Looking after your horses hooves with Absorbine 

One of the many challenges facing horse owners is that of keeping their horse’s hooves healthy. Maintaining healthy hooves is essential to keeping your horse happy and sound, and every horse owner knows the old saying, "No foot, no horse" is as true today as ever.

 

 

We rely on farriers to help improve　our horse’s hooves, help keep them sound and moving well but horse owners can make a contribution too. You should check your horse’s feet regularly for any sign of cracks or damage, shoe wear or raised clenches. Leading show producer and dressage trainer, Jo Bates, reminds us, "You should check your horse’s feet carefully for any signs of cracking and loose clenches, and ensure that your farrier visits regularly to keep them in good shape. We use Hooflex Original Liquid Conditioner which is excellent to help maintain hoof condition between farrier visits."　

 

We as horse owners should do everything we can to make the experience of the farrier coming run smoothly and safely for everyone. Here are some tip for your next farrier visit:

Teach your horse to pick up his feet. This may seem obvious but it’s one of the biggest complaints from farriers – horses who don’t pick up and or hold the leg up to be worked on.



Clean out the hooves so the farrier can see what he or she is working on and doesn’t have to spend time picking them out.



Make sure your horses legs are clean and dry when the farrier arrives. The last thing your farrier wasn’t to see is you dragging your horse in from the field with wet and muddy legs.



In the summer months, apply some fly spray so your farrier doesn’t get kicked because of an annoying little insect. Try Absorbine’s UltraShield for ultimate protection against flies.



Give your farrier a clean, safe, and well-lit place to work. This will make it easier for your farriers to do their best work.



Hoof conditioner will make trimming easier. Apply Hooflex Original Liquid Conditioner or Hooflex Natural Dressing and Conditioner regularly as it helps to maintain the correct moisture balance and fight infection while supporting healthy hoof growth from the coronet band.



Don’t apply it half hour before the farrier is due to arrive– no one wants to try and hold onto a freshly-oiled hoof!



Pay your farrier. Let’s rephrase that – pay your farrier when and how they ask to be paid. You’ll be more likely to see them again in 6 weeks!



Once you find a good farrier for your horse, stick with him. He’ll learn to understand you and your horse’s needs better the longer he works with you. Remember – it’s a team effort between you, the farrier and your vet.

 Winter Grooming with Absorbine

As we move through February and, hopefully, the last few months of winter weather, you may be feeling as impatient for spring to arrive. This time of year our once luscious green fields have turned into mud baths, and we continue the battle of trying to keep our horses as clean as possible.

As the longer days and greener fields of spring are still a few weeks away, we thought we’d offer some ideas to help your horse beat the winter blues with some winter grooming tips.

Since Christmas we’ve had down pours of rain, sub-zero temperatures, and the odd glimmer of sunshine. The turbulent weather means one thing, mud. Some of the hardy breeds may not require a rug, but it inevitably leads to them rolling in the first patch of mud they find. Even those with rugs, the mud creeps in leaving their coats, manes, and tails a muddy, matted mess. And with the temperatures still hovering around freezing, a wash-down with the hose is simply not an option.

Luckily, Absorbine^® has the answer to winter grooming frustrations: ShowSheen Miracle Groom^®. A waterless product, ShowSheen Miracle Groom naturally cleans, conditions, deodorizes, detangles, and shines in just one application.

With no need for soap and water, this non-greasy cleaner can safely be used in cold weather. Before you use it, you’ll want to let the mud on your horse dry for best results. Brush off the loose dirt, then lightly spray the area directly or onto a towel.  Rub the product backward through the horse’s coat. You can also use Miracle Groom on the mane and tail, making this 5-in-1 product useful as a cleaner, conditioner, detangler, and deodorizer.

No matter what the weather, it’s important to keep your horse clean and healthy. With Miracle Groom, you’re one step closer to a clean horse without getting your hands wet and freezing cold.

Bigeloil® Quilted Poultice Hoof Pad

Bigeloil Quilted Hoof Pads are the “no-mess” hoof poultice solution, making hoof care quicker and easier. Unique quilted pockets contain the poultice, allowing for easier, mess-free application and quicker clean-up than traditional poultices. After the dry poultice pad is activated with water, it stays in place for easy wrapping.

• Application is as easy as 1-2-3!
  1. Soak poultice for 20 seconds 
  2. Apply to hoof 
  3. Cover with wrap
  No heavy tubs or messy residue
• Easy removal – just take off the quilted wrap and discard 
• Can be used with warm or cold water 
• Specialized fiber paper holds dry poultice mixture
• Uses traditional poultice ingredients: kaolin clay and Epsom salts 
• Can be used whenever hoof heat, bruising, or general soreness is a concern, or after competition or heavy work

Clean, convenient and easy to remove - just watch this!

It is clipping time again! Grab you grooming box and the clippers, we’ve got some very useful tips to ensure a smart clip every time! 

 

 

1. Before clipping, the horse needs to have a clean coat. Ideally you would give them a bath but if it is too cold then thorough grooming is essential – ShowSheen Miracle Groom is invaluable for a quick tidy up or a thorough grooming during the colder months!  Clipping a dirty coat results in blunt blades and trying to clip through dried on sweat will pull at the horse’s hair and make him very sore. 
2. ShowSheen 2-in-1 Shampoo from Absorbine will get the skin and coat really clean and conditioned.  Ideally, bath your horse the day before you clip to ensure that he is clean and dry and free from mud or sweat before you start. 
3. Spraying the coat lightly with ShowSheen Hair Polish and Detangler will help the clippers glide through the coat, giving a smooth, clean finish to the clip which will help make your clipper blades last as longer.
4. Introduce the clippers to your horse slowly, especially if he’s new to the experience. Horses can be wary of the sound and the vibration the clippers make. Remember to keep the clippers cable away from your horse’s legs.

