Dressing Up:
Hoof dressings that work the best for your horse

by Ilka Robertson

Ron West stands in front of the products aisle at his tack shop. His farrier told him he needs to get a "better" hoof dressing for his four-year old Morgan because the mare's hoof wall is dry and flaky. Looking over the cans and bottles on the shelf, he reads claims like "increased hoof flexibility," "prevents laminitis and loss of hoof moisture," and "strengthens internal structures." He hopelessly wonders which hoof dressing is best.

Ron is not alone. A wide variety of commercially available products are imputed to provide the horse with a healthier, more functional hoof wall. This makes it difficult for horse owners to choose the best dressing.

Unfortunately, there is not a Consumer Reports for horse care products. Lucky for owners, however, Texas A & M University conducted a study of commercial hoof wall dressings. Though they didn't analyze factors such as "user friendliness" or cost, they did test a vital hoof dressing characteristic; hydration ability.

A Scientific Breakthrough
The hydration status of the hoof wall has been proven to be directly related to the hoof's mechanical properties. According to studies, if the wall suffers from either dehydration of over-hydration, it becomes more susceptible to developing cracks and splits.

How can you scientifically test how well a hoof dressing works? Texas A & M tested 15 products on each of the five different horses for hydration longevity on the hoof. Great care was taken by the researchers to ensure the integrity of the results. These samples were taken to 100 percent hydration in distilled water to ensure uniform hydration for each product tested. The 15 hoof dressings were even manually applied to each of the samples by the same person to ensure uniformity.

Claims that are "skin deep"
Though many of the products make various promises on their labels, the study revealed only a handful of hoof dressings that provide long-lived hydration to the hoof. The following table exposes the report's findings;

Over 95% hydration
Main Ingredients: neatsfoot and cod liver oil, pine tar, petroleum compound and turpentine

Products: Pine tar (generic), Bear-Cat Hoof Formula (Vapco, Inc.), Rainmaker (Farnam). Vita-Hoof (Farnam), Fiebings Hoof Dressing (Fiebing Company, Inc., Shur Hoof (Farnam)

90-95% hydration
Main Ingredients: lanolin, lactates, stearates, alcohols and glycerin

Products : Hoofmaker (Straight Arrow Prod., Inc.), Hoofflex (Absorbine), Hoof Saver (Farnam), Reducine Hoof Dressing (Farnam), Hoof-It (Vapco, Inc.), Purina Hoof Moisturizer (Purina Mills, Inc.), Hoof Quencher (Absorbine),

Less than 95% hydration
Main Ingredients: ketones, toluene, acetate and alcohols

Products: Hoof Fix (Rio Vista), Tuff Stuff (NY Equine Research & Tech)

Tar, by far?
So which dressing works the best? Pine Tar has 100% hydration rate to the hoof. Surprisingly, this product is generic; pine tar is the sole ingredient. Though factors such as amount and thickness of application and physical removal from the hoof wall surface by the horse's movement can affect the percent hydration, Pine Tar was found to be the best hydration product for your horse's hoof. However, though pine tar was found to maintain the highest degree of hoof wall hydration, Texas A & M researchers don't know if this is the "best" hoof care product on the market. It may be too hydrated or may over-hydrate the hoof.

Bear-Cat Hoof Formula by Vapco, Inc. and Rainmaker by Farnam Companies, Inc. are found to be the two commercial brands available on the market that maintain a high degree of wall hydration.

As with any disorder your horse may have, always consult with your veterinarian to discuss your options of treatment.

Ilka Robertson is a fourth-year veterinary student at the Texas A & M University. She received the Patton W. Burns Award for Excellence in physiology, pharmacology and toxicology in April, 1996. Her career plans include owning her own equine practice and receiving a PhD in veterinary physiology.