The horses are barefoot on 24/7 turnout. They can develop ice balls in the soles which can cause traction problems. The ice can cause them to stand off-balance almost an inch above the ground. They rock from toe to heel on the fronts, risking damage to supporting structures. With wet snow followed by colder weather the ice balls can become hard as a rock and difficult to chip away, but the ice can be rasped off flush to the hoof wall. Once it warms up to about 20 degrees the ice tends to pop out pretty easily. Coating the soles can help, but not always. We have to watch the horses when the conditions are right for ice balls, removing any accumulation before it becomes a problem.