Strange and Unique horse feed - updated

Odd Feeds for Horses

I have been reading up on some older, out of print books to find out what sorts of things horses have been fed in the past and in other countries.  I find this very interesting, as many of the things considered normal and proper have changed with scientific advances. Some things horses were fed in the past were necessary due to lack of “proper” feed, and were downright strange.  For example:

A still more stimulating food was sometimes provided for Indian horses in a meal of boiled mutton or goat's flesh . Marco Polo tells us that in Malabar they fed their horses on boiled meat and rice. In Cutch , before hard work , the old outlaw custom of giving the horse such food still prevails. (from Things Indian Being Discursive Notes on Various Subjects Connected with India By William Crooke · 1906)

The following is from Training and Horse Management in India With a Hindustanee Stable & Veterinary Vocabulary, and the Calcutta Turf Club Weights for Age and Class, By Matthew Horace Hayes · 1885

Rice.-- In some parts of India , especially in Eastern Bengal, rice in husk , commonly called paddy (Hind . Dhan) , is much used , after it has been kept for one season . It is given raw and in a broken state. It forms a fairly good food. A mixture of one part of gram to two of rice is an excellent one for feeding purposes. Rice, without the husk, is quite unsuitable for horses. [I found this very interesting, as I started feeding cooked parboiled rice to my elderly guy which really seemed to help him put on weight.  Not sure why he says ‘rice without the husk’ is unsuitable].  

Carrots and other roots contain but a small amount of nutriment compared to their bulk, hence they are inapplicable for forming a large proportion of the food of horses, which are called upon to do fast work. They supply the system with certain important salts , which tend to preserve the fluidity of the blood and to build up tissue. … They come into season during the autumn, and may, with great benefit, be given in quantities of 6 or 7 lbs. daily: 2 or 3 lbs. will be sufficient for race-horses. Parsnips are almost as good as carrots.

…Carrots also improve the state of the skin. They form a good substitute for grass, and an excellent alterative for horses out of condition. To sick and idle horses they render corn unnecessary. They are beneficial in all chronic diseases of the organs connected with breathing, and have a marked influence upon chronic cough and broken wind. They are serviceable in diseases of the skin.

Milk. For sick or delicate horses, milk is often most valuable, and they will seldom refuse it. Sweet skim-milk is preferable to new milk, which, from being too rich, is very apt to purge the horse [Give them diarrhea]. A couple of gallons may be given daily. To correct any tendency it might have to produce diarrhea, the milk might be brought to the boil in a clean vessel, care being taken that it be not smoked during the process . Sugar or salt may be added.

Another snippet, this one from John Lockwood Kipling, C. (1904). Beast and Man in India; A popular sketch of indian animals in their relations with the people. New York: The Macmillan Company.

 [The following discusses the desire of a stocky, draft-like build in naturally thin Indian horses] 

"But by rigorous confinement and careful stuffing with rich food even this condition is approached. Many horses belonging to persons of rank are fattened like fowls in France, by the grooms thrusting balls of food mixed with ghi, boiled goats' brains, and other rich messes down their throats. And, as might be expected, very many die of diseases of the digestion and liver under the process. The difference between East and West, between old and new, between feudal and free conditions, is shown in few things more clearly than in a comparison of the horse of the Indian Raja with the scientifically treated animal of Europe and America. The latter is carefully fed during the all-important period of its growth, so that its strength and substance are fully developed, while it is made to take regular exercise." (p.166)

Peaceful Winter Night Under the Cold Moon

 

The night is cold and brisk, yet peacefully silent.  The moon glows overhead, illuminating the bare winter landscape.  The air smells crisp, as if hinting at coming snow. A fox gives a curt, sharp cry to his mate down the farm lane, then silently disappears into the woods.  In the cloudless sky, the stars brilliantly sparkle with the promise of a bright new year to come.  

So proud of pony Wookie!

My little ornery pony has come a long way! Wookie is my 5 yr. old Friesian/ Welsh cross pony. (Yes, I know, it was an accidental breeding).  Last week, my young junior jockey neighbor Yomar first took him for a refresher ride in the western saddle (as it had been a few weeks since he was last ridden).

