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An Unlikely Barefoot Horse's Trek

Remel had always been difficult to keep shoes on despite the best farriering we could find. He at 4 yrs of age put a 1/2' piece of wood into his cornoary band and had to wear shoes to be pasture sound. We showed him in dressage and in-hand, shoes would stay on at the beginning of the year and towards August for 2 yrs in a row, he would have pulled/lost so many there would be no place to nail a shoe. In 2006 after finishing the Black Hawk with one shoe on we began our Barefoot trek. We then discovered Hoof Armor and have been using it successfully during this transition time and continuing to use it. This fall we have in 3 consective weekends finished 110 miles of CTR's and endurance miles. The last 50 miles an endurance ride in the St. Louis area we used Epics/bares X 4 on his feet along with the Hoof Armor. The other rides were barefoot with Hoof Armor. I would never have thought this horse could be successful barefoot, now I can't imagine him any other way. If you would like more information on Hoof email or give me a call, I love to talk about it and our success with it.

What is Hoof Armor?? 

Hoof Armor® Commentary:

General info:

HoofArmor is designed to honor our Native American heritage by protecting the hoof until it can become the toughened mustang hoof it wants to be and that nature intended it to be.

Hoof Armor® hoof protection (U.S. Patent #6,231,972) is an easily applied adhesive coating that horse practitioners or owners can utilize to protect horse's hooves against abrasion and wear, and to furnish hoof protection for unshod horses. The HoofArmor Starter Kit contains a dispenser, a 50 ml cartridge of HoofArmor®, eight static mix nozzles, a spatula and instructions. The Refill Kit does not include the dispenser. A HoofArmor 50 ml cartridge should coat 8 to 12 saddle horse hooves.

HoofArmor is designed to help strengthen your horses hooves, rather than weaken them. Like the natural varnish coating the hoof naturally secretes on the top of the hoof, HoofArmor coats the bottom with a flexible thin layer to retain the hoof's moisture keeping hooves healthy in any environment. Unlike horseshoes, HoofArmor protects the sole of the hoof which is the part that gets stone bruised. Unlike metal or plastic horseshoes, HoofArmor is more flexible than the hoof itself and will not restrict the hoof's natural expansion. Unlike horseshoes, HoofArmor is only a thin, clear coating that allows the natural beauty of a barefoot appearance while protecting the hoof from wear. Unlike horseshoes where the shoes are nailed on every six weeks or so and the hooves are not maintained in the interim, HoofArmor is part of a hoof maintenance plan that includes proper trimming and conditioning of the hoof for continual improvement of appearance and performance, just like one would do for the rest of the horse.

For best results when applying HoofArmor, particularly in the transition from horseshoes to barefoot, trim hoof wall level with the sole, and do not thin the sole by cutting it concave. Rasp all edges smooth and rounded. After cleaning and preparing the surfaces, apply a bead of HoofArmor on the bottom of the hoof. Spread a thin coating of HoofArmor over the bottom of the hoof wall, the sole, and a little up over the edge onto the top or dorsal surface. Horses transitioning from shoes to barefoot show an immediate improvement in stone sensitivity, but may take two or three HoofArmor applications (trim cycles) to develop their best stone protection.

Barefootin' Your Horse:

Unlike horseshoes, HoofArmor protects the sole of the hoof; the part that gets stone bruised. The thickness of the hoof sole is the key to stone insensitivity, just like humans; think of walking over stones with socks versus boots. HoofArmor can be used in a progressive conditioning program to enable your horse to comfortably and safely go barefoot. Along with a proper trimming routine where the sole is not carved concave and all hoof wall edges are rounded, HoofArmor is used to help the sole grow thicker enabling it to help the hoof wall support the horse's weight and to provide protection from stones. Besides the protection from wear and chipping provided by the HoofArmor; the sole support, by distributing the weight over a larger area, will prohibit the hoof wall from cracking and chipping. After horseshoes are removed, it may take as much as two or three applications of HoofArmor over as many trimming cycles to grow enough sole thickness for the horse to be insensitive to stones and sharp surfaces. Remember that the HoofArmor System is a constant improvement and will keep getting better for the future of your horse's hooves.

Just because your horse takes a mis-step every so often, doesn't mean that he is lame or generally tender over rocks. He's just saying," Ouch, that was a sharp one" and avoiding stepping on something that could damage his hoof. We do the same thing. Now that your horse can feel his feet, it is natural for him to protect them by not putting all his weight on something sharp. Make sense?

