Site Menu:
This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below: |
HorseAdvice.com » Horse Care » Hoof Care, Hoof Trimming, Shoeing Horses » Hoof Care Topics Not Covered Above » |
Discussion on Hoof "bondo" | |
Author | Message |
Member: 122756 |
Posted on Friday, Jul 9, 2004 - 3:23 pm: Hi--our 15yo mare has very slow hoof growth, the nail holes never seem to grow out between shoeing.Her hoof walls have a tendancy to start breaking down between the nail and the shoe usually by the 4th week following shoeing. (fyi-she is on excellent timothy hay, LMF super supplement, and a powdered hoof supplement that delivers 30 mg biotin daily). My question--has anyone had experience with hoof filler products? My farrier has used some type of "putty" in the past, seemed to be similar to the silicone calking one might apply between tile but with more hardening tendancy. Both times it did not last more than a week, even though adequate drying time was allowed. It's been a few years though and I'm wondering if there's a new, improved product that perhaps the horseowner could use periodically to fill in the chips and lend a little more hoof wall support between shoeings? If anyone's had experience with this and/or a particular product I'd like to know. thanks |
Member: Deggert |
Posted on Friday, Jul 9, 2004 - 3:42 pm: Bethyou might try MSM supplement. I don't think its the only factor involved in my horses hoof growth but even the farrier can't believe how much foot we get in 6-8 weeks. I also think that since I quit LMF and changed to Triple Crown Products I have better overall health. I use Lite as mine are easy keepers, it is a similar concept as LMF super supplement. Just a thought. Cheers |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 10, 2004 - 5:55 am: Beth the last time I patched a foot I use a product called Equi-Lox which gives good bonding. These products have to be applied carefully to be sure they stick and prevent problems under the patch. Follow the instructions carefully.Note that hoofs are protein and timothy one of the lowest protein hays available. Perhaps a few lbs of alfalfa daily would be of great benefit. There is no proof for the claims of MSM being a benefit and I wonder if Debbie has confused it with methionine, the sulfur containing amino acid which has been shown in some studies to toughen the quality of the horn. For more on all of this see, Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Poor Horn Quality: problems with the wall and soles. DrO |
Member: 122756 |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 10, 2004 - 1:17 pm: Thanks Dr. O (and Debbie too!)I've had this mare for 8 years, and she's always had poor hoof quality and poor rate of growth. She also is an easy keeper, as Debbie guessed.This is one reason why I really like feeding the timothy as she can pretty much eat as much as she likes and I don't have to worry about that (other than $). Over the years I've had her on alfalfa, alfalfa/grass mixes, MSM, and a variety of supplements, grains, complete feeds, etc. Each time I've tried to stick with a particular program for at least 6-8 months. On our current feeding regimen this mare has significantly improved her hoof quality. The LMF formula she is on is higher in protein, to compensate for feeding grass hay, however I would not be opposed to adding a little alfalfa to her diet. The hoof supplement we use is Select Nu Hoof Maximizer. It provides 30 mg of biotin and 1800 mg of methionine per "dose". I understand from the articles that there might be some evidence that increasing the methionine to 2 G might show increase in rate of hoof growth...that is very interesting to me because at this time that is the main problem with her hoofs. Living in the PNW makes hoof care a challenge, especially in the summer when we experience dramatic changes from excessive dry to excessive moisture. This mare is turned out to pasture 8-10 hours a day and is stalled at night in a stall with wood flooring and pine shavings.This might also factor into our previous less-than-satsifactory experience with hoof fillers...if she were stalled all day we might have had more success. We are preparing to bring her home this summer, where she will have nicely matted stalls and turnout in a large mud-free paddock and daily limited pasture turnout(the easy keeper factor)...I will be very interested to see what happens with her hooves. Anyway, I will look for equi-lox and I really appreciate this info! |
Member: Gailking |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 10, 2004 - 4:27 pm: Hi Beth,Since I have barefoot horses I have looked for a similar fix for their hooves. My trainer had used Equithane products with success on her mare, so I ordered the bonding stuff and the gun to apply it. One horse is sensitive after a short trim. My other horse isn't but he wedges small sandy gravel into his hoof between the wall and lamina and I thought this epoxy stuff would help seal that until it could grow out. The stuff is tricky to work with. It creates heat when mixed in the gun and will set up within seconds in very hot weather (you need lots of mixing tips). Anyway, we applied it to both my horses. You can spread it on the walls or into the sole area. It stayed on at my house where I have dirt and mats and pine needles. On my first ride on my tender footed horse he did fine on the roller ball gravel roads, the trails mixed with rock, up and down steep hills, etc. The stuff stayed on fine. Then at my trainers I decided to use the arena for a few minuts. Well 10 minutes on decomposed granite and it was all worn off. DG works like sandpaper and opens a small tear in the product which then lets the DG work in and loosen the "shoe". So it works if your horse has good footing without much abrasion, but wouldn't work on sand and gravel. It is also quite tricky to apply and two people are very helpful in doing so. The stuff is expensive, about $30 per tube which does about six hooves. The gun is $50 and the mixing tubes $1 each (you will probably need one per hoof). If you are only patching a hoof, again it depends on how rough the horse is on his feet. My young horse tears through the woods and rocks willy nilly and a patch only lasts about three days. Your new situation sounds like it may work for her feet and be worth the expense if it stays on. Good Luck. Gail |
Member: Paul303 |
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2004 - 12:13 am: I've always found that the dental bonding materials work well. The main trick is the prep. I would imagine that would apply to any substance put to this use. Loose pieces must be removed in order to create a stable foundation. It is extremely important to create a slight beveled undercut to the prep so that the material has an edge to expand behind or grab. The hoof prep must be clean clean clean, and dry dry dry. A mild etching agent is usually supplied with the bonding kit. It is best to have someone mix while you hold the hoof to prevent moisture or dust contamination of the prep. Place the hoof on a square (doubled) piece of aluminum foil. Fill the prep- the foil serves as the bottom mold of the hoof. Overfill slightly then bring the foil up over the material and the hoof, molding the bonding material to the shape of the hoof. Leave the hoof wrapped until the material begins to cool. Keep the horse still ( use this time to slowly scratch, massage or groom him ) during this curing period. Keep the foil on until repair cools. then you can remove the foil and when the repair is cool, if necessary, you can sand any rough spots with a fine grit sandpaper.Talk to your dentist. He'll ( or she'll ) probably order a kit for you and may even have some great tips. It sounds much harder to do than it really is. Just be sure that the hoof damage does not extend to any vital tissues. That requires a vet or farrier. You would not want to run the risk of sealing in bacteria. |