Then the following day, his father (Yomar Ortiz Sr., a professional jockey) accompanied him on Pimms for a bit of leg stretching.  This time, he rode Wookie bareback (as he is most comfortable), and managed to urge him into a canter of more than a few strides for the first time.  They did great, I was very proud of both Wookie and Pimms.

And finally, I decided to finally take Wookie on a trail ride.  He did wonderfully, never having had to carry and adult for so long, and even doing a couple nice canter stretches!  I am very pleased with my little guy.

Here are the videos of the younger and elder Ortiz riders.  Aren't they just adorable?!:

Hobble Training: Cruel or No?

I recently got into a discussion with a friend of mine regarding hobbling horses.  She is European and from a dressage background, and she was vehemently against it, saying it's cruel and breaks a horse's spirit.  I argued that while that is perhaps the old West, bronc-bustin' reputation of hobbling, it can be done in a perfectly safe and humane way, and can have many benefits.

The benefits I have found include:

• It's an excellent way of teaching a horse not to panic if it were to get caught up in wire, rope, vines or the like. (Just do a google search for "horse caught in wire" to see some horrific accidents)
• It enforces your leadership position and builds trust.
• It is necessary (or at least preferable) for some trick training. (Eg., placing a horse's foot up on a pedestal, bow or kneel, etc.)
• It desensitizes a horse's legs to being confined or stuck. It may be necessary for a medical procedure, and a horse taught to hobble will not panic when it is done.

One important thing I must point out, is that a horse must be TRAINED TO HOBBLE. Like the one-rein stop it is extremely dangerous unless the horse has been taught what it entails and how to properly respond.  You must teach the horse in a safe, gradual manner, so they understand what is happening and do not panic.

So now I would like to hear your opinion on hobbles... yes or no?

How to Teach a Horse to be Hobbled.

I will post another article shortly on the ethics of using hobbles to train horses, after getting into a big discussion about it with a friend of mine.  I personally think it's a great tool, so if you are interested in training a horse to hobble, this is a method I find safe.

First of all, the horse must know how to lead and have their feet handled calmly.  Mine were also accustomed to dragging a lead rope, and had figured out how to move their feet if standing on it and caught. Next, you want to set the horse up for success, meaning not super fresh (Lunge, ride, whatever first to get them a little tired). The ideal way to introduce hobbles is when they are hungry and you have fresh green grass they are eager to graze…. They are generally less likely to fight and more interested in staying put and eating.

The horse needs to have a halter and a long lead rope on, so you can guide them if necessary.  I only had one horse try to rear and fall to the side, and I was able to direct him with the lead rope to make sure he didn’t land on his head.  (That was his one outburst, luckily). You need a location with soft footing, but I didn’t like the idea of the round pen, as the horse can hop about quite a bit in the beginning, and wanted enough space to move with nothing they could hit, so I used an open field.

You want their front legs fairly close (i.e., horse standing square) when you put on the hobbles. Use very soft hobbles, generally either lined leather cuffs or thick cotton rope. After putting on the hobbles, stand back, keeping a hold on the lead rope, and being careful to stay to the side (and out of his path), should he launch forward. Some horses want to hop right into your space, so be ready to move out of the way! 

If your horse doesn’t move, apply light pressure to the lead rope, to encourage him to take a step. Again, be ready for the horse to attempt to leap into your space. Let your horse figure it out on his own, but keep hold of the lead line, so you can help keep him from getting in trouble, and to help him balance. (Be sure to keep the slack off the ground, so he doesn’t inadvertently get his front legs over it.)

Let the horse struggle with why his feet are caught and what to do about it.  They may struggle for a little while, try hopping around, etc.  One clever horse of mine promptly started sniffing the hobbles and nibbling, trying to figure out how to untie them! Eventually, the horse gets tired of fighting and will just stand.  Be sure to praise him verbally when he does this!

When he is finally totally relaxed and standing still, you can approach him, tell him what a great boy he is, and carefully take them off. I then encourage the horse to step forward to show he’s no longer restrained…. Many are hesitant to move at first.

