The Botanical Horse

09/16/2026

If you’re only painting the outside of the hoof, you’re missing half the job.

Most feed-store dressings rely on petroleum, which seals out the natural moisture the hoof actually needs. Today I break down how to properly apply our Botanical Hoof Balm—from the outer wall to the sole and frog—to nourish dry, cracked hooves and keep moisture balanced week after week.

Clean ingredients. Petroleum-free. Barn-tested.

Tap the link in bio to grab yours or visit thebotanicalhorse.com.

09/15/2026

Ever wonder why your fly spray stops working halfway through a ride?

Most fly sprays are water-based. As soon as your horse starts sweating, working, or gets caught in a light rain, that spray washes right off.

Here we break down why an oil-based formula is different: oils stay put and pe*****te the skin to create a natural barrier that won't wash away with sweat or humidity.

Clean ingredients, clinical strength.

Head to the link in bio to learn more.

08/31/2026

Standing next to him feels a little too accurate 🦕 Who else is living with a gentle giant? Tag your barn friend with the biggest horse in the aisle 👇

08/16/2026

Run your hand down your horse's hoof wall this week. Feel that dry, shelly texture? Maybe a hairline crack creeping up from the ground?

That's late summer doing what it does — soaking hooves in dew all night, then baking them on concrete-hard ground all day. Researchers have actually measured it: dry hoof horn gets over 30x stiffer than hydrated horn. Stiff turns brittle, and brittle cracks.

Here's the part nobody tells you: a crack never heals. It has to grow out, about a quarter inch a month. Your job is to keep the moisture steady and feed strong new growth — and the next few weeks are your best window to grow sound wall before winter.

We put the whole guide on the blog — which cracks you can handle yourself, which ones need your farrier today, and the simple daily routine we use in our own barn. 🐴

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Why do cracked hooves get worse in late summer? Learn what causes dry, brittle hoof walls and how to fix them naturally with petroleum-free Botanical Hoof Balm.

08/15/2026

The horse that started it all.

This is Boots — Mister Wonderful Boots. My Big Goofball.

A few years ago his skin was in bad shape. Raw patches. Bald spots. Sores that wouldn't close. I stood in the feed store aisle more times than I can count, and everything I brought home was either full of chemicals or full of promises. Nothing worked.

So I stopped buying and started making.

Clean ingredients, mixed right here in our barn. No steroids. No chemicals. Just everything a lifetime with horses taught me a healing coat actually needs.

Boots recovered. And the jars I made for him became The Botanical Horse.

It's still made the same way I made the first jar — born in a barn, not a boardroom. What healed my horse is now helping horses in barns all over the country.

If your horse is fighting what Boots fought — rain rot, scratches, skin that won't recover — this was made for you. 🌿

thebotanicalhorse.com

08/12/2026

It’s the truest thing about horses. 💸 We pour everything we have into keeping them happy, sound, and feeling their best. And we wouldn't trade a single second of it.

08/12/2026

If you know, you know. 🚀 Sometimes that "nice, collected canter" feels like you're qualifying for MotoGP.

What's the fastest your horse has ever felt? Tell us below! 👇

Keep those hooves sound enough for the fast lane at thebotanicalhorse.com. (Link in bio)

08/09/2026

Run your hand down the back of your horse's pasterns this week. If you find tight, crusty little scabs that weren't there before — that's dew poisoning, and August mornings are prime time for it.

All that belly-high, dew-soaked grass softens the skin day after day until bacteria slip in — the same ones behind rain rot. The scabs shelter them, the morning wet feeds them, and the cycle keeps going until you break it.

The good news: caught early, it clears in a week or two. New on the blog — what's actually happening under those scabs, why you should never pick them off, and the 5-step barn routine we use on our own horses. 🌿

Dew poisoning leaving crusty scabs on your horse's pasterns? Learn what causes it, how to spot it early, and how to treat it naturally with Restorative Clay.

07/29/2026

There is nothing I love more than catching up at the barn and hearing that a friend is seeing progress with our Mane & Tail Crème Oil! 🐴

I always tell people: you HAVE to take a before picture. You won't believe how much growth and conditioning you'll see once you condition the skin at the base. It worked so well on Boots that I actually had to start trimming his mane because it got so thick!

Are you tracking your horse's mane progress? Let me know below. 👇

07/29/2026

Notice your horse compensating on one side? I've been testing out something new to wake up his nervous system. 🧠🐴

I started using these "razzlers" to build his proprioception and limb awareness. By placing them on opposing pairs (like back left, right front), I can remind him exactly where his feet are and help him re-balance his weight. It’s an amazing thing to see—we aren't just throwing gear on him, we are actively retraining his brain to understand his body again.

What’s your favorite groundwork hack for balance? Let me know below! 👇