Good grooming and hoof care

By Justine Thompson

Seasonal guides

09 March 2010 12:01

From spiky rubber massagers and doublesided gel groomers, to traditional rubber or retractable curry combs, there’s an array of kit to choose from to help your horse shed his winter coat.

For spring grooming, the Hill Brush Company (HBC) also recommends the Mexican Whisk. This has grass root fibre bristles which need to be softened in water before working the brush over the horse’s body to get the natural oils moving and improve the coat’s quality.

Another HBC favourite is the Mud Buster body brush, filled with natural bristles and brass wire for dual grooming action. Designed to remove dried mud and scurf, it’s said to be tough on dirt but not rough on the horse or pony.

Hoof health

Hooves endure changes in moisture levels in spring, says West Sussex-based farrier James Nash.

He says: “The external hoof layer expands as it absorbs moisture and shrinks as it dries out. A horse shod while his feet are wet will appear to have risen nail clenches and may develop loose shoes quickly, as the hoof will shrink as it dries.

“This movement can causecracks to form, but those thatneither start at the coronary band nor extend to the ground are often superficial.

"Problems can arise if a crack is invaded by micro-organisms, which can widen the crack and lead to seedy toe.”

According to James, an anti-bacterial hoof hardener such as Keratex is more useful than putting hoof moisturiser on an already wet hoof.

He said: "Save traditional hoof oils for shows, as they can trap anaerobic hoof-digesting bacteria and provide ideal conditions for them to thrive.