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One would think that a nice dry stall filled with plenty of dry bedding is just what the doctor ordered for your special equine. This is not always the case. If your horse has pads on all four feet, then a dry stall and dry bedding will not cause any adverse problems with regard to the feet. However, it’s a horse of a different color (as the saying goes) if pads are not needed. Moisture is absorbed and lost only through the bottom of the horse’s hooves. Therefore, the dry stall/dry bedding effect acts as a wick and draws the moisture from the horse’s feet. When your horse is outside in a nice grassy pasture, its’ feet absorb moisture and expand. When it is returned to the dry stall, the feet contract as the moisture is wicked away by the dry bedding. This expanding and contracting day after day can cause problems. The wall of the hoof may become brittle and chip away. The expansion and contraction around the nails may cause the nail holes to enlarge. The next thing you know, your horse has lost a shoe, the hoof wall has cracked and broken off and the once nicely shod hoof is now ragged and unshod. Also, a pasture with little grass and mostly dirt in dry weather will have the same effect as a dry stall and dry bedding. Another problem encountered with losing moisture is hard, dry feet. This is a problem for both horse and farrier. A hard dry hoof will not give when it hits the ground and could potentially cause bruising and lameness. A hard dry hoof will not give easily to the farrier’s knife and nippers, thus making his or her job more difficult.

It is not easy to strike a happy medium with regard to hoof moisture, but one place to start is a moist stall. This does not mean that the stall should never be cleaned. A sloppy dirty stall can cause just as many problems. The stall should be picked daily and the remaining bedding spread evenly. It is not necessary to add fresh bedding daily. You can use you own judgement as to when bedding should be added, but the stall doesn’t need to be "knee-deep" in dry bedding.

This is only one farrier’s opinion that was derived from years of experience. Just remember, however, that a moist pliable hoof results in more comfort for the horse and more ease in shoeing for the farrier.