Tawny’s Story

Tawny RF Progression

Tawney (Etania) is a fifteen year old Oldenburg mare (see Fig. 1). She lives at Legacy Farm in Goshen, Ohio, and gets the best of care. Tawney deserves it: Hard working and stoic, Tawney just gets on with the job. But she has problems. One pain she didn’t need was hoof disease.

This mare never limped, but she was clearly in pain, especially while working. All four feet had the blackish tarry drainage characteristic of thrush, and a faint foul smell. Despite her rigorously clean stall and daily turnout, her feet were not healthy. Worse, her right front foot had a deep cleft in the central sulcus that was so tender that when it was cleaned with a hoof pick Tawney snapped her teeth at me (see Fig. 2). Her other feet were better, but both front feet showed soft, doughy frogs and cheesy masses of white debris from abscesses. She was shod in front, and had been from the time she came to Legacy.

Our purpose at Legacy was to test Equinell™ Hoof and Mane Oil to see if it might help improve some of those stubborn hoof problems. Equinell™ Hoof and Mane Oil is a blend of two all-natural plant ingredients. Treatment is easy: Once a month you paint Equinell™ Hoof and Mane Oil onto the underside of clean, dry hooves, being careful to cover any areas you think might have problems (see Fig. 3). Allow the horse to stand for about fifteen minutes and you’re done. We treated all four of Tawney’s feet.

We got our answer: Equinell™ Hoof and Mane Oil causes quick improvement of these common hoof problems.

A week later that painful cleft was dry and cool. The drainage had stopped and the smell was gone (see Fig. 4). By the third treatment Tawney’s feet looked good. All but the right front foot looked normal, with healthy frogs and no more cheesy debris pockets (see Fig. 5). Equinell™ Hoof and Mane Oil often causes hooves to grow rapidly for a period of time, and Tawney’s feet were no exception. Even the right front foot was nearly regrown and healthy (see Fig. 6).

Then, she stepped onto her shoes – both of them – and tore them off. Fortunately, the rapid growth had allowed the farrier to re-shoe her. But she did it again, and then again. Finally there was no wall left to hold nails. We watched breathlessly….. and nothing happened. Tawney was now as sound without shoes as she had been with them! (see Fig. 7) Regrowth was rapid, and by the fourth treatment her walls were nearly regrown. This is when we noticed that Equinell™ Hoof and Mane Oil appeared to strengthen and solidify the new hoof growth – in all of the animals we tested (see Fig. 8)

Etania Progression

Fraying/density