Hooves grow slowly. Once they are damaged, they also recover slowly. The key is to prevent hooves from crumbling as much as possible. This means taking a number of measures both externally and internally to keep the hooves healthy. Just applying a bit of oil to the hoof is really not enough! Unfortunately...

Tip 1: Timely visit to the farrier

Make sure your horse is trimmed regularly. This prevents little chips and cracks from getting worse and prevents the hooves from wearing unevenly. Regular care of the frog is also important, by a skilled farrier or trimmer. In the summer, the hoof wall grows faster than in the winter. This can also cause faster crumbling. For many horses, it is therefore advisable to trim more frequently in the summer months.

Tip 2: Give a mineral pellet

For healthy hoof growth, horses need minerals. It is often better to feed your horse with good unpacked roughage and/or pasture grazing with a mineral pellet, rather than giving him a lot of concentrated feed. To meet your horse's mineral needs, you typically need to feed a few kilos of most types of concentrated feed per day. Concentrated feed often contains a lot of grains which limit mineral absorption, disrupting the mineral balance. It is better to provide a mineral pellet (also called balancer) as a basis. This way, your horse gets all the vitamins and minerals he needs without the grains and starches that the body converts to sugars. Examples of such a mineral pellet are Vitalbix Dailyfit, Metazoa Superfitt, Equilin balancer, and Agrobs Naturmineral.

Tip 3: The mineral silicon builds strong hooves

Silicon is an important mineral for your horse, helping the body produce building materials for hair, hooves, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Easily absorbable, liquid silicon increases the production of joint fluid and collagen. Collagen is an important building material for your horse's hooves and coat. When collagen production improves due to good absorption of liquid silicon, the hooves will crumble less and be stronger.

Tip 4: Absorbable fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are also important in a balanced diet. Like silicon, they support hoof growth and quality from the inside. If your horse is fully grazing, it is unlikely that he is deficient in omega-3. But if he does not have prolonged grazing, giving a supplement of omega-3, such as salmon oil or DHA algae, can be a good alternative. Did you know that plant-based omega-3 contains ALA, which the horse's body still has to convert to DHA?

Tip 5: Oil or fat on the coronet band

Many people apply oil over their horse's entire hoof, but it only makes sense if the hoof has just been filed by your trimmer. After that, the hoof seals itself off and the oil or fat is no longer absorbed. Oiling makes sense only on the coronet band, at the top of the hoof. This is the living part, where hoof growth occurs.

Tip 6: Tip over the water trough

Ensure that the ground around the water trough (or the hay rack) is wet. This way, the horses stand in wet sand or mud several times a day. This also helps prevent hooves from drying out. Purposely overflow the water trough when filling it or create a wet spot near the hay rack.

Tip 7: Frog gel with Effective Microorganisms

If your horse has thrush, the quality of the hoof is also not good. The frog of the horse shows signs of decay. Unfavorable microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) are then common in the hoof. To combat thrush, you can use ‘Effective Microorganisms (EM). These are beneficial bacteria, fungi, and yeasts that restore balance in the frog. A healthy frog is essential for a healthy hoof.

This gel can also be applied effectively in cracks and on broken off pieces to combat harmful fungi and bacteria in the hoof, preventing other hoof problems.

No quick fix for dry horse hooves

There is no quick fix for dry hooves in horses. Hooves are slow-growing tissues that take time to show a difference. Provide the right nutrients: a mineral pellet and the mineral silicon. Remember that sufficient free movement is also important to maintain good blood circulation. And during dry periods, make sure there is a wet spot at the water trough, for example, so you always know your horse is standing on a wet surface. Prevention is better than cure.