Re: Venice Turpentine and Pine Tar

["Michelle Fink" <michrowe@redwrench.com>]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but venice turpentine is for toughening
soles...  It's not supposed to be painted on frogs, coronet bands, or and
heels.  Keratex can be used diluted to paint on frogs, but I have not heard
any reference to heels.  They do have a bulletin board on
http://www.horseshoes.com in the product section where you could ask about
using it for that.

FWIW, I have used two applications of Keratex and notice a difference in my
horse's soles.  They have sealed off and gotten noticeably harder.  I am
using it on 3 barefoot horses that get ridden on gravel.   It's nice when
something expensive works like it's supposed to right away.

Last year, I used some of that veterinary adhesive bandaging tape that sort
of looks like moleskin (but it's not, and it's cheap), and slapped a strip
of that around my horse's heels before pulling the strap up.  That worked
just fine for training rides.  That might also be a reasonably easy to use &
cheap option for you.

Happy trails -

Michelle
(Colorado)