If there is one part of our horses that has really had to contend with the weather this year, it's their feet.
Weeks of hot, dry conditions left many of us dealing with ground that felt more like concrete than a paddock. Hooves became hard and dry, cracks appeared and keeping shoes on wasn't always straightforward.
Now we've gone in the opposite direction.
Rain has returned, fields are softening and feet that spent much of the summer exceptionally dry may now regularly be standing in wet grass and mud.
For hoof quality, that swing between extremes can present its own challenges.
Why changing moisture levels matter
The hoof wall might look solid, but hoof horn responds to its environment.
During prolonged dry weather, hooves can become harder and more brittle. Cracks and chips can become more noticeable, particularly around nail holes or areas already under mechanical stress.
Wet conditions bring a different problem.
Hoof horn absorbs moisture and becomes softer. If feet are repeatedly moving between very wet and very dry conditions, that continual change can affect the integrity of the hoof wall.
Then there's everything that comes with wetter turnout: mud packed into feet, damp bedding and an environment in which problems such as thrush are more likely to develop.
So while softer ground may be a relief after the summer, hoof care shouldn't disappear down the priority list.
Start with the basics
There isn't a supplement that can replace good hoof management.
Regular farrier visits remain essential, even if your horse is barefoot. Pick feet out frequently, keep an eye on the frog and white line and look for changes rather than waiting until something becomes an obvious problem.
Where possible, give horses somewhere reasonably dry to stand rather than spending 24 hours with saturated feet, and keep stable bedding clean and dry.
If you notice heat, a strong digital pulse, significant cracks, an unpleasant smell or your horse becomes lame, that's a job for your farrier and/or vet rather than something to tackle with nutrition alone.
But external hoof care is only half of the picture.
The hoof you're looking at was built months ago
This is perhaps the most important thing to remember when talking about hoof supplements.
Hooves grow. They don't heal in the same way as skin.
What we feed today is supporting the new hoof horn being produced at the coronary band, which then gradually grows down the hoof.
That's why nutritional hoof support is a long game.
You aren't going to feed something on Monday and watch a crack disappear by Friday. Instead, you're trying to provide the body with the nutritional building blocks it needs to produce strong, good-quality hoof horn consistently.
And that requires more than one fashionable ingredient.
It's not all about biotin
Biotin is probably the nutrient most horse owners associate with hoof supplements – and with good reason. It plays an important role in keratin production, and keratin is a major structural component of hoof horn.
But a hoof is not made from biotin alone.
Protein and amino acids are needed to build keratinised tissue, while minerals including zinc and copper have important roles in normal hoof structure.
It's the combination that matters.
Our pick: Radiance Gold Farriers Secret
This is exactly why Radiance Gold Farriers Secret has been formulated as more than simply a high-biotin supplement.
Alongside biotin, the formula contains the essential amino acids methionine and lysine, both important building blocks for keratinised tissue. It also provides zinc and copper, calcium and vitamin C to support the processes involved in healthy hoof and connective tissue formation.
The result is a formula designed to support healthy hoof growth, hoof horn quality and white-line integrity from the inside out.
And that's an important distinction.
Farriers Secret isn't there to make an existing crack magically disappear or replace what your farrier is doing. It's about helping support the quality of the new hoof your horse is growing.
Why now is actually a good time to think about winter feet
It can be tempting to wait until hoof quality deteriorates before doing something about it.
But because hoof growth takes time, the better question is:
What quality of hoof do I want my horse to be growing now?
The nutrition you're providing through September and autumn is contributing to the hoof you'll be looking at further down the line.
After an exceptionally dry summer followed by a sudden return to wetter conditions, now is a sensible time to assess the whole picture.
Look at your horse's feet with your farrier. Think about whether the overall diet is providing everything they need. Address thrush, cracks or shoeing problems promptly rather than hoping they'll disappear.
And, if hoof quality is something you want to support nutritionally, start before winter mud is in full swing.
Healthy hooves are built from both sides
There's no single trick to producing great feet.
It's the farrier appointment you don't postpone. The clean, dry bed. Picking out feet when you'd rather just go home. A balanced diet. Good-quality protein, vitamins and minerals. And enough time for all of that to show in the new hoof growing down.
After the weather our horses' feet have already dealt with this year, giving them that support now could make the transition into winter a considerably easier one.