SoVa Hoof Care

12/04/2025

12/03/2025

Lovely pre-trim example of a hind foot belonging to a Dutch warmblood.

12/02/2025

Excessive moisture is a problem for our pasture kept horses in wet climates. Some more than others seem to be affected by it, an example is this sweet gelding who is prone to wall delamination when his pasturemate is not. After a few rounds of Hoof Armor and some drier weather, these previously waterlogged feet are looking so much better. 💪🏻
As with most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Your first line of defense is always a proper, nutritionally balanced diet, following NRC guidelines. Painting a potion on the feet is not a substitute for a deficient diet.
For those horses who need a little extra help like this guy, we will continue with Hoof Armor use BEFORE the wet winter weather strikes to help prevent delaminating in the future.

12/02/2025

Ten things that affect your horse’s hoof. Please feel free to share.

These subjects are all covered in depth in The Hoof of the Horse: curtisfarrierbooks.com

11/14/2025

This sweet senior QH gelding with PPID had a bout of acute laminitis and foundered in January. Since then, his diet has been tightened up as well having an increase in his Prascend dosage. As you can see from the large event line, we are *so close* to having that last bit of lamellar wedge grown out!

11/12/2025

When Virginia hooves begin to resemble desert hooves you know we could use a little rain!

10/06/2025

Great info to get out there. We need to be more proactive about diagnosing and finding “at risk” horses before they become obviously symptomatic. I strongly feel we also need to prioritize every horse having a set of baseline podiatry radiographs when their feet are sound & healthy! Having these radiographs to compare to is really advantageous if/when things go wrong and we need to take radiographs to diagnose a lameness or note any changes in the hoof capsule.

09/04/2025

Nutrition is a powerful tool to build healthier hooves. This lovely new growth on top is the result of removing dietary insults (grass, poor hay), adding a toxin binding gut supplement, and having all dietary needs met (minerals, vitamins & amino acids). Even the pigment has changed.

Ripples on the wall, cracks, delamination, wall separations, thrush, foot soreness are all part of a bigger picture…a check engine light, so to speak.
Some horses are genetically blessed with solid feet. Some horses need all the dietary help they can get (and a healthy gut) to reach their hooves’ genetic potential. This is your nudge to dive deeper into the nutrition and health status of your horses who are having chronic hoof issues. 💗

09/04/2025

An update: Last year this QH gelding had surgery to remove bilateral OCD fragments from the extensor process of P3. The surgeon gave a prognosis of a 70% chance of returning to full work, emphasizing the importance of correct hoof balance and efficient breakover. ✅
The photo on the left is when I first met him, 1 month post-op. The second photo is from his most recent trim. He is doing fabulous, back to work and the surgeon is very pleased with his feet.
The best part? He is getting ready to compete at his first show, a milestone his owner was unsure would be possible. It’s an honor to be apart of his care team and I can’t wait to see them succeed!

08/18/2025

Foot soreness that shows up after July often warrants some investigation.

It’s been a minute, and I apologize for the lack of posts!
I’ve been quiet because it’s summer… and most in hoofcare know that summers can be a bit hectic. It’s when hoofcare pros are most at risk for burn out, and when the heat, humidity, bugs, and hoof issues can get to us.

I’ve made an observation lately that there are two kinds of hooves I see emerging in summer… ones that seem to get healthier and stronger in dryer weather, with rock hard walls and frogs, and feet that seem to absolutely fall apart and become less and less comfortable.

I think many of you would be able to pick out what causes the difference between the two…
Grass and metabolic issues.

The vast majority of the time, horses I see on grass in the summer, especially overgrazed paddocks, will have issues - whether as “benign” as thrush, hoof sensitivity, or some “seedy toe,” or as serious as laminitis and founder. The sugar levels in the grass push so many horses over the edge into uncontrolled metabolic issues, and we see the feet suffer.

But some horses seem to have feet that fall apart in July/August without explanation - no access to grass, no change in diet, even those with the best living environments… and in those cases, I typically end up seeing vets diagnosing PPID (Cushing’s) or seeing that their bloodwork is above range due to the seasonal rise and that their pergolide dosage needs to be adjusted. These horses can become sore “out of nowhere” or suddenly have hoof issues they didn’t have earlier in the year.

If your horse suddenly can’t handle walking over gravel, or has thrush you just can’t kick even with treatment and a good environment, or maybe they’re losing some topline or drinking and peeing just a bit more than normal…. Consider their metabolic health. Test them for non-fasted insulin and an endogenous (baseline) ACTH test and rule out metabolic concerns.

Your hoofcare provider will thank you!

07/31/2025

🥵 Sweat Science Breakdown: Non-sweating horses aren't just "broken" - they're usually nutritionally depleted!

Anhidrosis often develops after electrolyte depletion becomes chronic. Here's the cascade: inadequate sodium/chloride → disrupted cellular pumps → damaged sweat glands → inability to thermoregulate.

But here's what most people miss: it's not just about salt! Potassium, magnesium, and trace minerals like zinc are crucial for cellular membrane function. Many anhidrotic horses also have adrenal fatigue from chronic stress.

The solution isn't just "more electrolytes" - it's about restoring cellular function through proper mineral ratios, supporting thyroid health, and helping rebuild damaged sweat gland function. I've seen horses start sweating again after mere months, sometimes as little as weeks of targeted nutritional therapy.

Is your horse struggling with heat? The fix might be more complex than you think! 🌡️

06/12/2025

Wow! Just 2 weeks into this sweet gelding’s rehab and we are seeing so many wonderful changes in his body.