Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Looks nice, may enhance condition . |
| Disadvantages: |
May not enhance condition . |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
I am not one for frequently oiling my horses hooves, but I do sometimes and Effol is the brand that I use. It has lasted me years, partly because I don`t use it much and partly because a little goes a long way. My farrier doesn`t advocate oiling, so is there any point?
What is Oiling?
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When you oil your horses hooves, you make sure they are clean and paint the oil all over the hooves with a brush. It is sometimes easy to miss the inner corner, so I tend to paint the inner sides when I am doing the opposite hoof and then the remainder when I go around the other side. Some people like to paint under the hoof aswell, covering the whole hoof as well as the frog. The frog isn`t a green hopping creature, it is a V shaped soft piece flesh slightly raised from the sole, which is intended as a shock absorber and for grip and it helps blood to circulate. Incidently, I went to wipe something green off the peak of my hat earlier when I was riding and leading. It wasn`t a frog, I didn`t know what it was. When I touched it I realised it was a caterpillar - not nice. Just thought I would share that one with you. Anyway, back on topic, just remember, if you do intend to oil the underneath, do it first! It is not a good idea to paint the outside and then decide to do the underneath, unless of course you wish to oil your hands and wipe most of it off in the process. Also make sure you have picked out the feet first.
Why Oil?
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There are different schools of thoughts on this. One day I was oiling my horses feet in the yard and my farrier who was shoeing someone elses horse, called me childish. He was joking, we do get on quite well, but he was being serious. He does not consider oiling to be of any benefit at all. He considers it to be cosmetic and after all, farriers have a long apprentiship and they spend a lot of time in college. The other farrier who visits the yard, doesn`t advocate buying hoof oil either. Unlike mine though, he does not mind people putting things on the hooves. He recommends sump oil, engine oil that is left over after an oil change. Granted this would be cheap, what would you put it in? and how would you put it in without getting in a mess.
A lot of people oil because they feel that it will improve the condition of the hooves if they do.
Others like the look and consider that when a horse is all groomed and tacked up ready for a ride, the hoof oil is the final touch. If it is just for the finishing touches then this is purely cosmetic.
There are of course people who believe that they are helping the horses hooves to prevent them from drying out AND making them look nice.
Hooves.
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Horse hooves are hard horn on the outside which has no feeling. They are similar to our fingernails in that they are constantly growing. They need to be picked out daily (always use the hoof pick away from the frog not towards it as it is more sensitive) and receive regular attention from a qualified farrier. Most horses need shoeing every 6 weeks, but if they are without shoes they only need trimming every 12 weeks. This excludes natural horsemanship horses without shoes, they need trimming even more frequently.
The hoof is growing but it can also become very dry. Horses hooves can crack, especially in this weather. Horses that are prone to loosing shoes are likely to loose a lot more in summer when the hooves are more dry and suseptible to cracks. It is hooves like this that make people use hoof oil and I use my Effol alot more frequently in this weather.
My Irish Draught cross Thoroughbred is blessed with very good hooves and they have a natural sheen. My thoroughbred is not blessed with good feet, hers are very poor which is typical of a lot of thoroughbreds. I have used the Effol hoof oil a lot of my thoroughbred as it states that it helps prevent the hooves from drying.
An example of bad feet. My thoroughbred has lots of cracks in her feet. She has had two sandcracks which are deeper than the other superficial cracks. Luckily she has not had these for a few years. Cracks are exacerbated by a lot of roadwork, even if the horse is shod. In fact, she has such poor feet, I couldn`t even leave her in the field without shoes. The first sandcrack developed in the front hoof. it is actually a permanent hairline crack which is growing down from the coronet band so it is always there. This wouldn`t be a problem, but a sandcrack is when it opens up. The two parts of the hoof were moving and it also allows infection to be introduced (which happened and required anti biotics). The important thing is to stabilise this crack. It can take up to 12 months for a whole new hoof to grow. She had treatment for months and months. Once the infection had gone I could ride her but the farrier had to put a nail accros the crack. This helped hold the two sides together. He has also tried putty and staples, but the nail was the most effective. She then had a small crack in the back hoof. The farrier informed me that these were rarely a problem as most of the weight is carried on the front. Lo and behold, it did become a problem, so more antibiotics for infection and a nail accross the hoof. Luckily both have healed.
I have found the Effol hoof oil to of benefit to my mare due to her bad hooves.
The important thing is to try to maintain the natural moisture balance of the hoof.
Effol Hoof Oil.
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Effol sells oil and ointment. I am using and reviewing the oil. A lot of oil does not have a good name as it apparently prevents moisture from entering the hoof, which would not contribute to the wellbeing of the hoof. Effol however, is not like this. It claims to strengthen the horn development and prevents the hoof from drying and softening and destroying bacteria. It guards against skin disease, cracks, spit heels and thrush. It also apparently provides elasticity.
The oil is £7.50 for 500ml.
The ointment is £4.99.
The oil is easily absorbed and provides a long lasting shine. It contains lanoline, laurel oil and thyme.
I have the oil with the brush included. This is really handy as you remove the lid and the brush is attached. This is much easier and cleaner because, even if you have a brush cover, it can be very messy if using a separate brush.
Effectiveness.
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I have found this to be quite effective when my mare was suffering from bad hooves. What I used to do, it spray her hooves with water and then paint it over the top. This did seem to help. Her hooves improved though they will always be bad. I don`t do this now, in fact I only apply the Effol occassionally.
Some people advise standing your horse in a river for 20 minutes a day. I wouldn`t go this far. You also get people telling you that, once the hooves are wet, when dry again, the benefit is lost. This is why I used to apply the Effol to help retain the moisture. Also, hooves expand when wet and contract when dry, so this could cause cracking. You really need to decide yourself what is best for your horse.
Effol oil and oitment is not one of the oils that are harmful to hooves by preventing moisture from entering the hooves. It contains moisturising properties. I have found it to be of benefit, but it is not the only thing.
Effol is available in natural or black. Unfortunately or fortunately is is not available in blue or red or pink. It is possible to buy oil with glitter for shows, but not made by Effol, it depends how far you want to go. Effol are not concerned with the cosmetics side, though it does look nice, but the health of the hoof.
Diet.
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Healthy hooves come from within. It is the same with a healthy and shiney coat. A horses diet is very important. When a horse has bad hooves, it could be from months previous, when their diet has been deficient. It will take a while for the healthy hoof to grow down. My horse is fit and healthy and I don`t feed her specific supplements any more for hooves, though I used to, until they improved. Biotin is commonly used to improve hoof strength and quality. I used to feed this but it worked out about £9 a month so when the quality improved, I stopped. Farriers Formula is another one which is highly recommended. This is considerably more expensve. The farriers recommend dietary supplements, but I would only personally recommend the Farriers Formula for horses that frequently loose shoes as it is about £30 a month. I feed seaweed now which is suposed to be good for hooves and coat alike and a big bag lasts ages and works out a fraction of the price.
Do I recommed Effol?
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I do, even though I don`t use it all of the time. For those who like to apply hoof oil daily I would recommend this one as it doesn`t prevent the moisture from entering the hoof. If also has beneficial properties to aid moisturisation, though I don`t consider the benefits to be so enormous that it is imperative to use it every day. It will not harm the hooves like some that seal the hoof will. For a smart horse with hooves with a sheen that applies moisturiser, Effol fits the bill. Applying oil is not the only thing though. It is important that the hoof is picked out daily and receives 6 weekly visits from the farrier (some will go longer). Remember that feeding is also an important factor and if you have any problems, listen to your farrier.
