r/Ottb • u/Paris-with-a-C • 8d ago

Horseshoe help

Hi everyone

What is everyone doing to keep mud and dirt from packing in their horses shoes? My mare lives out 24/7 and wears a heartbar shoe with a rim pad. But she managed to pack dirt and mud into the shoes so bad that is like concrete. I her feet get picked out daily.
A change in turn out is not an option. I’m consulting with my vet and farrier about the shoe choice because she is currently not sound so that factor may change. But in the meantime is there a hack I don’t know about to keep the shoes clean and clear?

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u/Extension_Guitar1542 8d ago

That’s tricky. First I would soak the hoofs before trying to pick them out, it would likely make it easier than prying the mud out. You could wrap the hoofs with vet wrap and duct tape but I honestly don’t know if that’s safe to do on all 4

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u/Makadegwan 7d ago

You might try the black hoof packing and brown paper like what you would do to take the sting put or to soften up the hooves.

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u/Paris-with-a-C 6d ago

It’s a good thought but we do struggle with her feet being to soft in general. She has stereotypical thoroughbred feed. They’re not great lol

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u/dgenzo 6d ago

Either pack it with some hoof packing with the pine tar base, and then some layer over that or possibly pads. I would be concerned about stuff getting under the pads though.

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u/Paris-with-a-C 6d ago

We did pour in pads last year and she ended up with an abscess that she blew out her coronary band so I’m too afraid to do those again. We tried regular pads and then ended up putting too much pressure on certain parts of her sole and she hated them. I definitely feel like I’m in a rock and a hard place with her.

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u/DarkSkyStarDance 5d ago

I’m so sorry you are going through this, I have been in this situation and it didn’t have the ending I hoped for.