Case Study: Leovet Hoof Lab Hoof Hardener

As the winter weather strikes, it’s can be the cause of many hoof problems, hoof cracking being one of them. This is because, at this time of year, our horses intake of grass no longer contains the nutrients they need to maintain strong and healthy hooves. Hoof cracking can especially be common when faced with different weather conditions such and rain and frost. The reason behind this is that wet weather is the cause of mud which causes our horses' hooves and sole to become over moisturised. This results in them becoming soft and tender. When the frost strikes, it can leave the ground hard making it easy for those soft hooves to chip and crack. This is a condition I experienced with my horse Albert.

When I first noticed Albert’s hooves starting to chip and crack and becoming tender, it was evident that he was not comfortable and possibly in pain when walking across hard surfaces. This caused me concern which push me to seek advice from a hoof specialist. This being my farrier who recommended I purchase a hoof barrier.

Why I chose this product

When it came to buying a product, there were various different ones all offering the solution I needed. When browsing these products, the Leovet Hoof Hardener caught my eye the most. This was because it was part of their ‘hoof range’ which came across rather professional to me. What also caught my eye was the appearance of the product. The packaging was extremely eye catching and stated that the product was environmentally friendly and did not contain any harmful chemicals. It was also unique due to the colours used and the design of the applicator.

The Leovet Hoof Lab Hoof Hardener had clear instruction on how to apply the product and how often. By following these instructions, I applied the product to Albert's hooves three times a week for the first week of having the product and then reduced it to once a week as this is what I was advised to do.

It was so easy to apply due to the design of the product. Instead of having a brush to apply it, it had a pump and a silicone head. This meant that I pushed down the pump and used the head to massage it into Albert's hooves. As the product was a cream, this method worked really well as it resulted in no mess and none of the product ending up on the floor and being wasted. This is usually the case with other hoof hardener and barriers which I have applied with a brush. What took me by surprise the most was that fact that the head was really easy to clean when it picked up dirt from the hooves. Also, the more I used it the more resilient the head became which made it easier to apply. Whereas my initial thought was that the more you use the silicone head the quicker it would deconstruct. It proved me wrong!

How long it took to work

What impressed me the most was how quickly I was able to notice a difference in alberts hooves, after a week and a half i there was no new cracks or chips even when he was faced with soft and hard surfaces such as mud and concrete. The cracks and chips that were there when I first started using this product were near enough resolved. What I did find difficult when using this product was the fact it could only be applied to clean hooves, as alberts spends his days out in a field it it meant that he would return to his stable with muddy hooves. This then required me to wash his legs and hooves to the point that was no dirt in sight this make it a case of time consuming which was difficult especially when trying to fit it around my day to day schedule as I was limited for time in the morning before he returned to field and restricted in the evening of daily light due to it being winter months.

Overall, I highly recommend this product as it does exactly what it says it is meant to do which meant I did not need to purchase any other product to fulfil its job. I also recommend his product for all the benefits I previously started and the the fact it is within budget. The results I got from this product were excellent and not only has it impressed me and made me feel at ease about his hooves but it’s has also benefited Albert as it is clear he is again comfortable walking across hard surfaces and no pain can be detected. I will definitely be using this product again.

Above are before and after photos I took to show the difference the product made to the condition of alberts hooves and why I would recommend it.