Fiske's Animal Care Products – Blog

I began my day on December 9th, 2011 just as any other day. I woke up, showered, packed up some more of the house as we were moving on the 15th. I ran some errands and did some laundry. The day went by fast, and before I knew it, the kids were home from school. Right away, dinner was put on hold as we piled into the truck to head for the barn to see our beautiful mare, Classy.

We got to the barn just after 4pm and my daughter’s went up to the paddock with the barn manager to bring in Classy for her dinner. As I was getting Classy’s treats of carrots, apples, oats and cinnamon ready, all I heard was the manager yell to me.. “Don’t panic ! there’s a lot of blood, but she will be okay” My heart sank, and I looked up to see my daughter leading Classy into the barn…I flew over and checked her legs, her hooves, her back, neck and sides and saw nothing, then I looked at her face and I was torn between feelings of should I scream or cry, be angry or sad. So I had to be strong as my girls were clearly upset. My barn manager washed out the wound and dabbed it dry, she mixed some anti-biotics in with her dinner as a preventitive measure. Twice a day for a week she would apply polysporin to the wound, I did not like the fact that Classy’s wound was healing so slowly. I sat in the clubhouse cleaning my tack box, and while I was wiping down my Fiske’s Hoof and Hide Balm, I just went into a daze. I looked down and started reading the label of this wonderful product that I already use for Classy’s hooves.I then googled all I could on the company and the product. I saw some moving testimonials as well as some before and after pictures. I emailed Melanie with a picture of Classy, and haven’t looked back ! Melanie gave me so much hope, support and encouragement through Classy’s healing process. I am happier beyond expression as is my wonderful mare, “Girls Got Class” a.k.a “Classy”

Thank you so very Melanie & Fiske’s

Loyal Forever,

Vicky & Classy

Before and After

Earth Spirit Horse Rescue needs your help! They have a chance to win up to $500,000 in start-up capital from Aviva. Voting is from December 5 to 16, 2011. They are trying very hard to stay in the top 10 in their category. They are 13th right now, lets give them all the help we can give.

Click here to register and vote for Earth Spirit Horse Rescue: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf10960

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Earth Spirit Horse Rescue is the first non-profit organization dedicated to saving horses from abuse, neglect, and slaughter in New Brunswick. SPCAs are not equipped to foster these large animals, and they are the 3rd most neglected animal in the province, next only to dogs and cats. We are on a mission to make a difference!

Additionally, our horse rescue will be able to make significant positive impact on the lives of Children and Youth. The youth at the Boys and Girls Club in Saint John are an example of how, as they have already been benefiting from a program called Horse Wisdom. This is a very unique way of getting in touch with your authentic self. Given the trauma and chaos in the lives of many of our children, this is BIG! The growth we are seeing in the youth is in how they are managing themselves — their boundaries, their emotions, their behaviour — BIG!  (for more info on the program go to Gratitude Works)

Earth Spirit Horse Rescue is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of “charitable objects” of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and by the Canada Revenue Agency Charities Division, or any corresponding section of any future provincial or federal tax code. The specific purpose of Earth Spirit Horse Rescue is to provide a program of horse rescue for unwanted, and/or physically or psychologically abused, neglected, troubled, or abandoned equines and to provide rehabilitation, retraining, and placement, where indicated, or retirement within an environment of physical well-being and trust. In support of these efforts Earth Spirit Horse Rescue will employ and promote natural horse keeping and training methods. Earth Spirit Horse Rescue seeks to increase beneficial human and equine relationships through animal/human interaction and education.

Earth Spirit Horse Rescue organizational activities include, and are limited to the following:

1.(a) To provide rescue and shelter of mistreated, neglected, and unwanted horses, ponies, and other equines as well as rehabilitation and training of these animals. (b) To find sponsors or new homes for such animals wherever possible.

2. To educate and inform the public in the responsible and humane care of domesticated animals including horses and ponies.

3. To maintain a fund of funds to utilize income from for activities in support of the above purposes.

4. To maintain the ability to make gifts to other qualified charities with similar objectives.

5. To buy, own, hold, lease, mortgage, sell, and convey such real and personal property as may be necessary or desirable in the carrying out of the objects of the Rescue.

6. The Rescue is not allowed to carry on any trade, industry, or business. The Rescue shall not carry on any operations that result in a personal gain for any of the members. Any surplus or any accretions of the Society shall be used solely for the purposes of the Society and the promotion of its objects.

