
Soaking horses’ hooves in an effective but mild solution helps rid the hoof and all the “nooks and crannies” of debris. This is the most effective way of penetrating into those areas which are really difficult to attend to, even with the correct tools on hand.
Is it beneficial for all hoof ailments OR just a thorough cleanse?. Especially beneficial in cases such as Seedy Toe, White Line Disease, Thrush, Abscess (during and after eruption), fungal and bacterial infections, canker along with softening hooves and clearing debris prior to trimming. It is recommended prior to commencing any other topical treatments to ensure you are working on a hoof that has had a thorough cleanse with a topical solution. Many hoof care professionals are turning to this approach for horses on their books. As a hoof care professional myself, it has helped immensely for long standing hoof problems in clients horses I’ve worked with. This ensures the hoof has a thorough “blast” weekly prior to using topical applications.
Hoof Mate® (pictured below) is a Chlorine dioxide tablet (self-activating in potable water) – the box of 30 tablets makes 15 litres of Hoof Soak.
Chlorine dioxide works on organisms through a process called oxidation. It is a highly reactive compound that readily donates oxygen atoms, leading to the disruption of cellular structures and metabolic processes in organisms. When chlorine dioxide comes into contact with organic
matter, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other microorganisms, it reacts with and oxidizes essential components of their cells, including proteins, enzymes, and cell walls. This oxidation process damages the microorganisms, ultimately leading to their inactivation or destruction. Chlorine dioxide is known for and used for various applications, including disinfection, sterilization and water treatment.
Is It Difficult?
No, it’s not difficult to apply a hoof soak. Of course, your horse will need to be fairly patient to stand quietly with soaking boots or your preferred form of soaking equipment for 20-30 minutes to let the solution penetrate. A quick prep is all that is needed on the hooves prior to application.
What Will I Need?
1. Water & liquid dish soap mixed into a trigger spray bottle
2. Stiff hoof brush or a hoof pick with robust metal bristles
3. Hoof Soaking boots or rubber buckets. (We use and recommend the TUBBEASE soaking boots)
4. Clean, empty 1 litre bottle
5. HOOF MATE® White lightning® Tablets
There are various soaking boots available which make the process much easier for applications such as the Tubbease soaking boot, or soaker boots from the Easycare range available at: www.hoofbootsaustralia.com.au
You can also get creative with what you have on hand to use as a soaking vessel. Just be aware that not all horses take to boots/buckets or bags around their hooves and common sense says that they may need some desensitisation or time to adjust to these items prior to the first application.
Then What?
Simply grab the empty 1 litre bottle and fill with clean (drinkable) water. Add 2 Hoof Mate tablets, seal the bottle and allow 10 minutes for the tablets to dissolve. The solution will turn yellow. (This will make 1 litre of solution which should be enough to cover 4 hooves in soaking boots. You may need to make a bigger solution for buckets).
Whilst you are waiting for the solution to be ready, clean the hooves with the hoof pick and spray with the water/dish soap mix to ensure most of the paddock debris is dislodged. Apply the soaking boots as you go or prepare the rubber buckets ready for solution.
Pour the solution into the boots or buckets and soak for 20-30 minutes. This can be applied up to 3 x per week for a month for more severe cases or weekly depending on the severity of the condition you are targeting. Be aware that the solution turns yellow upon activation. You may notice post soak that the hooves are slightly discoloured as shown in the before and afters. This may also discolour leg hair temporarily, so be wary of this when applying the solution.
Other Tips For Successfully Reducing Hoof Pathology.
A simple way to look after hoof hygiene is to ensure they are kept clean and disinfected. At least 3 times per week it would be good practice to clean out the hooves with a wire hoof pick and use some hoof spray in conjunction with the picking to flush and cleanse thoroughly. Curved tip syringes can be used for liquid and have a nifty curved tip and a good reach for small areas. These come in a pack of 5 and are a very handy item for the tack room. Keep hooves out of unsanitary conditions such as manure or urine areas and provide a firm dry footing for your horses to access daily.
Success tips
FOR STUBBORN or ongoing HOOF issues, we suggest starting with 3 x weekly hoof soaks for 20-30 mins at a time. After 2-3 weeks, you should be able to move on to weekly soaks ensuring you are using a good quality topical application in between. This could be Beeswax Blue Balls® for Seedy Toe or white line defects or Hoof Pack Clay in between soaks for thrush maintenance.
The liquid is most potent used within 1 hour of the fresh batch being made so unfortunately doesn’t keep. It’s quick and simple to reactivate another batch to ensure you are using the solution when its most active.
If you have old nail holes or hoof defects. After soaking, seal these areas with some Beeswax Balls to prevent further debris and pathogens entering the site. Keep these areas plugged with the wax ball until you need to soak again. Clean out the wax, soak the hooves as per the process above and reseal with wax post soak.
Below are some pre and post soak photos. You can see the liquid has penetrated deep into the wall separation and more notably the central sulcus of the frog. It has opened up the whole area, giving a thorough cleanse and is now ready for topical application when dry.
Soaking boots made specifically for the job are the easiest solution. Pictured opposite top left The Tubbease and opposite top right the Easyboot Remedy both available from www.hoofbootsaustralia.com.au
For more information and further articles, please visit our website: www.hoofco.com.au
Julie Wright,Dip.EPT, Cert.EMT.
© Bare Equine Australia June 2023.
