Summer to Autumn: Helping Your Horse's Hooves Through the seasonal Change

Summer to Autumn: Is Your Horse's Hoof Care Routine Ready?

It feels like summer has flown by! Before we know it, the fields will be wetter, gateways muddier and our horse's hooves will be dealing with a very different environment.

The move from hard, dry conditions we often see through summer to softer, wetter autumn ground can be quite a change for the hoof. This makes late summer the perfect time to start paying a little extra attention to your horse's feet and getting into a good routine before the wetter weather really arrives.

From hard & dry to soft & wet

During dry spells, hooves can become hard and dry, and you may notice small chips or cracks around the hoof wall.

Then autumn arrives and suddenly those same feet are spending much more time exposed to wet grass, muddy gateways and damp beddings.

Repeated changes in moisture levels can affect the hoof, while mud and damp conditions around the frog and heels can create an environment where unwanted bacteria and debris can build up,

The good news? Your autumn hoof-care routine doesn't need to be complicated.

Pick out feet regularly

One of the simplest things you can do is get into the habit of picking your horse's feet out regularly.

Remove packed mud, stones and other debris, and take a moment to actually look at each foot rather than simply giving it a quick pick.

Pay particular attention to the frog, central groove and heel area, especially as the ground becomes wetter.

Know what's normal for your horse

Regularly checking your horse's feet make it much easier to spot when something changes.

Look out for unusual smells, changes to the frog, deeper grooves, tenderness, heat or anything else that doesn't look or feel normal for your horse.

If you're concerned about anything you find, speak to your farrier or vet rather than waiting for the problem to develop.

Don't wait until the fields are muddy

Autumn hoof-care is much easier when you start before you're knee-deep in mud!

Late summer is a great opportunity to establish a simple routine that you can continue throughout the wetter months.

At NRT Hoof Solutions, we're big believers in little and often. Hoof care doesn't need to involve a complicated list of products or take half an our every day. Consistency is what matters.

Building an autumn hoof-care routine

A Simple routine might look something like this:

1. Pick our the feet - Remove mud, stones and packed debris and check the whole hoof.
2. Pay attention to the frog and heels - These areas are particularly worth keeping an eye on as conditions become wetter.
   
3. Clean when needed - Our NRT Sole Cleanser is designed to fit easily into your regular hoof-care routine and can be used on the sole, frog and around the heel area.
4. Look after the hoof externally - Our NRT Hoof Butter can be incorporated into your regular routine to help condition and care for the hoof.
   
5. Don't forget nutrition - Goof quality hoof growth starts for within. Our NRT Hoof Booster provides targeted nutritional support as part of a balanced diet.

Your autumn hoof check list:

-Pick feet out regularly - Check frogs, groves and heels - Remove packed mud and debris - Keep and eye out for changes - Maintain regular farrier appointments - Get into our autumn routine before the really wet weather arrives

Little & often goes a long way

The changes of seasons doesn't have to mean completely changing everything you do.

A few minutes spent regularly checking and caring for your horse's feet can help your stay on top of things as we move from those dry summer days into wetter autumn conditons.

And whiles we're not quite ready to say goodbye to summer yet... we're definitely starting to think about autumn hooves!

Are your horse's hooves ready for autumn?

NRT Hoof Solutions - practical hoof care, developed with over 25+ years of farriery experience