Fiske’s does not have a shampoo for mange, but I believe that we do have a product that will help you quickly and easily kill these current mite infestation and heal up the nasty condition that these parasites create. Fiske’s Hoof & Hide Balm nd Fiske’s Skin & Wound Salve both contain ingredients that are known to suffocate  mites, ticks and other parasites. Pine Tar and Beeswax have been known to block the respiratory systems in the eggs and mites alike, and cut off the required oxygen flow that keep them alive. The products are both of equal value to you, and the one to choose is the one that would be easiest for you to apply. The Balm is applied with a brush, excellent for large areas and wounds as the product is a soft oil base thickened with beeswax and it runs off the brush and onto the desired surface. The consistency is that of butterscotch sauce and quickly adheres and is absorbed offering comfort and ease to your animal at the same time as dealing with the mite itself. It is great for pain, swelling and irritation, that why it is called a balm, it heals soothes and relieves. Fiske’s Skin & Wound Salve has all the same properties as the balm, accept the base is Shea Butter, Beeswax, Vit E, and Coconut Oil creating a medicinal dream all on its own, but these hard oils create a salve that must be applied by hand. The animals love the feel of having it massaged in. Both of these products will kill your mite infestation and heal the skin soreness, swelling, pain and itch at the same time. As well the product is excellent to increase hair growth which is accompanied with mange.

Please go to website and look under Ingredients on the tool bar and you will read about the healing properties that are found in both of these products. Please do not worry about a shampoo just now, Fiske’s will kill the mites by suffocation, and it will provide your dog’s skin with a soothing product until the problem is solved. In my opinion, this is much kinder and more efficient than trying to correct the condition with a shampoo at this point.

Once the area has found recovery and is less tender, it would be great to use a gentle all natural shampoo to then bathe your animal in then.

Hope this helps, and please do not hesitate to make any further inquires.

Works equally as well for bug repellant on people, safe to use, no harsh chemicals

Application recommendation: Soak a soft cloth with Fiske’s Hoof & Hide Balm, and proceed to rub your animal all over, then seal the cloth in a baggie for reuse. OR, wipe your brush applicator out and apply Fiske’s with brush applicator. Especially, paint the legs before going on trail rides, the tail bone, bellies and all other areas that ticks or flies/insects are known to adhere. Fiske’s is an oil, so it will not evaporate like the water and alcohol insect repellant spritzer’s do, making it more effective for longer periods. As well, since water repels off Fiske’s, you are getting a double benefit because as you are applying the Fiske’s as a protective insect guard you are also applying a product that will guard against the fungal conditions of Rain Rot, Scratches, Mud Fever and so on.  The Horse to Hound Salve may also be used by applying it on your hands and rubbing on. Melanie Fiske     

Wood Ticks

“I LOVE Fiske’s Animal Care Products . It’s keeping the wood ticks away ! We need Fiskes to come in a fly / tick spray !!! I pulled hundreds of ticks off of the boys on the weekend, then last night I used an entire tub of the Fiske’s Skin & Wound Salve on their private parts, ears and bellies, and tonight no wood ticks on those areas, but there were ticks on the areas that I didn’t use it on.” Cheryl, Manitoba

Mosquitoes

 ”Went out last night about dark and found both horses pretty covered in mosquitoes. I remembered what you said that Fiske’s works on horse flies, so I brought  out the Fiske’s Hoof & Hide Balm and put a bunch on a rag and wiped them down. Gave them a good covering of it. This morning there was only one mosquito. I’ll do another wipe down today. They didn’t mind it at all, even around and in their ears.” Maja, Alberta

Sand Flies

“On the long May week end I went camping with my horses to Spruce Woods and the sand flies where terrible so I used the Fiske’s product on my horses and myself and to my surprise it worked!  The flies did not land where I applied the product and my horse was happy and so was I.”   Farrier Jean Pasche, Manitoba

Horse Flies

“The horse flies here are terrible in the summer, and particularly pester my mares despite daily applications of spray and our best efforts, making their chests one big bumpy, itch, flaky, hairless mass of bug bites and small wounds. 

As I was using your wonderful Fiske’s product on hooves, bare patches and small wounds, I painted the bug bites on the mares’ chests, around their ears and under their jaws with Fiske’s. What a transformation!

