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Mud packed hooves had me second guessing my quick rinse, but a vet's note turned things around.
I used to blast mud off with water and call it good. I mean, why waste time, right? Then a vet showed me how wet hooves can lead to big problems down the road. So now I dry them fully after washing. Maybe it's just me, but I see the difference in hoof health.
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blairjackson1mo agoMost Upvoted
My farrier actually told me something similar last spring. He said thrush is mostly from standing in wet bedding or mud, not just from rinsing hooves. I mean, if you dry them well after washing, it should be fine. Maybe it's just me, but I've never had thrush problems with my routine. The big thing is making sure they're not constantly damp.
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noahcampbell28d ago
That point about drying them fully is key, honestly. Something I've noticed is that the type of ground they stand on after a rinse matters a ton too. Like, if you wash hooves and then put them right back in a damp stall or a muddy paddock, you're just restarting the clock on that moisture. @xena_anderson seeing that happen with thrush makes total sense because of that. It's not just the wash, it's the whole wet environment cycle after. So maybe the real trick is timing your washes before they go onto dry footing for a good while.
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