Hoof Armor Application Sequence:

This is an example of typical growth of a hoof after two previous applications of Hoof Armor:

Any type of trim can be done including natural rollovers, mustang roll, etc. The preferred trim; the HoofArmor Trimming Technique, is available on DVD. Paring the sole is not recommended:

The hoof should be freshly rasped, sanded or wire brushed:

Isopropyl alcohol (available at any pharmacy department) should by applied to remove moisture and oils from the hoof:

The hoof should be dried and warmed with a variable heat gun set at around 250° F. (regular heat guns are very hot and should be held at least 8" away from the hoof. A hot hair dryer (1875 watt) should be adequate):

Lift the silver lever to install the 4:1 bayonet from the front; ratchet side down. To stop the flow of HoofArmor in the dispenser, push up on the silver lever underneath and pull back the bayonet:

Apply a THIN bead of HoofArmor to the hoof wall. HoofArmor can be applied to the sole for imediate protection and to grow thicker sole for future stone protection:

A spatula is included in the kit to spread the HoofArmor to the desired thickness. Only a thin coating is required:

 a variable heat gun set at 250° F should be used to cure the HoofArmor. Gel time is 1 to 3 minutes depending on heat source. Regular heat guns, (available at any hardware store paint department) at 700° F are very hot and should be held at least 8" away from the hoof. Rule of thumb: if it's too hot for your hand holding the hoof, it's too hot for a HoofArmor cure. A hot hair dryer at 1875 watt is about the right temperature. HoofArmor will set up at ambient temperature without heat, but takes longer, 10 minutes+ at ambient. In this case the hoof can be put down in sand or soft dirt which will keep the HoofArmor adhered to the hoof.

As a precaution, if the HoofArmor is not completely dry to the touch, it is recommended to avoid concrete or rubber mats with a HoofArmored hoof for at least one hour if possible.

Tips on Use:

- Use denatured alcohol to remove moisture and oils from hoof. Acetone leaves a film. Do not put iodine products, hoof oils and dressings from application surface.

-Warm and dry hoof before applying coating. Use an adjustable heat gun set @ 200-250 degrees F. to cure. Most easily available heat guns are very hot and must be kept at a distance (4”-6”) from the hoof. If it’s too hot for your hand holding the hoof, it’s too hot for HoofArmor. HoofArmor® is designed to cure at room temperature and has successfully been applied without heat curing, although it takes longer (10 minutes+ at 70° F). A hot (1875W) hair dryer set on high heat-low air will work.

- As I’ve always had trouble keeping from using my hands, I’ve been wearing that a pair of rubber gloves and found that using my gloved finger to rub the HoofArmor into the sole gives me the right thickness and cures quicker.

-If horse will not stand long enough, a dusting of talc or similar powder on uncured base will prevent adhesion loss. Also, hoof can be put down in sand or soft dirt. This will adhere to outside of coating, but Hoof Armor® will still adhere to hoof and dirt will wear off.

-If the HoofArmor did not get completely dry to the touch, avoid coated hoof from contact with concrete, rubber, or other hard surface for I hour.

- If desired or necessary due to riding or surface conditions, additional coatings can be applied after simply wiping the base coat with water or alcohol, drying and reapplying.

Troubleshooting:

Problem 1: The HoofArmor sets up slowly or stays tacky.

Maybe:

-The heat gun is too cool: the ideal temperature is 250 degrees F. A good 1875 hair dryer is around 240 degrees and is just about right.

-The heat gun is too hot or too close: a non-variable heat gun is generally around 500 to 700 degrees and must be held about 6” from the surface. If this is held too close the HoofArmor will cure, but the surface will remain tacky.

Problem 2: The HoofArmor peels off.

Maybe:

-The surface was not properly prepared: HoofArmor will stick to whatever it is applied to - loose sole, dust, or dirt. Wire brush the surface, wash with alcohol spray and repeat.

-Also, I’ve found that trying to apply too thick a coating of HoofArmor will peel. As HoofArmor is embedded into the top layer of the sole, HoofArmor only needs to be applied in a very thin coating.

Problem 3: The HoofArmor does not appear to be on anymore.

Maybe:

- HoofArmor is a thin, clear coating that may not appear shiny after awhile, particularly if it has been abraded from dirt and sand. However, as the HoofArmor is embedded in the sole, it should still be protecting. If the surface is wetted, it should appear shinier than a normal hoof, showing that the HoofArmor is still on.

To Order Hoof Armor