They seemed to feel relief immediately after I applied the product.  The itching, flakiness and discomfort were gone immediately and the flies have stopped biting in those areas, allowing the hair to re-grow.   My mares are so much more comfortable too.

 What a wonderful product!  Is there any end to what it can do for horses, hounds and humans?  I won’t be without it.”

Pamela Allen-LeBlanc, New Brunswick

Paradise Stable Horse Rescue was established 8 years ago by Lawrence and Bunnie Harasym. It is located northwest of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on a beautiful, scenic, and peaceful 80 acres. Since childhood, both Lawrence and Bunnie have had a love for animals and their strong interest in animal welfare has grown throughout the years. Within the first year of living on the acreage, the Harasyms discovered the horse auctions happening outside Saskatoon.  It is there that they made their first horse purchase and continue to bid against meat buyers to give horses a second chance.

Paradise Stable Horse Rescue currently has 15 horses in its care.  Some are permanent residents due to age and health conditions while others are available for adoption and new homes.  Paradise Stable Horse Rescue is dedicated to giving horses a second chance. Bunnie and Lawrence provide them with a safe home, kindness, and compassionate care while nurturing the horses back to health. Bunnie and Lawrence want to expand the rescue to include an indoor centre and arena for year round training, viewing & visitation of horses. In this centre, monthly horse auctions will also be held where meat buyers are not welcome and will not be allowed. This will ensure that the auction is for people interested in purchasing and selling horses as pets.

The rescue feels that responsible horse ownership includes not only raising but also the euthanasia of horses as well as compliance with the National Equine ID Program. We believe every horse has a purpose and they are not disposable. The rescue is currently working to educate horse owners on starting their own horse insurance policy which includes saving approximately $20 a month so that when a horse needs to be euthanized the money is available instead of relying on selling the horse to a meat buyer for its disposal. The rescue also plans to follow through with the National Equine ID program which tracks non registered horses and their diseases.

Their website can be viewed here: http://www.freewebs.com/paradisestableshorserescue/

“Shepherd Home”

In loving memory of my Standardbred gelding Shepherd Home (1989-2010)
Submitted By Michelle Hogan for “Help the Shelters” – Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society 

I first laid eyes on Shepherd home at Flamboro Downs in 1995. I was 14 years old and had just landed my very first job as a groom. Shep stood out in the barn not only because he was grey, but because he was special. At least he was to me. Within the first few weeks of work Shep came to be known as “my horse”. His eyes would follow me wherever I went and he would throw fits if I paid the slightest attention to another.

Shep was claimed a month after I met him and I was devastated. So much so that my boss even tried to buy him back in the paddock that night. His new owners wouldn’t sell but i was given visiting rights (lol). I visited at least once or twice a week until again he was claimed and he was lost to me.

A year later , after finishing up at work and heading home, my boss called me to come out to the farm claiming she had my paycheque. When i arrived to pick it up, I was sent to the barn to do night chores and there he was. Shep was back in his old stall and just as happy to see me as I was to see him! 

 Things were great for about 8 months but then times got tough and I was laid off. One day i went to visit and Shep was gone again. He’d been sold.

For years I watched for his name in the papers trying to find out who had him. Finally in 1999, I tracked him down in Maine. I sent a letter to his owners and told them my story. I didn’t expect much, I just wanted to know he was ok. Instead I got a phone call , he was for sale. That October, my Dad and I drove a borrowed truck and trailer to Scarborough Downs in Maine to pick up “my horse”.

In a way I guess you could say it was a fairy tale ending. I had my horse back. 

Shep was with me ever since. He saw me through the good times and the bad times. He was my best friend.

We recently moved up north to our very first house. Shep moved with us. 

Shortly after the move Shep fell ill. He crashed hard. The vet said Liver Failure and Tumors. Within 2 weeks he was gone. I made the choice to not let my friend suffer, and held him as he passed. 

As hard as it was, I’d do it all over again. Love like that doesn’t come along everyday.

Thanks,

Michelle Hogan

Fiske products are not something I use on a regular basis these days, however I put the hoof balm to good use years ago working in different Standardbred racing barns. Fiskes was great for daily maintenance and sealed the moisture in the hooves keeping them in great condition and crack free. The more I think about it , the more I think it’s time to pick up some more!

On February 9th I received a call from a friend of mine to get a second opinion on some horses that were near his work place. I went to see my friend and he took me to a farm near where he worked, as we were driving there he told me who the owner of the horses was and that the horses were on rented pasture, where he rented the shop in the farm yard adjoining the pasture.

