As the seasons change, so do the strategies we use to manage horses’ hooves

horse standing in mud
Spring and fall bring one of the biggest challenges to hooves—mud. | Adobe stock

Because horses’ hooves function as living, responsive structures, their health and strength often reflect the environmental stressors they encounter. And as most horse owners have experienced firsthand, horses frequently face pesky climate-specific hoof health problems—thrush, abscesses, or hoof cracks—because varying moisture levels, temperatures, and terrain conditions can all challenge the structural integrity of the proteins that make up hooves.

Beyond stall-side observations, the scientific community has also established that the environment has a profound effect on horses’ feet.1 While we can’t control how harsh the next winter might be or how badly the subsequent April showers will flood our pastures, we can take some season-specific proactive steps to mitigate seasonal hoof health challenges.

Your Horse’s Hooves Interact With Their Environment

The rainy fall and spring seasons notoriously bring moisture-related conditions, while hard (potentially frozen) ground contributes to hoof cracks in the summer and winter

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