Hobbling should be repeated here and there to remind the horse not to panic when trapped by the feet.  Like any training, you occasionally need a refresher!

Using a Donkey to Halter Break a Foal

Great method! I have tied a youngster to an older horse to lead them up and down the driveway a couple times, which works well.  This method here, however, is the old-fashioned way of teaching a youngster to lead well.  I like the article, as it explains exactly how they go about it to keep things safe. Click here to read the article:  Donkeys to Halter Break

What to do with all that hay twine?!

This time of year, everyone has piles of hay twine, that you have saved because you just know it will "come in handy" at some point.  So of course, the most obvious answer is... throw it out!  If you don't want a fire hazard or this... 

You can always find other crafty things to do with it!  I will no doubt update this post as time goes on with new and unique ideas. And I would absolutely welcome suggestions from any readers!

 But for now, here are some that I rather liked....

Crochet or braid it into:

• Rugs or mats (especially for entryways)
• weatherproof saddle pad
• lead rope (Use multiple strands to make it extra strong)
• halter or a bridle (Something I frequently crafted as a kid with a pony)

Use it to tie up baby trees that are leaning the wrong way.

Make a diy fly whisk with a bunch of twine and a stick.

Use it to "temporarily" fix broken gates and fencing, if you don't mind your place looking like the Clampetts live there! (We all know these temporary fixes seem to morph into permanent fixes, as other projects take priority).

Little Wookie is doing great!

I have decided I should find a good person to lease Wookie.  I think he really has the potential to be the perfect all-around little guy!  The last time we went out on the trails, he had no problem leading the way, and didn't seem the least bit spooky.

He is also stocky enough to carry many adults (myself included, of course).  As will all my youngsters, I will need someone who is experienced and a strong rider, so that he doesn't develop any bad habits, but I am sure the perfect person is out there... now I only need to find them!

Atticus and Eva jumping in the park

 A couple videos Eva's friend Gwen (riding Brandy) took of her and Atticus jumping the coop and log in the park.  It was a beautiful day for it!

Riding under a beautiful Magnolia tree

 

Posted by Orchard Creek Farm LLC on Monday, March 29, 2021

Horses begging for treats

 

Cute horse butts! Atticus is far right, and his two sons, Pimms and Wookie, are next to him. All mugging Eva for treats, I believe!

Posted by Orchard Creek Farm LLC on Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Happy Horses Grazing

 

Atticus, Pimms, Brandy, and Judge last week. Wookie out of frame. #horses #equestrian

Posted by Orchard Creek Farm LLC on Sunday, April 11, 2021

 

Various Horsekeeping Practices of Old

As I may have mentioned before, I have always been fascinated with reading old, out of print books to find out what sorts of things people in the past did when it comes to caring for and training horses.

I did this research in part, because I want to see what sort of progress we’ve made with new discoveries in science and animal behavior.  But also in part, because when horses were a daily necessity, I imagine there was general “common knowledge” of good practices that have since fallen by the wayside.  One would think they would have known a thing or two when the average person relied on horses on a daily basis. 

So, with that in mind, here are a few interesting things I have found from various old, out-of-date books. These are just various snippets, with my comments in brackets []. I will probably update this from time to time with new discoveries.

The following bits are from (Training and Horse Management in India With a Hindustanee Stable & Veterinary Vocabulary, and the Calcutta Turf Club Weights for Age and Class, By Matthew Horace Hayes · 1885)

Stables and Barns

Loose boxes should be, at least, 12 ft . by 16 ft. In India , 10 ft. by 12 ft . would be a minimum . The walls between the boxes should be made about 6 ft. high , so as to be just sufficient to prevent the animals smelling each other over them…

If possible, there should always be a space of a few inches all round, between the roof and the top of the outside walls [for proper ventilation].  The windows of a stable ought never to be shut by night or day; in cold weather , add to the clothing, but never deprive them of the first great source of vitality , “fresh air."

On all occasions, when the stables are empty, they should be thrown open for the admittance of sunlight, which is a powerful disinfectant.