Unfortunately, I knew the owner of the horses. As we drove past the pasture, some of the horses were standing near the road. The pasture was in bad condition, there was 2 to 3 feet of snow covering the entire pasture which was approximately 30 acres. The horses standing near the road were easily recognizable to be in an emaciated condition and it was easy to see that the entire pasture had been pawed through by the horses.

There were 11 horses on the pasture. The pasture was in the open and it was easy to see that the fence line was far enough away from the trees in the farm yard that the trees would offer li ttle to no protection from the wind. My friend told me when we drove into the yard that there was a shed on the south side of the property where the waterbowl was but that he had not seen the horses in there all winter, so he was sure they had no access to it. No fresh water for the horses to drink, only snow. Seeing those horses in such horrid condition when SW Saskatchewan had a surplus of hay in 2010 made me sick and angry. I have lived near Swift Current all of my life and owned horses for more than 30 years. What made it worse for me was that I knew the owner and he’s owned livestock at least as long as I have.

What made it  worse was that  the owner lived 2 miles away from the pasture and hadn’t even bothered to come check on his horses for an extended period of time. I was angry, this was an outrage and I wanted him to be punished for what he’d done to these horses. 

I had made a previous report to the SSPCA in 2008 on another horse that was in emaciated condition. When I made that report the Animal Protection Officer at that time called me back a day after I made the report and told me the story behind the horse that I had been called to look at. He told me  that he had gone to visit the owner of the horse with an RCMP officer. The APO asked me what I suggested happen in that case.  As the horse was of an extreme age and the owner could not help the horse’s condition even with veterinary assistance, I suggested that the if the horse was humanely euthanized, that charges could be waived in that case.

Two days later the APO called me back to let me know that the horse had been euthanized and he would be closing the case. After this experience with the SSPCA, I assumed that is what would happen with the case I was going to report to the SSPCA this time.  I promptly came home after seeing the horses and called the SSPCA. I was very clear in my description of the horses and that they were in desperate distress. I also gave as much background information as I could on the owner. I was told by the SSPCA that they would have someone out in a day or two as they had no APO in Swift Current. I was sick and I was angry, I wanted those horses out of there and taken away from the owner. 

I called a horse owning friend and told her what I had witnessed. She too was outraged. The next day the 10th of February, my friend called and said she had emailed SSPCA that she would be willing to foster a couple of the horses. I also sent an email saying that I had experience with horses in an emaciated condition, (I had saved an old horse from certain starvation in 1995 and brought him back to health) had owned horses for over 30 years and that I would have room to foster 1 or 2 of the horses. 

Still No Word…

The morning of the 11th of February, we still had not heard back from the SSPCA, we were very concerned for the state of the horses. My friend was able to get a phone number for the APO assigned to the case, Donna Davis.She called Donna to ask her if she had looked at the horses. Donna called my friend back but did not call me by mid afternoon to tell her that she had seen the horses and called the owner on the phone but he had not been home so she had talked to his wife (who knows nothing about horses) and told her that they needed to feed the horses on the rented pasture and she would be getting back in contact with them. When my friend called and told me this, I was outraged, this was not was suppose to happen.

When my son got home from school we went out to the pasture and I photographed and took video of the horses and the pasture because I was sure that the APO Donna Davis had not done so. The owners father came out while I was there but I avoided a confrontation with him. He did however talk to my 8 year old son and said to him ‘that these are work horses, you can’t feed them too much’. My son was crying when we left and asked me ‘That’s not right mom, is it? We feed our horses.’ When we got home I called SouthWest TV News and told them what was happening, they were interested in the story and we set an appointment on Monday the 14th of February. Friday evening I found out that 2 of the horses on the pasture were boarders (paid service for care of horses).

Saturday morning the 12th of February, my friend called again. She had gone out to the rented pasture to see the horses herself. She told me that there were only 9 horses and that someone had dumped buckets of grain out for the horses and that 2 of the horses seemed to be in distress, possibly colic.She had already called Donna Davis who was still in Swift Current and asked her to bring a veterinarian out to look at the horses. Donna Davis told her that she had talked to the owners and given them permission to move the horses home to their farm. Donna Davis did not come back out to see the horses, she went home. My friend was crying on the phone and asked what we could do, this was wrong. I told her to contact Alberta SPCA or whichever organization had seized and removed the starving horses in Alberta near Edmonton to see if they could offer assistance.

