Hardening up a foot.. How often?

xlilxonex · 07-30-2008, 12:55 PM

It's been two weeks now and he's still lame but I FINALLY got my boot in for him so I could soak his foot. We had been doing Epsom salt soaks but that just destroyed his foot even more. BAD BAD idea. So now he has pine tar on his feet, and then iodine and Epsom salts, all together in his boot. So we'll see how that goes. But how often is to often to do that? Once a week? every day? Twice a day? I'm worried about drying his foot out to much but it NEEDS to get hardened as it's tearing up beyond belief.. So is there anything else I can use to harden his foot up? He is doing better but it's just a matter of fixing what the epsom salts in water did to his foot... Water is BAD for him right now so we're avoiding it at all costs.

denraydar · 07-30-2008, 02:14 PM

Wow why were you soaking in Epsom salts? abcess? thrush? white line disease? I only use epsom for abcess not for any other issues with the hooves.
Have you considered a diet change or adding biotin? And/Or apply Durasole to the bottom of the frogs/ hooves per the label instructions.

BettyBootsy · 07-30-2008, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xlilxonex

It's been two weeks now and he's still lame but I FINALLY got my boot in for him so I could soak his foot. We had been doing Epsom salt soaks but that just destroyed his foot even more. BAD BAD idea. So now he has pine tar on his feet, and then iodine and Epsom salts, all together in his boot. So we'll see how that goes. But how often is to often to do that? Once a week? every day? Twice a day? I'm worried about drying his foot out to much but it NEEDS to get hardened as it's tearing up beyond belief.. So is there anything else I can use to harden his foot up? He is doing better but it's just a matter of fixing what the epsom salts in water did to his foot... Water is BAD for him right now so we're avoiding it at all costs.

Whats wrong with the feet? Soaking always softens. Epsoms Salt draws. Iodine hardens. So what are you treating? Strong iodine sprayed once a day hardens. What tearin up? We need more info. to help

xlilxonex · 07-30-2008, 07:05 PM

The farrier who screwed up my horses' feet told me to soak in iodine.. I had another good horseperson reccomend iodine to harden, and then pinetar/ venice turpentine and then epsom salts to help draw out the soreness. As to what's tearing up, just his hoof wall from being soaked...

Dawn · 07-31-2008, 09:32 AM

You can't draw out 'soreness' as soreness is a feeling not an object. (Now there are some 'objects' that can cause soreness, but that's another discussion.) The path that needs to be taken here depends upon why he is sore in the first place.

ccd · 07-31-2008, 10:39 AM

Another home remedy that is bad. He doesn't need moisture period. Find out what the soreness is from then treat accordingly. Is the horse shod or not? Recent trim? History of soreness would help.

xlilxonex · 07-31-2008, 02:05 PM

I've only had him for two weeks..he was trimmed WAY to short. But he is getting slightly better as the hoof is slowly growing out... Totally barefoot, and he's perfectly fine or was before he got trimmed way to short.

Dawn · 07-31-2008, 02:11 PM

I remember which we're talking about now. You do want something in this situation that will harden the hoof. (Which is not soaking with anything.)

Based on what you have right now, I'd paint the soles with iodine. But a specific product like keratex would be more beneficial. Or even venice turpentine.

07-30-2008, 12:55 PM	#1
xlilxonex Full Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 252 Images: 20 Blog Entries: 1	Hardening up a foot.. How often? It's been two weeks now and he's still lame but I FINALLY got my boot in for him so I could soak his foot. We had been doing Epsom salt soaks but that just destroyed his foot even more. BAD BAD idea. So now he has pine tar on his feet, and then iodine and Epsom salts, all together in his boot. So we'll see how that goes. But how often is to often to do that? Once a week? every day? Twice a day? I'm worried about drying his foot out to much but it NEEDS to get hardened as it's tearing up beyond belief.. So is there anything else I can use to harden his foot up? He is doing better but it's just a matter of fixing what the epsom salts in water did to his foot... Water is BAD for him right now so we're avoiding it at all costs.

07-30-2008, 02:14 PM	#2
denraydar Senior Member+ Join Date: May 2008 Location: im a nut in a hut Posts: 1,272 Images: 9	Wow why were you soaking in Epsom salts? abcess? thrush? white line disease? I only use epsom for abcess not for any other issues with the hooves. Have you considered a diet change or adding biotin? And/Or apply Durasole to the bottom of the frogs/ hooves per the label instructions. Last edited by denraydar; 07-30-2008 at 02:50 PM.

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07-30-2008, 07:05 PM	#4
xlilxonex Full Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 252 Images: 20 Blog Entries: 1	The farrier who screwed up my horses' feet told me to soak in iodine.. I had another good horseperson reccomend iodine to harden, and then pinetar/ venice turpentine and then epsom salts to help draw out the soreness. As to what's tearing up, just his hoof wall from being soaked...

07-31-2008, 09:32 AM	#5
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 31,292 Images: 1386	You can't draw out 'soreness' as soreness is a feeling not an object. (Now there are some 'objects' that can cause soreness, but that's another discussion.) The path that needs to be taken here depends upon why he is sore in the first place.

07-31-2008, 10:39 AM	#6
ccd Full Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 160	Another home remedy that is bad. He doesn't need moisture period. Find out what the soreness is from then treat accordingly. Is the horse shod or not? Recent trim? History of soreness would help.

07-31-2008, 02:05 PM	#7
xlilxonex Full Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 252 Images: 20 Blog Entries: 1	I've only had him for two weeks..he was trimmed WAY to short. But he is getting slightly better as the hoof is slowly growing out... Totally barefoot, and he's perfectly fine or was before he got trimmed way to short.

07-31-2008, 02:11 PM	#8
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 31,292 Images: 1386	I remember which we're talking about now. You do want something in this situation that will harden the hoof. (Which is not soaking with anything.) Based on what you have right now, I'd paint the soles with iodine. But a specific product like keratex would be more beneficial. Or even venice turpentine.