Preparing Horse Hooves for Winter (Australia): What Should Be Sorted Before the Wet Season
Autumn isn't when hoof care starts.
It's when you see what's already been handled and improving - and what hasn't.
By the time you're heading into winter, the hoof should be in a stable, well maintained state. If it's not, wet conditions don't fix anything. They make it harder to stay on top of.
In our experience over the years, hooves that carry issues through from Autumn, become more difficult to manage through Winter and into Spring.
What should horse hooves look like heading into winter?
Heading into winter, a healthy hoof should be stable, well-maintained, and free from unresolved issues.
You're looking for:
- frog and sole fully shed out with healthy structure underneath
- no retained or loose material holding debris
- a central sulcus that is open, not deep or closed
- a white line that is tight and consistent
- no active cracks, splits, or separation
- heel bulbs that are even and well-formed free from scabs and issues
A hoof heading into winter should be clean, stable, and mostly free from unresolved issues
This isn't about perfection.
It's about not carrying avoidable issues into a season that makes them harder to manage.
What should already be sorted by the end of autumn?
By the end of autumn, key hoof issues should already be addressed before conditions become consistently wet.
This includes:
Frog and sole shedding
This should be complete. Any retained material should be removed so debris isn't sitting where you can't see it.
👉 Read more: Frog & sole shedding in horses
Thrush
The frog should be clean, well-developed, and free from deep crevices that hold debris.
If the frog is starting to break down or the sulcus is deepening, it needs attention before winter.
👉 Read more: Thrush and hoof hygiene
Hoof wall cracks and splits
Cracks don't resolve in wet conditions.
They need to be assessed and managed early.
As the hoof absorbs more moisture through winter, cracks, splits, and chips are more likely to worsen.
👉 Read more: Horse hoof wall cracks
Hoof wall separation
Any areas of separation should be cleaned out thoroughly and a management plan put in place.
Leaving them gives debris a place to sit and hold moisture.
👉 Read more: Hoof wall separation
Greasy heel
This should be clear or improved before winter.
Once conditions stay wet, it becomes harder to manage.
Laminitis and metabolic horses
Horses prone to laminitis need to be managed carefully through seasonal change.
Autumn pasture can be a high risk time for laminitis prone horses.
👉 Read more: Managing laminitis
What it looks like when hooves aren't ready for winter
Hooves that aren't prepared for winter often show early signs of weakness before conditions worsen.
You'll see:
- retained frog or sole material
- deeper, tighter sulcus
- debris compacting deep in grooves
- early separation or stretching
- cracks starting to form or worsen
A hoof carrying unresolved issues into winter. Retained material, a deep sulcus, long hoof walls and cracks. Pictured ready for a hoof trim with the farrier. These are the kind of issues that become significantly harder to manage once winter conditions set in.
None of this improves once the hoof is exposed to prolonged moisture. We see this time and time again - hooves absorb moisture in damp conditions, swell and create new pockets for debris and moisture to accumulate.
Why autumn hoof preparation matters for Australian horses heading into winter
Wet winter conditions reduce the hoof's ability to stay dry, making existing issues harder to manage.
Our experiences in Australia are:
- ground stays moist for longer
- hooves don't dry out between exposures
- your routine becomes less consistent (short days, less daylight hours)
If the hoof isn't in good condition beforehand, you're not maintaining hoof health, you're chasing problems. We see this time and time again, which is why our team of hoof care professionals are flat out getting hooves on track in Autumn.
What to do if your horse's hooves aren't ready
If issues are present heading into winter, they need to be addressed early before conditions limit progress.
This is where:
- your farrier addresses structure, trimming, and removal of retained material
- you stay consistent with daily hoof care and observation
Your farrier's job is not daily care, thats over to you. It's the maintenance between appointments that determines how well the hoof holds up through winter in Australia.
Your farrier addresses structure, balance, and retained material, but what happens between appointments is equally important for maintaining hoof health through winter. Note the moist conditions in this Autumn Hoof Care appointment.
Where hoof hygiene fits in during autumn
Hoof hygiene helps keep hoof structures clear so you can maintain condition heading into winter.
This means:
- removing debris from sole, frog, and grooves
- keeping the central sulcus open and visible
- monitoring white line integrity
- keeping areas of separation clean
If debris is sitting in the hoof, it's sitting somewhere you can't properly assess or access.
A consistent routine keeps the hoof clean, visible, and easier to manage.
FINAL WORD
By the end of autumn, the hoof should be in good condition before winter arrives.
Not perfect, but not carrying too many issues forward.
Because once winter conditions set in, anything that hasn't been handled becomes harder to stay on top of.
Julie Wright
Founder, The Hoof Co
Dip. EPT, Cert. EMT
Hoof Care Professional
Over 20 years under the horse
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