Within an hour she called me back and said that she had emailed photos and short story to Rescue 100 in Alberta and CTV News. Rescue 100 called her within 20 minutes of sending email and said that if the horses were still there they could help. The rest of the horses (9) were moved to the owners farm on Sunday the 13th of February. 

On Monday the 14th of February I did an interview with SouthWest TV News. I asked that they refrain from using the owners name in the interview because I thought that it might jeopordize the horses safety and any chance of charges being laid against the owner. I was also able to contact the woman who owned the boarded horses and enquire about her horses health. She had a mare and a gelding. Her gelding was in better shape than her mare.

She had a vet out to check her horses and her mare had heart damage due to being malnurished. During the following week we sent emails and called SSPCA in regards to the horses well being. The SSPCA was rude to us and said that the horses were receiving excellent care. ??? If the owner couldn’t be bothered to check his horses all winter and deny them food, water and shelter for so many months, how could he possibly provide them with excellent care now?

On the 17th of February I called Rural RCMP and spent 2 hours making a statement in regards to the horses. I provided them with all of my photos and video too. In the meantime, CTV had called my friend and did an on phone interview with her. They aired the piece on Regina CTV Thursday at 6 pm.

Also the SouthWest TV News interview with myself was online. We received an abundance of calls and emails from concerned folks and friends from around Swift Current and beyond asking what if anything they could do. We encouraged everyone to keep calling the SSPCA and enquiring about the horses. The owner of the boarded horses said that the APO had only left her phone messages and emails but had not offered to go out or insisted on seeing her horses.  

Since that time, I have had correspondence with another friend who has contacted the Ministry of Agriculture and they seem to be making excuses for the SSPCA not acting on this case and laying charges against the owner. I also sent the story to the Minister of Ag and the Premier in SK. I haveheard nothing back from either of them. 

I am so disappointed in the way that this particular case of obvious neglect has been handled by our Saskatchewan SPCA. I would like to see changes made, positive ones that actually help our horses here in Saskatchewan. It is not right for owners to be allowed to deny their animals the basic necessities for survival and then get a warning. They need to be punished and it made public so that other horse and livestock owners get the message that this abuse will not be tolerated! 

Mitzy Tait-Zeller 
Zelta’s Canadians

When asked to describe the most common wintertime equine health problem, veterinarians and horse owners around the country respond with near unanimity: colic. Even in warm climates where frigid temperatures are extremely rare, cases of impaction and sand colic spike during the winter months often appear.

Three cold-weather practices converge to increase the likelihood of intestinal blockages (impactions) this time of year:

• Horses tend to consume less water in colder weather, either because they don’t get as thirsty as in the summer or because their water sources freeze over. In addition, the roughages common in winter rations contain less than 20 percent moisture compared to the 75 percent or more water content in spring and summer grass. With insufficient liquid in the digestive tract, the food being processed becomes too dry to be moved along by peristaltic action and blocks a portion of an intestine. The steaminess of poor-quality hay contributes further to blockage formation.

• When the temperature drops, caretakers are inclined to boost their horses’ grain rations to meet the increased energy demands of keeping warm. This disproportion of carbohydrates to fiber can upset digestion.

• The digestive system depends on body movement to help push food along. At pasture, a horse spends the bulk of his time wandering from one grazing spot to the next. The inactivity enforced by confinement in stalls or small paddocks may slow the movement of ingesta along the digestive tract.

Treatments

Picture is a submission by Lynn Brewster, for Ontario Twilight Horse Rescue in Fiske’s "Help The Shelters" campaign. www.fiskes.ca

 • One or more of these influences produce an impaction, a course of intravenous fluids may be all it takes to soften the blockage and cure the colic, in which case the prognosis for long-term survival is excellent.

• If the blockage persists and requires surgery, the survival rate is greatly diminished.
Prevention

• “Anything that can be done to keep the horses drinking reduces the incidence of colic,” says Jeffrey Witwer, VMD, of Camden, South Carolina. Cold weather may conspire against your efforts to keep water flowing to your horses, water is crucial to preventing colic. “We have gotten many of our clients to give their horse’s warm water and electrolytes [in their feed] during cold spells,” says Witwer.

• Heated water buckets and heated water troughs, carrying hot water to thaw frozen buckets and pipes or trekking twice daily to the stream to break a hole in the ice and check on the footing.

