Last Updated on September 1, 2020
Has your horse ever experienced cracked or worn hoofs? Our’s have and we understand the importance of maintaining optimum horse hoof care.
With this in mind we are reviewing the Keratex Hoof Hardener and after reading our review you will know whether it is the right product for you and your horse.
Table of Contents
Keratex Hoof Hardener Review
Any time that your horse is suffering from weak, cracked, or worn hooves, you will want to do whatever you can to strengthen the hoof and improve its molecular structure so that you do not have to deal with health problems.
When the hoof is damaged or weak, it is common for it to allow too much water to enter, which will make the hoof soft and can cause abscesses and shoe loss.
Instead of treating the hoof with a chemical that will form a barrier against water, when you use Keratex, you can rest easy that you will be treating the problem from the inside out.
How Does it Work?
Keratex actually helps to balance the moisture in the hoof, allow it to breathe, and improve its overall health by improving the actual structure.
Instead of coating the outside of the hoof, it works by forming more intermolecular bonds between the keratin in the hoof.
This is done by cross-linking and because keratin is actually the building block of the horn. This results in a much stronger hoof.
Cross-linking actually will result in more atoms being distributed between the molecules of keratin. Which will then create a stronger structure and allowing the hoof itself to be tougher and more resilient.
While cracks in the hoof won’t disappear, the horn will be stronger and will help in preventing further cracking, allowing the problem areas to grow out.
The horn will continue to grow and act as normal; it will just be stronger and in time withstand more stress.
Treating Dead Horn
While feeding your horse a healthy diet and making sure he has all of the supplements and nutrients that it needs will ensure that its new horn is healthy as it grows out, this will not have any effect on the visible part of the hoof as this horn is dead.
There is no blood supply to this part of the hoof and therefore nothing that you feed your horse will affect it.
This is why you have to apply Keratex as it will work chemically to improve the hoof from the inside.
By strengthening the dead horn on the hoof, you can help to protect your horse from further hoof damage.
When used in conjunction with a healthy and balanced diet, Keratex will ensure that your horse has strong hooves that are free of cracks and bruises.
Pros
- Improves Hoof Strength
- Prevents Fungus Growth
- Reduces Bruising
- Allows Hoof to Breath
- Easy to Apply
- Prevents Moisture Damage to Hoof
Cons
- Must Be Used Consistently to Obtain Results
- Not Cheap
- Can Be Runny
- Use Caution in Very Dry Climates
When Can it Be Used?
This product can be used any time that you see that your horse is having problems with its hooves and you want to treat them for bruising, cracks, or weak hooves.
Before treatment, you do have to make sure that the hoof is clean so that the Keratex will be able to soak into the hoof and do its job.
Otherwise, the product will simply run off of the hoof and will not be effective.
How Do You Perform the Treatment?
Keratex is very easy to use and can be applied daily for a week to ensure that you are giving the hoof the best chance to begin healing.
It needs to be applied to the sole and the lower half of the hoof but it’s important that you avoid applying Keratex to the frog or the coronary band.
After the first week of application, then it can be used twice a week to maintain great hoof health.
Before using Keratex, it’s important that you de-grease the hoof if it has been treated with grease or oil in the past three months as these will inhibit Keratex’s ability to work and to heal the hoof.
Never use oil or grease when you are treating with Keratex. Using acetone is the best way to de-grease the hoof and prepare the area for treatment.
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Fred is the editor of Equine Ridge. He grew up raising horses and has been riding, training, and competing for almost four decades. Fred started out performing on the AQHA and PHBA circuits. Fred trained other competitors in English and Western riding disciplines and today offers free riding lessons to youth who would otherwise not be able to afford lessons. When not working with horses he can be found backpacking or trying to brew the perfect cup of coffee. Email Fred at fred@equineridge.com