# iodine on horses feet



## sallyballybee (16 May 2012)

someone told me that using iodine on horses feet toughens them up?? i'd never heard for it only ever used keratex on poppy......


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## ThePony (16 May 2012)

I wouldn't use the keratex hardener as it contains formaldehyde - preserves dead stuff and has been shown in studies to decalcify bones - argh!!!
I've used iodine for a bit of a manky frog, didn't notice any change to the toughness. Best thing for tough frogs is to keep thrush at bay (no trimming of it unless for a good reason) and give them plenty of work, with the attached horse fed a low sugar/starch diet!


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## sallyballybee (16 May 2012)

it was on advice from farrier that we use keratex not very often tho.

she's not got problems with thrush or anything i was just curious


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## ThePony (16 May 2012)

Do you mind me asking why the keratex was suggested?


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## ILuvCowparsely (16 May 2012)

I am using Iodine on my mares feet  at the moment.

to 

a) help with abscess
b) keep the feet hard and kill infection like thrush 

 Its slightly stronger than sole paint.


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## The Fuzzy Furry (16 May 2012)

I used to use Iodine on the TB's feet around 20+ yrs ago - this (am sure & so was farrier) did make them harder.

Small pot & paintbrush it on daily


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## Littlelegs (16 May 2012)

Not heard of anyone doing it for years, but I remember it being used for smelly or soft feet when I was younger, late 80's & early 90s.


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## piebaldsparkle (16 May 2012)

I've used iodine and eucalyptus oil on thrush before.


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## sallyballybee (16 May 2012)

ThePony said:



			Do you mind me asking why the keratex was suggested?
		
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no not at all  it was because she had just gone back to being barefoot to toughen up her soles. she still is sore on hard stoney ground even now so she wears cavello boots  it was someone else who has barefoot horses and her horses feet are great and tough as nails! i'm sure it was her barefoot guy who suggested it to try and get hers out of boots and completely barefoot


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## KSR (16 May 2012)

I've been using iodine and eucalyptus poultices the last week then Epsom salt poultices to disinfect and harden an open wound on my horses sole at the instruction of my vet..

I've used sugardine in the past for thrush and hardening feet too..


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## sallyballybee (16 May 2012)

i might ask farrier if it would help pops soles then?


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## VioletStripe (16 May 2012)

I've only ever used it if my horse has had thrush - happened once due to muddy fields. Have also heard it works to harden soles if they're a bit soft  xx


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## Waltzing Matilda (16 May 2012)

Milton liquid is fab for treating thrush and hardening up frog and sole. 1 part Milton to 10 parts water. Soak in bucket once a week, or spray/firm brush every 2-3 days. X


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## sallyballybee (16 May 2012)

So with iodine, would it be applied to the whole hoof? Incl frog?


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## VioletStripe (16 May 2012)

sallyballybee said:



			So with iodine, would it be applied to the whole hoof? Incl frog?
		
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I'd just put it on the sole, including the sulcus of the frog. Wouldn't put it on the hoof wall on the outside, personally, don't see what that could do? xx


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## wellsat (16 May 2012)

No idea if iodine works but if I was looking to harden soles I'd be checking I'd done everything I could with diet first. My instinct is that diet will have more impact on hoof quality than anything you can paint on.


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## sallyballybee (16 May 2012)

wellsat said:



			No idea if iodine works but if I was looking to harden soles I'd be checking I'd done everything I could with diet first. My instinct is that diet will have more impact on hoof quality than anything you can paint on.
		
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because shes a fatty and high risk lami, she has very strict diet, muzzled 24hrs a day, a sprinkle of chaff to get her biotin and thats it....


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## Waltzing Matilda (16 May 2012)

I'd def up her fibre intake, restricting the diet so much can actually cause lami too in some cases as it increased the ph in the gut as it doesn't have anything to digest and then kills the good bacteria (just like too much sugar and starch). 

Hi fi lite. Quick beat (or equivalent -u can feed quite a lot of this), Mayb some magnesium. Shouldn't gain weight on that and is high fibre, with a low cal balancer or a vit and min supliment.

This should help the feet. Sometimes I have seen a dif in 4 days. Just by feeding magnesium!


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