• Leave your horses turned out as much as possible to ensure sufficient digestive stimulation. You won’t be endangering their health in other ways, as horses in good condition with heavy winter coats or adequate blankets and access to windbreaks can withstand temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero. Unless they are being pelted by drenching rain or stinging ice, they are better off outdoors.

• Reach for an extra flake, not scoop, when temperatures start to drop: its hay, rather than grain, that provides the most efficient heating fuel. And roughages don’t produce the carbohydrate overload that can trigger endotoxemia, a system-wide toxicity that’s reflected in colic and/or laminitis.

Hope you have enjoyed this brief but simple- fact based information in how to keep colic at bay in the winter months.

By: Melanie Fiske (this story was excerpted from the article “Weathering Winter”, originally published in the January 1997 article of EQUUS magazine)

For more information about Fiske’s horse care products, visit: www.fiskes.ca

Less People Taking Their Dogs to the Vet. Why?Some of the causes include the following:

1. The economic impact of the recession
2. Fragmentation of veterinary services
3. Consumers substituting Internet research for office visits
4. Perception among pet owners that regular medical check-ups are unnecessary
5. Cost of care

An annual examination is VERY important. Dogs age so much faster than we do – so significant changes can occur quickly.

It’s that time of year again. Time to take your dog to the veterinarian for his annual examination. But maybe you’re thinking that you might skip it this year. After all, he isn’t sick. Maybe you will just put it off until next year – what could it hurt?

Actually, delaying an annual physical exam can hurt. Annual physical exams are an important part of providing optimal health care and the best longevity for your beloved companion. Dogs age quickly and they are unable to tell us if they are feeling a little off. Remember, it may be one year in your life but that can be about 5-10 comparative years in your pet’s life. A lot can change in that much time.

Sometimes, dogs can be ill for weeks and you are unaware of it. This may not be from a lack of monitoring or caring.
Your dog cannot explain his symptoms, so it’s the responsibility of you and your veterinarian to take care of him. You can help speed the diagnosis and recovery by having the answers to the following questions ready.

Start by having the answer to some general questions.

· how long have you owned your dog?
· how old is your dog?
· has your dog ever been ill?
· is your dog currently under treatment for an illness or disease?
· where did you get your dog (adoption center, breeder, previous stray, etc.)?
· what medication is your dog currently taking?
· does your dog receive any consistent flea treatment?
· is he/she vaccinated? And if so, which vaccines and when last vaccinated?
· what other type of pets do you have?
· are any other pets ill?
· have there been any recent acquisitions?
· have there been any recent activities such as boarding, grooming, etc.

Caring for your horses hooves in the Winter

by Melanie Fiske

As winter stretches across our northern climates, lowering temperatures, blanketing the earth’s floor ground with snow, slush, ice , mud and combination of each, our horse care routines have to be adjusted. It’s not only the problems of dealing with frozen water lines and long furry and matted coats, winter has an impact on hoof care as well, and no one knows that better than your farrier.

Horse’s hooves generally grow a little more slowly in the winter time, and slow growth, joined  with many people’s reluctance to ride in the cold or bad footing, means that hooves often don’t get looked at, picked out, or trimmed as frequently as they would in more temperate conditions. “But reduced activity is no reason to ignore your horse’s feet”, says David Hayne AFA Certified Farrier.

Neglect can have a number of unfortunate consequences for your horse’s hoof health.

The Upside of Winter Hoof Care

Winter hooves rarely suffer from dryness

Horses are less active and not stamping their feet at flies so they are less likely to break off sections of the hoof wall
Horses are worked less regularly so owners often can save money on shoeing by allowing their horses to go barefoot – or at least without their hind shoes.

Winter also is a good time to address hoof growth problems that have cropped up during the summer months. Sand cracks, white line separations, flares in the wall, and other signs of stress that can allow fungal or bacterial infections to work their way inside. Your farrier can trim them out more aggressively with a reduced work schedule.

The resulting foot may be temporarily less attractive than you’d like, but the hoof wall will be the healthier for it.

The Downside of Winter Hoof Care

Thrush is  the most common winter hoof problem, it is easily recognized by its gray or black exudates and distinctively foul odour. Thrush is best treated by getting the horse out of wet or muddy conditions, and clean dry stalls. Have your farrier trim out the worst of the infection, and treat with medicated Fiske’s Hoof and Hide Balm to fight the remaining curd and restore the life back into the hoof capsule.