At the entrance of the box or stall, for appearance sake, the bedding should be arranged in a straight line, which is finished off by a piece of plaited straw being stretched along it. [This part greatly amused me; imagine insisting a piece of braided straw was neatly arranged at the entrance for looks!]

Feeding Practices

Sheets may be used with advantage instead of mangers. They may be made of sacking (tat), and about a square yard in size. They are laid on the ground, and the grain is spread over them. They cost little, are easily cleaned , and can be packed up in a small compass. I always employed them with my own horses in India. (Training and Horse Management in India With a Hindustanee Stable & Veterinary Vocabulary, and the Calcutta Turf Club Weights for Age and Class, By Matthew Horace Hayes · 1885)

[I would like to note here that I have used a version of this, being a large tarp spread over damp or muddy ground, to feed hay and hay cubes in the winter.  It has the added advantage of de-spooking horses to tarps, to the point where many of mine will chase after a tarp and stomp all over it, looking for food.]

Useful Dry Erase Boards for Riders

I have designed a couple different dry erase boards to help around the barn and stable.  My most recent is this dressage test practice board. Perfect for drawing out your test repeatedly in order to memorize your steps.

I also made this Grooming Chart to track bathing, hoof treatments, and the like. So you can see your productive horse time, even if you aren't riding.

And finally, so far the most popular board, is this Horse Care and Feed Chart. I hope you find them very useful!

Cavaletti Plans and Sketches

I was going through my "horse training" files on my computer and stumbled across this... some ideas and plans to build cavaletti.

The concrete molds are of course meant to be boxed frames into which one would pour concrete to create as many pole holders as necessary.  I haven't really tried this one out, but concrete is both cheap and heavy enough to make a nice stand, I would think.  If you have tried any of these or have additional ideas, I would love for you to comment!

Barn Hacks and Tips

Use shower scrubby gloves to clean tack! 

Gets the soap more sudsy and really helps scrub off those sweat spots that hold dirt. Also, no more dropping your damp sponge in the dirt! (Or is it just me that does this?)

Use Pink Lotion made for ethnic hair types as a detangler.

This stuff works much better than any of the silicone-based products out there, and is much healthier for manes and tails anyway. I haven't yet figured out what it is that makes this work so well, but it may be that it has a higher lanolin content than other stuff. At any rate, it works a treat!

A ski suit keeps hay off you!

If you live in a cold climate, you know how hay loves to cling to fleece fabrics.  A ski suit over everything sheds hay and dust pretty well, and it keeps your regular clothes pretty clean! I hate having to change clothing repeatedly from running out to do chores. 

Also along these lines, one of my favorite tools is one I actually got because I had long-haired shepherds....

A dog dryer has many uses!  

This little thing, although pricey, has a lot of power for it's size.  I have used it to blow the dust and hay off myself before coming into the house, to blow the dirt out of saddle pads and rugs, and also to blow the dust and dirt off my horse before clipping when I wasn't able to bathe first.

Note: the one in the link above I purchased almost 10 years ago and it is still going strong!  It lives on my porch just inside the door.

Farm Layout Tips for Planning New Farm

Although I am not actually planning or buying a new farm, recently the following things occurred to me as I was walking around and thinking about what I like and don't like about my current set up.

1. Perimeter road: If you have the acreage, plan to leave room for a lane or road so you can drive a truck or tractor all the way around your pastures.  This was originally for easy fence checking and maintenance, but it's also useful if you have an injured or downed horse at the far end of the pasture you need to get to.  And I wound up adding fencing to the actually perimeter of my property and a couple gates, so I can turn the horses out onto the grassy "lane" area to graze at times.  Oh yes, and I also put up some jumps around this area, which works great!

You can see a rough idea in the illustration to the left. If you can zoom in, you can see both the space around the pastures and little lines to indicate the jumps.  The white rectangular section is my dressage arena.

