MUD and wet ground conditions present a range of issues, from lost shoes to physical disorders, including skin problems, hoof problems and bacterial infections.

“The main problems I am encountering around the country at the moment are soft sole, soft thin soles with bruising, pulled shoes that have damaged the hoof wall and foals with limbs under stress from the heavy ground,” explains John.

“Horses in constant wet conditions suffer from soft soles which compromise the strength of the hooves’ support structures and can make the horse more prone to sole bruising. Aside from keeping your horse out of excessive mud and moisture, maintaining sanitary conditions in the stable is also important as it limit’s the horse’s exposure to bacteria.

“I would recommend a regular five-week shoeing or hoof-trimming schedule to help prevent hoof problems, whether they’re mud-related or not. Applications of iodine toughen up soft soles and draw some of the moisture out of soft hooves. My advice would be to bring your horse in, clean the hoof and dry it, then apply some iodine to the sole of the hoof before the horse is turned out again.”

John suggests that: “If your horse is lame or the hoof problem has continued for a long period of time, you should consult your farrier or veterinarian for additional treatment options, which may include medication, management changes or special shoes.

STONE BRUISE

“Horses with very thin, flat, sensitive or shallow hooves are often prone to bruising. With the weather we are experiencing these horses may also be battling soft-sole which will contribute greatly to the likelihood of a horse incurring a stone bruise,” explains John.

Sometimes owners will see bruising as bluish, brownish, purplish or reddish blotches on the sole of the hoof. This is caused by the tiny blood vessels in the sole rupturing and allowing blood to spread through the sole tissue. If the bruising is severe, the horse will be lame.

Treatment for stone bruise depends on the extent of the injury and whether an infection is present. A sole bruise is vulnerable to infection if there’s a crack to the outside, allowing bacteria to enter, resulting in an abscess. In this case it is best to consult your farrier on appropriate treatment options.

PREVENTION

To help prevent the afore-mentioned conditions John recommended using Keratex Hoof Hardener formula. It includes a unique flexibility agent as well as a hardening agent, to protect your horse from developing brittle, cracked, soft or weak hooves. “Apply Keratex to a clean hoof before the horse is turned out to the paddock,” suggests John. It is absorbed into the hooves therefore it will not come off in the field, it will continue to work within the hoof whatever the weather and whatever the field conditions.

“Pulled shoes are another problem owners will be contesting with the current weather and ground conditions. Often we find that when a horse with poor hoof condition pulls a shoe, part of the hoof wall comes away. To prevent this happening I would recommend owners using a hoof hardening formula like the one mentioned above and checking shoes regularly to make sure they are not loose. Unfortunately you can’t prevent a horse pulling a shoe, this is down to luck, but owners can help protect their horse’s hoof from being damaged in the process.”

As we all know heavy ground puts extra pressure on the horse and none more so than young foals. “It is not a good idea to turn out a young foal on very wet and deep ground as it will put extra stress and strain on their limbs. Turn out foals on the driest pasture available and in wet conditions I would reduce turn-out to a maximum of one hour.”