WHEN THE SHOE IS LOST

Lost shoes, particularly out on the trail, are a common cause of hoof bruising. “It’s good to be prepared, with something that can be wrapped over the bottom of the foot so it won’t bruise on the way home if you’ve lost a shoe,” says veterinary podiatrist Julie Bullock, DVM. A hoof boot is a good choice, but other materials will do, too.

“A roll of vet wrap or duct tape in your saddle bags or jacket pocket can come in handy,” Bullock says. “I prefer the Gorilla Tape when trying to protect or wrap a foot. It is stronger than duct tape. And if you do use duct tape, choose the thickest, strongest, industrial-strength variety. I also carry a big Kotex pad because I sometimes have to get off my horse and bandage someone else’s horse on an endurance ride.” Even a folded sweatshirt, tied around the pastern, can create padding that might enable you to lead your horse out without chipping or bruising the foot.

When using the Gorilla Tape, says Bullock, “I take three pieces and put them overlapping, and another layer the other way, and put that over the bottom of the foot and then wrap all the ends upward. Then you can go around those with tape to help hold it. This provides extra thickness on the bottom to protect the foot.”