2. Barn close to house: I know this isn't always practical or advisable, but I noticed the convenience when my older horse Judge was injured and stalled. The master bedroom is on that side of the house, and the house and barn are only separated by the farm lane / driveway.  We could hear if he was thumping around in his stall, or coughing. Of course, the downside was, when we were worried it interfered with sleep because we were listening for him.  I think this was more an accidental, "It's a good thing...." and not sure how one could plan for it.  Maybe use a baby monitor instead?

The other advantage, is when I was also sick and had to treat him 3 times a day carrying hot water from the house, it wasn't very far.  Which reminds me of something I don't have, but everyone should.... 

3. Hot water in barn! So many times this is needed.... mixing medicine for drenches, making a hot mash, soaking a hoof abscess, etc.

4. Pasture easily visible from house for injured / sick horse, where we can easily monitor looking out the window. For me, this is my front field. I think it has actually saved my older guy a few times when I was able to glance out (you can see from the kitchen window where we do dishes and such) and see he was coughing or lame. Otherwise I wouldn't have noticed until feeding time.

4. Round pen! This wasn't a requirement on my original list when I bought the farm, but I am very glad I have one.  Aside from being a great tool to work youngsters or exercise horses that haven't quite gotten the hang of the lunge line, it's the perfect place to turn out an injured horse without confining them to a tiny stall.  Of course, this only works for a sensible horse... if you have one that tears around like a nutjob, it isn't ideal.  But where my round pen is located, the horse can see all the others and not feel quite so isolated.

I also found that my round pen was the perfect "foaling stall" when I had pregnant mares.  I added small hole poly hardware cloth to the inside with zip ties to prevent a foal from getting a leg stuck between bars, and a 3 sided shelter made from one of those hut garage kits.  I didn't like the idea of a mare foaling in one of my stalls, imagining her squishing the baby between her and the walls and other such horrors.  This actually worked really well.

5. Sacrifice Area: I am about to create a new one so the horse that can no longer eat hay can be down with the others.  Basically, a place you can put all the horses if you are spraying or liming your pastures, if it is crazy muddy or wet and you don't want them tearing up the fields, if you need to collect manure for analysis or testing, so on and so forth.

Plan so that the horses have easy access to shelter and water here.  This is my diagram of how I placed my run-in sheds with an eye to being able to separate the fields and create a dry lot / sacrifice area: 

I would love to hear ideas and thoughts from others on this list!  Please add a comment below!

Flaxseed Gel, Chia Seed Gel, and Fenugreek Gel

Here is my latest kitchen crafty venture... Making a thickening gel from various seeds and spices.  I first came across the idea on a beauty forum, where people were raving about Flaxseed Gel as a hair and skin conditioner.  Super easy to make, all you do is boil down some flaxseed for a while, then strain the liquid through a sieve, and voilà!  You have a magic gel!  

Looking into it a little further, I also found references to gel from Chia Seeds and from Fenugreek (A plant frequently used in Indian cooking that has many health benefits).  Fenugreek is also referred to as methi seeds. So I have now made Chiaflax gel, Fenuflax gel, and Chiafenuflax!  Inventing some fun new words in the process.  The making of the stuff basically involves boiling the seeds together for a time, then straining the liquid, which will thicken as it cools. (I must note the recipes say you can "observe the mucilage form as the water becomes thicker." Sounds so appetizing, eh? Yummm, mucilage!)  Less liquid equals thicker gel, and vice versa.

Store gel in the fridge and make sure you use it before it goes funky. For skin and hair, you can add some essential oil for fragrance. Use it for what, you ask?  Well, here is what I do with it...

Bombproofing Ideas and Fun things

So I recently went on a buying spree for items to use in my de-spooking and bombproofing work on my young horse who developed an over-active startle reflex. (Is that a thing?  I think I just invented it! As in, "Oh no sir, he ain't spooky, he just has a light case of OASR.")  

At any rate, he had a few experiences that made him much more jumpy than his actual personality should warrant.  For example, I wear an air vest.  One day while riding with friends, I unthinkingly jumped off my horse (Atticus) to pick up a dropped whip. I totally forgot about my vest, and it inflated with a bang.  The youngster shied sideways at the sound, and his rider came off, which further frightened him into believing the world was ending.  For several rides afterwards, whenever I would dismount Atticus, the youngster would tremble, ready to take off. Had I not witnessed the precipitating event, I might have had no idea why he seemed to have such a strange phobia, but there you go. 

