KERALIT Hoof Strengthener to improve horn quality.
KERALIT Hoof Strengthener -Shod and unshod hooves of horses are very stressed by hard surfaces and the strain of riding.
In addition, decomposition products from manure and urine (ammonia) and microorganisms from the stable litter damage the hoof horn. These stresses often cause cracks, breakouts and fissures as well as horn that is too soft, crumbly and rotting. In shod hooves, this is particularly common in the area of the nailing and the corner struts.
There, horn-decomposing bacteria and fungi as well as ammonia-containing moisture from the stable bedding can rise up into the nail channels and decompose the horn in an anaerobic, alkaline environment. The consequences are horn wall defects, loose horseshoes that break out, periostitis, hoof abscesses and damaged hooves to which the farrier can hardly attach a shoe.
Riders with unshod horses are often faced with the problem that horn growth is not in balance with wear and tear. This imbalance is exacerbated by additional chipping and small stones in the area of the white line. The consequences are a cautious or even clumsy, listless gait as well as irritation of the hoof leather or even inflammation.
Damage to the horn only occurs at the wear edge. Vitamins and trace elements are often fed to improve horn quality, but these only have an effect on horn quality as long as it is being formed and there is a lack of essential nutrients.
Below the coronet band, the horn consists of "dead cell material" that can no longer be reached by nutrients from the bloodstream. If healthy horn is formed at the crown edge, it takes almost a year for this to reach the supporting edge. In both barehoofed and shod horses, horn damage occurs primarily at the bearing edge and in the nail area as a result of the processes already described.
The Keralit hoof strengthener is simply applied to the hoof with a bristle brush.