Especially in a wet environment or during a wet time of year, horse owners can put their horse in its stall overnight to ensure the hooves are dry enough in the morning before a farrier applies pour-in pads. The shavings in the stall help dry out the horse’s hooves naturally.
Using a heat gun is key to ensure the material will stick. With the pour-in pad material ready, apply heat to a horse’s hoof immediately before application to completely dry it out and eliminate any chance of a moisture barrier between the hoof and pour-in pad.
Before applying pour-in pads to the hoof, hoof care professionals can add a layer of mesh over the hoof and nail it on with the shoe. This helps to keep the pour-in pad material in place.
Foam boards are a simple way to help increase the life of pour-in pads because they ensure the material is applied perfectly flat and aligned with the hoof wall. Hoof care professionals can apply a foam board when they pour Vettec material into the hoof cavity. Once the material is dry and set, the foam board will peel right off.
To learn more about preparing hooves before applying pour-in pads, watch the 2MT video here.