The horse has adapted over thousands of years into a single-toed ungulate (having hooves). Their hooves are designed to withstand a variety of soil and environmental conditions. Why is it that many modern horses have foot problems in captivity, when in the wild state they have excellent feet? Although some horses genetically have poor feet, in general, hoof condition is an outward sign of the inner health of the horse. Proper nutrition and healthy attitude, just like with humans, are the key elements in maintaining healthy hooves. In determining why your horse may not have optimum feet, whether the hooves are brittle, small, shaley, will not grow heel, deformed, or prone to navicular disease, consider the following questions:
What kind and how much exercise and foot stimulation does your horse get each day?
In the wild, horses are constantly moving and may easily travel 14-20 miles a day foraging and finding water. They travel over a variety of surfaces, from rocks and gravel to mud and sand.
Does your horse have parasites? If your horse has a large number of internal parasites in the large / small intestines or liver, then often he/she is not able to assimilate nutrients properly and this will result in poor feet
Does your horse have any toxins in his/her body? Environmental pollutants, heavy metals in the water, pesticides, herbicides sprayed on hay or grain, or chemical absorbed through skin can load your horse with toxins. This taxes the liver, whose job it is to remove toxins from the body. Dry, brittle hooves can be an indication of toxin build up.
Is he/she receiving adequate trace minerals? Repeated farming has depleted many soils of trace minerals, and thus the hay and grains that once had ample trace minerals now are deficient in many parts of the country. Although many horse supplements have some trace minerals, most do not have all 72 needed for proper bodily functions.
Are there any geopathic interferences near your horse? Horses forced to stand under power lines or on noxious earth energies all day will have weakened feet, poor immune systems and often low energy or dysfunctional behavior. In the natural state, horses live to their late thirties; however in captivity, most horses are considered "old" after 15-16 years. Poor feet may be the number one reason why so many captive horses are retired early.

In order to maintain healthy hooves, we can do the following:
Feed a balanced diet of mostly grass hay. Have a computer nutritional analysis done on your horse. Some feed stores offer this service. Your local Agricultural Extension Agent can help you get your soil and hay tested. He can also help with pasture management.
Supplement if needed with trace minerals. Chelated forms of minerals are better and colloidal forms are best. (Chelated means that the substance is attached to a protein molecule that transports them to the blood stream in order to enhance their absorption. Colloidal refers to a substance of ultra-fine particles that is suspended in a medium of a different matter, thus absorption is greater.) Minerals in their natural rock state are very difficult for the body to absorb.
Ensure your horse has adequate exercise and hoof stimulation. Magnetic acupressure or massage stimulation if the horse is confined to a stall.
Keep your horse happy and grounded. Flower essences such as corn (for grounding) and magnetic therapy and massaging the feet often will help.
Use a regular herbal worming program to minimize parasites in your horse.Learn how to use herbs such as garlic, cloves, pumpkin seeds, wormwood, etc. to control parasites. (Be sure to use control-tested herbal blends.


Cleanse the liver and eliminate toxic sources. Buy only organic pesticide and herbicide free hay. Water filter system and magnetic balancing devices are available for water pipes . Homeopathic or herbal "detoxifiers" often help.

Although all of the topical conditioners applied to the outside of the hoof can help a little, the hoof will not improve until the inside condition of the horse is balanced. Finding the cause of poor feet and correcting it will only improve your horse overall.