   

    

5. Once you have started clipping, remember to place a rug over your horse to keep him warm – you can place the rug over his quarters while you are working on the front, and pull it forward while you work towards the quarters
6. As you clip, adjust the direction your clippers to follow the hair growth patterns, which will help reduce clipper lines.
7. When you have finished, give your horse a “hot towel” bath which will lift any dust, loose hair and excess grease from the skin and coat and leave him feeling refreshed and looking shiny.  Add some Absorbine Liquid Embrocation to a bucket of hot water with a towel, wring it out and rub the horse all over.
8. Finally, put rugs on and take your horse for a brisk walk to get his circulation going again – clipping can be time consuming and he will welcome the exercise after standing for a while. 
9. Remember to put rugs on as the temperature dictates. The more hair you remove the heavier the rug you’ll require, for example a horse with a full clip might need a heavy turnout with a neck cover whilst a horse with a bib clip will only require a lightweight.

   

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10. Use a good quality detangler such as Showsheen Detangler Gel and use your fingers to comb through manes and tails to avoid breaking hair.

The full range of Absorbine products are available from your regular Absorbine Equestrian Retailer.  For more product information, visit www.absorbine.co.uk or find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/AbsorbineUK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bathing Your Horse Before A Show

Often, horse’s coats can start to look slightly sun bleached during the summer months. A number of Absorbine products can help revitalise your horses coat in preparation for a competition.

Get extra sparkle with ShowSheen 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner. As the name suggests, the Pro-Vitamins help nourish the skin and strengthen hair in one swift and effective step.  It deep cleans and conditions in to leave hair soft, strong and manageable. 

 

ShowSheen Stain Remover and Whitener is perfect for those horses who enjoy a good roll. It contains Oxi-Erasers to lift out stains, simply sprays on and rinses off.  For the toughest stains it works as a powerful pre-treatment spray.  It is colour safe and does not contain any bleach. 

 

Knots and tangles are not an issue when using ShowSheen® Detangler Gel. It unlocks the toughest knots and tangles and comes in a pearl effect bottle in an easy to apply gel formula.  It conditions for stronger, fuller manes and tails.

 

Running Short of time? Miracle Groom is the answer! A patented 5-in-1 formula that cleans, conditions, deodorizes, detangles, and shines in just one application.  It’s great for removing those last minute stains and is also ideal to take to competitions to help quickly remove any sweat marks before entering the ring.   Miracle Groom cleans and nourishes the coat and skin naturally, protecting the hair’s essential oils and producing amazing results, quickly removing dust and grime and even removing stubborn stains without the need for soap and water. 

For that perfect finish, use The Original ShowSheen and ShowSheen® Finishing Mist. They are enriched with Pro-Vitamins and Silk Proteins to nourish the coat and accentuates body tone and definition. ShowSheen Finishing Mist is perfect for last minute touch-ups with its continuous, quiet sprayer that won’t spook your horse. 

Summer Care For Your Horse

When we get long periods of dry weather, hooves can become brittle and cracked. This can lead to problems such as clenches raising on the shoes more quickly than normal ,which results in more frequently lost shoes, which in turn can result in lost days training, missed competitions and expensive vet’s bills.

During dry conditions, hooves need to be kept thoroughly oiled. Absorbine Hooflex Original Liquid Conditioner is brilliant to help keep the correct moisture balance in the hoof during dry conditions.

The use of Absorbine Hooflex Original Liquid Conditioner creates a breathable barrier to help maintain the proper moisture balance necessary to keep hooves healthy in both exceptionally wet and very dry conditions. The unique formula, created from nine special ingredients helps to maintain good quality new hoof growth from the coronet bands.

 

It is important to get your horse shod regularly in the dry summer months. If their hooves are too long there is a risk that the nails will come up and the horse will pull off a shoe and damage its foot. If a horse does manage to pull a shoe off, Absorbine Magic Cushion Hoof Packing is perfect to help protect the foot until a farrier is able to come out and put the shoe back on.

Magic Cushion is an efficient way to cool and cushion bruised soles and sore feet. Thermography tests show that the all-natural formula can start to reduce heat in hooves after just an hour. It also has cleaning and cushioning properties to help keep the sole in good condition, even under pads! With its sticky, spongy texture, it moulds perfectly to the horses sole and will last up to 48 hours.






On hard ground, joints and muscles can easily get tired, sore and jarred. Absorbine's Liquid Embrocation contains a time honoured blend of calendula, Echinacea and wormwood herbs and is ideal for use as a muscle rub on sore muscles, stiff joints and tendons by helping to support circulation before or after work. After finishing competing Liquid Embrocation can also be diluted with water and used as a refreshing body wash, to revitalise the horse.

 

 

The full range of Absorbine products are available from Equestrian retailers and Absorbine Stockists.  For more product information, visit www.absorbine.co.uk

 

 

Equestrian Life Magazine reader Kathryn Woolley puts Absorbine Magic Cushion to the test

Equestrian Life Magazine reader Kathryn Woolley used Absorbine Magic Cushion on her ex-racehorse and sent over the following Tried and Tested article which was published in the May issue of leading regional equestrian magazine, Equestrian Life.