A horse that spends several days in mud, rain, or snow can have issues with their soles. They become too soft. When you have a soles that become too soft, it’s now softer than the bar. Anywhere you have bar that is sitting on the sole, such as overlaid bars or bars around the frog, this harder bar material bruises the softer sole. The horse can become tender over rocks and pavement as well. They can bruise and abscess.
The softening of the outer wall and soles can also release old bruising and trauma. Even if the trauma was months ago. As the soles soften the abscess tracks work their through the soles, out the softened coronary band and heel bulbs. The softer hooves the horse will feel the trauma they couldn’t feel when the sole was more firm.
If you have a long spell of wet weather and footing, and then it dries out, you can have a crippled horse. But the horse isn’t truly unsound. The soles are just soft. The key to keeping a horse sound in all weather and footing is just to plan ahead.
Realize that soundness comes from the firmness in the soles. This is why horses in dry desert areas can hold up to hoof stress, the soles are like rocks. These hooves become so hard they don’t exfoliate enough. This can cause flares and under run heels. The key is making sure the hooves aren’t to dry, to soft, but just right. The hooves change with the weather. They are slaves terrain.
Here are some steps you can take to help the soles during changes in weather of prolonged dry or wet periods.
If you foresee long periods of rain, mud, snow, you can apply hoof hardener to the soles.
If the horse is in standing water or mud harden the outer wall also. (keretex is a good product)
make sure there is no extended bar material on the soles.
If you had long periods of mud ,think before you ride over areas that aren’t mud. Firm your soles. The sole changes with the terrain and weather. You can’t expect soft soles to be sound on rocks and hard ground unless you firm them up. A day or so before change of footing harden your soles to prepare them.
Hooves that are in excessive dry climates such as sand and dirt, can get very dry. They are rock hard, knives can’t even lower the bars. You start stressing the lamina. False sole pushes on the outer walls. Outer walls are weight bearing.
These hooves can be soaked in water. Small fragments of carpet can be soaked for them to stand on.
So with a little planning, hooves can remain sound . Through all terrains and weather. Check your hooves weekly so you don’t get big surprises when hooves are checked.