How to Evaluate a Horse for Equinell™

We want you to succeed. This will help you figure out if your horse needs Equinell™.

First, stand your horse on a hard surface, in good light. Walk around behind, and look at the heel on each foot. Can you see the cleft in the middle of the frog from behind? If yes, there is a problem.

Pick up a hoof, and clean it carefully. Look at the frog. The groove in the center of the frog should have a solid, smooth bottom. If the bottom is too deep to see, or if the groove is ragged, there is a problem. Be gentle here, especially if the crevice splits the heel. These can be very painful!

The tissue color should be easy to see, especially after trimming. If there are black areas there COULD BE a problem. Frogs darken over time. If the tissue is smooth, rubbery and too firm to move with your bare fingers, there is not a problem. Blackened areas, holes, or soft frogs indicate a problem.

Check the collateral grooves (on either side of the frog). These should be non tender and free from drainage, or black staining. The bottom should be smooth and solid.

Does the hoof have an unpleasant smell?

Now examine the sole. The sole should be cupped, at least a little. A dropped sole may indicate past founder. This is a problem that Equinell™ cannot help with directly, but it can help with some of the problems that a dropped sole can cause.

Check for bruises and soft spots. Equinell™ can harden the sole, and make it harder to bruise. It can help while holes grow out. In general, it cannot prevent bruises or sterile abscesses, but it can make them more comfortable, and return the sole to a more normal state while they grow out.

Examine the white line. Holes, wide spots or cracks indicate a problem. Repeated abscesses indicate a problem.

Now, set the foot down and look at the hoof wall. Are there cracks? A crack can happen when the coronary band is damaged, the horse stamps his feet to remove flies, or when the heel contracts. This is a common cause of shallow cracking, and definitely indicates a problem.

When you walk the horse across gravel, is he tender? Most horses will flinch if they step hard on a sharp stone, but gimping over gravel is definitely not normal.