Painting Hoofs

[Raine Ranch Minis]

Do you paint all your horses hoofs black or black for black hoofs and clear for striped and white hoofs? Just wondered??

 

[ssshowhorses]

It really depends on personal preferance. If you are showing in any colour classes I would paint white or striped hoves clear. Just for halter or other classes it is entirely up to whatever you think looks best and is individual to each horse and thier markings. Some people think that if you paint white feet clear it makes the horse look taller but I find that i you paint white feet black it can make a horse look really sharp and make white legs stand out.

 

[dannigirl]

We use all black because that is what we like. It really is a preference--I think.

 

[valshingle]

I use black on everyone. We primarily show in driving and I like the look of a black hoof. Even the app in my avatar shows in his color classes with black hooves (second only to Piano Man this year at Nationals and Worlds). Of course, he only has one hoof that has one stripe. I figure that if the judges can't tell he's an app by his coat color then the one stripe on his hoof isn't going to help much, lol.

 

[kaykay]

I have asked so many judges about this and I pretty much get a different answer from all of them. Many said clear and striped hooves should always be clear and then many said all black all the time LOL. Not much help huh?

We pretty much black all of ours as I do think they look sharper and more groomed.

 

[Becky]

I began to use clear on all colors of hooves several years ago. I like a more natural look and honestly, black hooves look quite black with just clear on them. And with clear, there's no chance of black all over you and the horse!

I also would never black the hooves on a horse with white on the legs. Black will visually shorten the leg on a white legged horse which is just the opposite of the look you want perceived.

 

[~Lisa~]

If you are going to use clear..make sure that hoof looks amazing- sand it no dirt- no ripples it will look nice if the hoof looks great and if not you will accentuate the dirt ect..

 

[Taylor Richelle]

I really think it all depends on what YOU like. I have used both black and clear....I use black on my horses with a darker hoof...and clear on my paint as he has 4 white feet. But if you go clear make sure you sand it!!!

 

[sedeh]

I used to always do black...it was easy, fast didn't have to sand. But most of my horses really should use clear...so I started doing it "properly" and sand their feet(just a little though because I don't want to thin their hoof wall too much)and use the clear. A friend showed me another trick...take the old fashioned white shoe polish paste and rub it on the hoof first...just a thin coat. Then do the clear on top...really takes that yellowish look away.

 

[ruffian]

I use clear on white or striped hooves. I also put clear over the black for a better shine.

Appaloosa horses should NEVER have their feet painted black. With some judges that will put you right to the bottom. And before anybody says BUT AT NATIONALS . . . I know I know, but the striped hoof is one of the 5 characteristics of an appaloosa and should never be painted black. And judges looking at a color class should know that.

 

[wildoak]

Depends a lot on the individual horse. I tend to agree with Becky that black feet on a horse with light legs often will visually shorten the leg, but I have blacked some of them just for the sharpness it gives them. If I have a young horse I think is going to jump around while I'm doing it, they get clear lol...been there done that with the hoof black everywhere! And yes, if you are going clear then sand the hoof. Will have to try the white shoe polish...good idea.

Jan

 

[Coventry Lane Farm]

We have been told by various trainers and judges to buff the hooves and spray with the clear enhancer made by Ultra on white hooves, black hooves get buffed and use black Ultra polish.

Alot of black hoof polish that is out there is harmful to the hooves unless you take if off after a show. We try to use the boot cream also, which is a great help. Everyone has their own opinion on this subject. We also paint the stripe in the hooves if there is one.

And as far as the showing of appaloosa's and painting their hooves black, well...we were told by a ASPC/AMHR judge at a Area I show that we didn't place well because of the hooves not being clear so to see the stripes, we didn't know that back then either, so its better if you are showing appy's to clear them, which we only have Diva left that is our own bred appaloosa that we are retaining ..all our other appaloosa's will be gone in a few months to their new owners.

Most judges will agree, white hooves, no black polish. Something else that they all look at in the ring ....is if the hoof is trimmed properly, nothing rough looking and all 4 hooves are at the same length and look as the same as possible as far as shape. Everything is a factor and you want your horse to look as perfect as you can no matter how silly it may seem.

We were fortunate to had been selected to be awarded with the "Inagural Vetrolin Grooming Award" for the "Best Groomed Shetland Pony" at the National Shetland Congress in 2007 by Farnam Horse Products and the Platform Feed division out of 500 horses, so we must have been doing something right. We had recieved the entire line of their grooming products, multiple coupons for the Platform feed and many press releases that the Director of Marketing of the ASPC/AMHR had sent out to various equine magazines and newspapers, plus was on the airing on RFD-TV with our award and shown with our miniatures at the very beginning with our Park Harness horse......it was quite a surprise that I will never forget.....

 

[Rebecca]

I've used clear on my gelding who has white hooves at local shows, but prefer black. He has 4 white socks/stockings and is a driving horse. The black hooves make him look very sharp in my opinion. For my solid horses with dark hooves I use black polish.

 

[maestoso]

If you have a horse with a lot of white on the leg, painting the hoof black can often make the leg appear shorter. This is especially noticable when the other legs are solid. When a horse has leg white, the hooves are usually white, or striped, and the black paint just looks totally unnatural.

 

[LindaL]

My own personal preference is to leave light hooves clear and blacken dark hooves, BUT...since a few people and I had a discussion about this very thing at a show, I watched very closely at the color of hooves at Nationals and MOST (not all) blacked even the light hooves. So, do I go with the flow or with my own preference....?? Even most people here differ in their answers...lol

 

[Charlotte]

Clear all around. Every horse.

Charlotte

 

[Sandee]

My silver has white feet so I use clear on him. My bay pinto has 2 black and 2 striped with some white one every leg but she also has ermine marks on all four feet. I prefer to blacken all her feet and with the ermine marks you can't tell if the black goes up on her white socks. LOL

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

Thank you all for the help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LB people are so great and helpful!

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