Pyrgirl
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White chalky solesWe've had a week's worth of rain and mud here. Finally dried up a bit today. I've been cleaning out the feet daily, but today I did a little work on the hoofs. After picking them out I scraped the soles with the hoof pick and they were white and soft and chalky?!!! Never had that before. Any one know what that is? The frogs are fine, and no blackness or thrush smell. Under the soft part is normal. Help?
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Playenatural
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They are shedding. When I had my minis they held on to their soles and their feet did not act like a big horses feet. They would have a layer of sole that looked fine but would have a chalky line under it, if I got my hoof pick in there it would peal off. The big part was keeping their walls trimmed so they wore the sole themselves but my mini feet grew so fast it was hard to keep up with them. (I have since re-homed them to a school hence the past tense. They love the kids.)
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fairhavenranch
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Error. 
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Clarissa
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That's true PN. My horses have recently shed their soles in bits or as one full complete piece so it is not only minis that hold on to them.
Another reason that chalky stuff builds up is when the terrain they are walking on is softer than the soles so it doesn't wear off. The soles normally wear down all the time due to wear & tear walking around, but if the ground is too soft there is nothing to scuff the sole to keep the chalky stuff cleaned off.
You can find that same stuff inside horse shoes that haven't been cleaned out for several days.
Pyrgirl just scrape it away with your hoof pick. Anything that the hoof pick can't remove stays as healthy sole.
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Pyrgirl
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Thanks! Also looking for some dry days here finally.
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