Please help, I need a link to read...

[Heidi]

...or personal opinion and experience...
...about toughening hooves naturally.

I am interested in reading about the placing of gravel or stones for the horse to walk over. Q has tender feet over rocks and I'd like to help her toughen up, but I don't want to do it incorrectly:
1. I place the rocks in the wrong area and she avoids them.
2. Use the wrong kind of rocks.

Suggestions, opinions and links?
Thanks,
Heidi

[echo]

I've heard of putting gravel around water troughs and worn paths in the pastures. I have a long gravel driveway. I ride the horses often up or down part of it routinely, but for short periods (5-10 minutes or so). If I'm riding and a horse acts tender at all, I move to the grass. Gradually, they just don't seem to care about the rocks anymore. I've also used Venice turpentine 2 or 3 days a week applied to the sole (avoid the frog). It helps. Sorry, I've not seen anything published about it.

[jmtw]

Lori sent me a thing once about an ancient trainer.
Can't remember the name, of course, but ask Lori, she should remember.
It was pretty interesting, shame I had to re-do my pc and lost it.
He talked about putting gravel in the corral, to toughen their feet up, etc.

[Boyd R]

dont have any literature. But your more than welcome to come out and look at mine.

I used 57 stone, Put it in all the high traffic areas, They will avoid it as they can for the first week or so but within 2 wks. they won't have any problems with it. I have been riding in some real rocky areas this summer and had little to no problems. I do have one mare that can not walk on rocks and won't toughen up. Vet, Vickie, and ferrier say there is no visible physical reason for her tenderness. We thought she may have gotten rotated when she had foundered with previous owner but X rays say she is fine. I talked to a previous owner and she said that she has allways been tender in the front and they just kept her shoed. So I keep her in boots 24 7. Now I wished I left on pasture gravel free.

[Pasogirlz]

Lori sent me a thing once about an ancient trainer.
Can't remember the name, of course, but ask Lori, she should remember.
It was pretty interesting, shame I had to re-do my pc and lost it.
He talked about putting gravel in the corral, to toughen their feet up, etc.

I don't remember. :oops:

[TrueStepPaso]

Xenophon? I have his book...I haven't read it in a few years....."The Art of Horsemanship"...??
He talks about putting stones, large stones - sort of flat - in their stalls.

Echo is right about putting it around the water trough. They HAVE TO walk on it. I've seen ppl put small stones all around and have them secured in place by wooden poles horizontally in the ground about 6-7 feet away from the trough in all directions - making a large square.

And of course, put them in high traffic areas as well.

[djculp]

We were interested in toughening the horses' feet also, so we bought a truck load of gravel and put it in their run-in shed. It was round river rock, not exactly what I wanted, but good enough. They don't avoid it at all, and go in their to lounge and eat. However, I haven't seen much of a change in their feet. They still hate the sharp road gravel. One nice benefit is that the shed is not dusty now, and it looks nice with river rock in it! Just trying to find ways to justify all the money spent...

[Terry Wallace]

The best way to toughen feet..is to ride the horse at least 4X a week. Yes, you can put gravel around the water trough...BUT...it does NOT mimic riding on a gravel road. You can apply "Super Hoof" or other sole tougheners...that will drive the blood vessels back from the sole somewhat and that makes a hoof less sensitive and tougher....

You cannot really mimic the rider weight as it applies to the pressure on the soles of a ridden horse stepping on gravel. Hoof toughening takes time.
Bottom line...if you don't ride them enough...the hoof won't "stay tough".
Some horses's feet NEVER get tough enough for no shoes. If your horse is sore footed being ridden...I would suggest shoes or boots.

We have decomposed granite here..my whole front holding area... is in fact...decomposed granite. It is very abrasive. When we rode over the weekend..both my unshod horses had sore feet from the bigger granite gravel sitting on top of the decomposed granite road. Its mostly because both horses have not been ridden very much this year. I have a ride this weekend...and you can bet they will both be booted. All horses here at my place, live on decomposed granite, and it hasn't helped one whit to toughen their hooves, as they move around on it at liberty.

Personally...I would not spend a bunch of money bringing in gravel to put around a water tank, because it doesn't duplicate rider weight or gravel roads. JMO

[CarolU]

I have hard packed clay here all summer and have pretty tough hooves on most of my horses, who are barefoot. In fact some get so hard and dry I keep mud around the water troughs to help hydrate them.

But it still depends very much on the horse. All my horses live in almost identical conditions. The hooves range from hard to soft and pliable and everything in between. They are nicer in the winter though...love winter hooves, hydrated and clean. Something about all that white stuff! Obviously it is a climate horses were meant for.

[TrueStepPaso]

The best way to toughen feet..is to ride the horse at least 4X a week.
Hoof toughening takes time.
Bottom line...if you don't ride them enough...the hoof won't "stay tough".





:notworthy Thank's, T.....just what I'm always thinkin'. ;-)

And THAT, folks, is one of the best pieces of advice (I learned the hard way) you'll ever get in your "horse life"......seriously.