Anyway, I reviewed some of my prior horse training notes and did a little internet research, and found the best thing for him was showing him "scary" things, and convincing him to trust his handler or rider, and that way his reaction time would become shorter and shorter to new and frightening stimuli.  So here are some of the fun things I got:

Party noisemakers - These fun little mechanical things that twirl around on a stick, and actually do have slightly different sounds. Cheap and portable.

Little colorful wind spinner thingies...  So far I have just sort of waved these around, but I think maybe I need to drill some extra holes in a jump standard and have them poking out all over. 

                                   

Bizarre barking dog toy - This thing is also supposed to jump around, but mine didn't do a lot of jumping... it more sort of buzzed or vibrated (hmmm).  Otherwise, it is motion and sound activated, so my idea was to build a small, low sided plywood box to place it in, and have the horses have to approach it and then walk past it.  Sadly (or perhaps happily) my friend's 6 month old puppy fell in love with it, so I gifted it away.  Still a great idea, though! 

Bumble Ball  - Another toy to sit in the low plywood box. (Actually, I found something that would probably work better than the box that you can also order on Amazon!  Try this dog crate tray. You're welcome).   Makes super erratic, jumpy movements, sure to scare the Bejeezus out of any horse! Apparently more or less the same as the Chuckle Ball, but a little smaller.  Take your pick, I suppose.  

More favorite products and cool things for farm use

Alcohol wipes For cleaning off cell phone and tablet screens, wiping down general sticky gunk from surfaces. I have always carried a few in my purse and now habitually use them to clean phone screens and my car display screen.  Funnily enough, I just recently saw them marketed (for quite the markup) as "electronic device cleaning pads". Guess somebody stole my idea! 

Game sled for dragging hay bales and mucking stalls. I actually bought this sled to use on my small farm to drag hay bales in behind my tractor.  It works much better than I expected, and I plan to buy another!  Even though I don't use it on snow, but over a rocky driveway, it has held up amazingly well, and allows me (an average size woman) to easily transport 2 bales of hay down the hill to the horses.  I can drag it by hand, or with the tractor or truck.  Excellent item!  The bottom is now beginning to be a bit abraded, so I will look for some sort of reinforcement for it, but after a couple years over rocks, no surprise!

Hoof Rasp (Heller) - I frequently rasp my horses' hooves between farrier visits to keep them from chipping and cracking.  The difference a new, sharp, quality rasp makes is amazing!  Literally a few swipes, and boom, you're done!  I had purchased a different brand new rasp last time, and I may as well have been using a cheese grater for all the effect it had.  Just one note... when using this, wear heavy leather gloves!  It will shave the skin off your hand before you feel a thing, and it's very easy to do.  Excellent product. 

Mesh Laundry Bags - These things are super handy for washing stuff like polo wraps and leg bandages.  Also useful for washing tack cleaning rags, tack sponges, and the like.  I also use them for washing my makeup sponges and powder puffs and all my million hair scrunchies. 

Of course, I would wash dirty rags and anything that might have horse poopies completely separate from all other laundry!! In fact, if a saddle pad or something is really dirty, I normally hose it off and do a first wash in a large muck bucket outside before putting it in the actual washing machine.  Sadly, I do not have the luxury of a separate barn washer and dryer, although those that have them are lucky!

