Equinomics Tip: Best Budget Hoof Care Hints With show season getting closer, you may be wondering how to get your horse's hooves in shape if they've been in wet conditions this winter.  Any time you're talking about horse care, there are always half a dozen ways to get a desired result. Some ways have been around for years, and are economical and environmentally friendly. A horse owner on one of my favorite discussion groups recently posed a question about ways to protect horses' hooves in wet conditions. Here were some of the tried and true "old school" ways to care for your horse's hooves without spending a fortune: Iodine: Brush it on the sole of the foot. Take care about getting it on your horse's skin, it can burn. Betadine is one common solution of iodine. It can also be combined with baby oil at one part iodine to 20 parts baby oil. Iodine + sugar (sometimes called sugardine): mix sugar and iodine together to a honey-like consistency. Try one part 10% iodine to two parts granulated sugar. The mixture gets stiff in cold weather. These two inexpensive and safe substances together have proven in the lab to have tissue healing plus antimicrobial action. Venice turpentine is another old time remedy, and many on the list recommended. Painted on the hoof, it will harden it and cause a shellack-like finish that helps keep moisture out. Some folks swear by it, some don't like that it can be absorbed by the skin, possibly through porous soft hoof. (Note: venice turpentine is specifically for hoof care, it's not the same turpentine you use to clean paintbrushes.) Epsom Salts: Use this as a poultice, by mixing epsom salts with water to a paste consistency, and using a wrap to keep it in place. Or have the horse soak his foot in a bucket of Epsom salts in warm water for 20 minutes. There is also a ready made Epsom Salts Poultice gel product on the market that can be used on horses and humans. Weak bleach solution to get rid of fungal infections or scratches: Mix one part bleach with 16 parts water, and soak the hoof. Tea Tree Oil and Neem oil are great anti-fungal and anti-bacterial products. And of course, good old fashioned hygiene; pick your horse's hooves daily to help keep out infection.  It will also give you the chance to check them and nip problems in the bud.

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