Dry feet are a dressage horse’s best friend.
Like a corrugated cardboard box, once a horse’s foot gets saturated, it no longer has the same strength that it once possessed. Warm climates and frequent bathing, especially using soap, tend to soften the hoof wall.
It’s vitally important to dry the feet before returning the horse to its stall after bathing. If a hoof is not quickly and thoroughly dried, the hoof wall will start to disintegrate. Stall bedding adds insult to injury if the hoof isn’t thoroughly dried. The shavings act as an insulator. The bedding could prevent effective drying for 2 or more hours. The exposure to moisture will weaken the foot, causing it to start crushing.