Hoof Problems and Rehab

This website caught my attention, as I currently have one boarder who was diagnosed with white line disease, and I'm worried that it may be what one of my horses was afflicted with last summer that I believed to be a recurring abscess.  The website is http://www.hoofrehab.com/wallcracks.htm

Originally posted 1/21/11

Fungal Complications

Fungi don’t usually bother healthy hooves, but if you allow them to settle into a wall crack, they can eat their way upward faster than the horse can grow healthy hoof down. This effect should be suspected any time a crack acts “stubborn” about growing out. When I suspect this, I put my customers on an anti-fungal soaking program. No topical solution well help at all. You just have to soak, or you'll be looking at those same cracks in ten years. The best products in my opinion are White Lightning and Clean Trax; both available through farrier supply houses. (Anna's comment: much cheaper, with the same results is Oxine concentrate mixed with citric acid crystals... both can be purchased here from Amazon)

Instead of this, I usually use Lysol Concentrate mixed to 2 ounces per gallon. I shouldn’t mention it because it is inconsistent with the labeling, but I’ve used it on a thousand horses and have never seen or heard of a negative effect. (If you use 2.1 ounces per gallon you’re on your own, but I’ll stand behind the 2 ounces per gallon as being much safer than most commercial thrush remedies! And more effective.)  In truth, I think the reason it is so effective is that it's cheap enough that people will actually repeat it over and over, rather than the "one or two chances" they'll typically give a more expensive product. It makes a soapy water that kills fungus, yeast and bacteria without harming living tissue or drying out the skin or hooves. Elegantly simple and it works. I typically have my customers use soaking boots to soak the hooves 3 times a week for 30 minutes. I use it for wall cracks, white line disease and thrush.

Additionally, when you see horses with multiple superficial cracks all over the hoof wall, fungus is usually the culprit. It is important to realize this because many people mistake this for dry feet and put oil on the hooves. (Anna's note: This is why I make sure all my hoof oil contains anti-fungal ingredients, and make sure to apply it well around and just above the coronary band. When making my own hoof oil, I usually add sulfur, betadine, or copper products). This seals the fungi into a dark, wet, anaerobic environment and maximizes their “horse-eating” capabilities. Constant changes from wet to dry contribute to this, so drying up the environment is the best cure. If I can open the superficial cracks without excessively thinning the wall, I often will.

Also, there is an important dietary consideration here as well. If a horse is missing something, he’ll provide it to the more vital organs first, the skin gets the leftovers. So any dietary problem will make a horse’s hoof horn weaker and more susceptible to this kind of attack.

Coronary Scarring

Occasionally, a crack will go so high it splits and damages the coronet. Also, an impact trauma or severe cut can damage the coronet. Either way, this can lead to scar tissue and a permanent weakness or gap in the hoof wall growth. This is usually just a cosmetic flaw. It doesn’t hurt a thing, except it can create an entry point for fungus, which can then eat a larger crack and spread the damage to a large area.
When I see this occurring I usually put the owner on a “once a week forever” anti-fungal soak to keep the infection from getting re-established.

Lamellar Damage

A very similar story can happen to the dermal and/or epidermal laminae as well. An old wall crack can damage the laminae, a benign tumor can disrupt growth, a deformity or an adaptive change in the coffin bone can leave a gap in the laminae. The natural crena or cleft at the center of the coffin bone is over exaggerated in some horses; most commonly it seems in draft stock. This can also leave a gap in the laminae (If you see a horse with multiple, dead-center toe cracks you can count on this one; look for the tell tale ‘divot’ in the sole, mirroring the ‘notched’ shape of the coffin bone.
The end result to all these (and more) is that sometimes there is a missing laminae or two on some horses; a little hole in the "white line". Like the coronary scarring, it is usually not a big deal except that it can be another entry point for fungus, which often spreads the damage to the other laminae and the hoof wall. Again, in these cases I usually use an anti-fungal soaking routine to help me grow out the cracks and separation, and then put the customer on a “once a week forever” anti-fungal soak to keep the problem from coming back. This is a good idea when any permanent ‘hole’ is present.

That is all the ammo I need and I very rarely have trouble growing out a wall crack. I hope this helps your horses.

6 months with the front left foot on a long-term hard case with just about everything in this article going on at once.

At the setup trim in October, severe flaring/wall separation was present. The deep hole warns about fungal complications and a need for soaking. Coronary scarring is present from a time in the past when the crack made it to the coronet. You can see the rippled and separated walls, plus the presence of lamellar wedge in front of the true sole; suggesting dietary problems.

