Snow Pads / Snow Guards

Hello. I am looking for any type of a snow guard product to help keep snow and mud out of my horse’s hooves during the winter. I have read that there is a product like this in Sweden and it is used instead of having to place a flat pad on the bottom of the hoof to prevent snowballing in the sole of the foot. It is a rubber like product which fits inside of the hoof. I think that they call them “snow guards” there. Currently, my farrier puts pads plus studded shoes on my horse. My feeling is that with the pad I am now using that there is still room for mud and moisture to get in behind it and pack into the sole. I live in Oregon and have to deal with mud and snow all year. Let me know if you have any ideas.   Cindy.  Hi Cindy. You are correct, there is such a thing as a “snow guard”. However, as you know, you have to have your farrier pull your horse’s shoes and apply the pads. I have found a product that works really well in the wet seasonal conditions that I deal with in the winter and spring up here at Lake Tahoe and Western Nevada. It is called HOOF-it II.  It is a pour able pad which makes an excellent functional snow pad. It is a product that the average horse owner can apply by themselves without needing to pull shoes. In my experience, which is a lot of back country riding in less that ideal conditions; it works better than the traditional snow pad since it solidly fills the sole of the hoof. It simply does not allow water, mud or snow to back fill behind it. And, as I mentioned, you can do it yourself.