As usual with center toe cracks, you see the 'divot' in the sole mirroring a deep crena or cleft in P3. This has been an entry point for infection, and the primary reason these cracks persisted for so many years, through several different farriers. Most likely if the owner stops her weekly anti-fungal soak the deep, infected holes and accompanying cracks will return. (sorry I added that as a personal note to her ;-)

And finally by May, the cracks are all but gone. The coronary scarring/weakness will always be present, but proper management can keep it from being a problem for the horse.

The Wonders of Oxine AH for disinfecting

I love using Oxine for all sorts of disinfecting around the farm. I consider it a vital disinfectant to have, and don't ever want to be without it!  You don't need to use much at all for it to be super effective. 

It's used industrially for drinking water, and I add a little to the water troughs and my rain barrels to prevent algae and bacteria growth. I also use it to clean feed and water buckets, especially if a horse has been sick.  However, one of it's best uses is in treating hoof ails, such as thrush, abscesses, and insect bites, cuts, scratches on horse legs. A couple of my older horses are prone to leg fungus issues, which can lead to hoof cracks if around the coronary band.  So mixing up some of this in a watering can, activated with citric acid, and pouring it over freshly washed legs seems to do wonders.

I was actually very worried that the price would shoot through the roof and it would be out of stock with the Covid-19 pandemic, but I actually had no problems at all getting it. My only guess is that not many people know what a fabulous disinfectant it is.  There are many stories online about people using it (unactivated) in a fogger to cure poultry of respiratory illnesses.

Here is an excellent article with all the details, including mixing ratios and how to use it:

Treat and Prevent Hoof Infections with Oxine AH: Oxine AH is a powerful weapon against fungal and bacterial infections of the hoof and lower leg – such as thrush, white line disease, and scratches – yet it doesn’t harm living tissue when us…

Handy Craft and Tool Items for Farm Projects

So, I consider myself quite the DIYer, able to MacGyver just about anything in a pinch. (BTW, did you know that "MacGyver" is now a recognized verb in the Oxford Dictionary?!)  Over the years, there are a number of products that I have found to be very useful for various things around the farm. I am sure there are quite a few more that I will come across and want to write about, but without further ado, here is a list of some of my top clever ideas with useful products:

Shrink wrap bags - for covering labels on bottles of fly spray, coat polish, hoof oil, etc. Also for long-term storage of things that must stay dry, such as medications and bandages.  You can sort of DIY your own first aid kit this way.

Shrink tubing made for wire - to use as agulets (those are the plastic things on the ends of your shoe laces) and to seal the ends of rope and string... frequently rope / string ends that I have crafted into halters or lead ropes.  Also good for covering sharp points sticking out (e.g. nail to hold tools). Also to replace lost keepers on bridles and other tack.

And of course, in order to shrink the above two products, one needs to buy a heat gun.

Electrical tape - wrap ends of rope after knots, replacement keepers. Comes in fun colors, like brown to match your leather! Oh yes, and it's the best thing to hold pasture braids in place... it actually comes off very easily, and doesn't damage the mane or tail hair. If you give lessons, it's very hand to use to mark where your student needs to hold the reins. I also use the white or brown colors as to secure the loose ends of electric fence tape. You can also use the brown to make replacement leather keepers for bridles and halters.

Shrinky Dinks / Shrink Plastic - for halter / bridle tags.  Also tags in tack room.

Dremel Tool - Clean rust off metal buckles, conchos, etc. Use soft brush to clean leather crevices, use the grindstone to sharpen tools.  I also frequently use the sanding attachment to trim the dog's nails... sort of like the tool advertised for pets, but more powerful. The one I have linked here is cordless, which makes it handy to use down around the farm.  

One of the uses I had for mine was sanding off the rust on my electric fence gate connectors that hadn't been used in a long time, so the electrical connection is good.

I would love to hear about clever hacks, tips, and tricks that others have tried or use.  I sometimes seem to come across something in a horse forum, or perhaps on Pinterest, but other than that, there doesn't seem to be any one website or location to find these things.  So if you have something nifty and clever to add, please let me know in the comments!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases. However, anything I write about is a product that I really do personally endorse.