Make your own hoof balm: 3 tried-and-tested recipes

Why make your own?

A pot of generic hoof grease costs between €8 and €15 for 500 ml. Making your own for the same quantity often comes to €3 to €5, especially if you buy the ingredients in bulk. More importantly, you avoid unnecessary additives — some ready-made products contain fragrances or synthetic antioxidants that sensitive hooves don't always respond well to. Homemade balm is also easy to adjust to the season or to the specific needs of your horse.

Ingredients you will need

Most ingredients can be ordered online or purchased from a cosmetic raw materials wholesaler. Store everything in a dry, dark place — it will keep for at least 12 months.

• Beeswax (yellow or white, in pellets or blocks)
• Lanolin (wool fat, pure grade)
• Fish oil or cod liver oil (cold-pressed, unrefined)
• Coconut oil (unrefined)
• Tar or pine tar (optional, for the classic recipe)
• Vitamin E oil (as a natural preservative)

Recipe 1: classic beeswax balm

This is the most versatile balm, suitable year-round and for most hoof types. Melt 60 g of beeswax in a heatproof bowl using a bain-marie. Add 120 g of lanolin and stir until everything is liquid. Remove from the heat and mix in 30 ml of fish oil. Optionally add 5 ml of vitamin E oil as a preservative. Pour into clean, dry pots and leave to cool without a lid. The balm is ready to use after approximately one hour. Yield: approximately 200 ml. Use: 2 to 3 times per week, applied with a brush to cleaned hooves.

Recipe 2: deeply nourishing winter balm

In winter, hooves are exposed to moisture, mud, and cold — a combination that quickly makes them dry and brittle. This variant has a higher fat concentration and penetrates deeper into the hoof wall. Melt 40 g of beeswax with 80 g of lanolin. Add 50 ml of fish oil and 30 ml of unrefined coconut oil. Stir in 5 ml of vitamin E oil just before pouring. The consistency is softer than Recipe 1 and melts more easily at body temperature — ideal for massaging along the coronary band. Store this balm in a cool place for best results; it will keep for up to 9 months.

Recipe 3: light summer balm

In dry summers you want to hydrate hooves without weighing them down or blocking their natural breathability. Melt 30 g of beeswax with 60 g of coconut oil — do not use lanolin in this recipe. Stir in 20 ml of fish oil and optionally add 3 ml of vitamin E oil. Pour into a small pot or silicone mould to make handy blocks. The balm melts quickly on the hoof and leaves no greasy residue. Suitable for daily use during warm periods.

How to track your results

Hoof care only has a real effect when done consistently and when you keep track of what works. Record in the EquiSight horse profile which recipe you are using, how often you apply it, and how hoof quality is developing. Take a photo of all four hooves every 4 weeks — that way you can see at a glance whether the hoof wall is becoming stronger or drier. You can also ask EquiCoach to draw up an application schedule based on the season and your horse's activity level. That way you combine homemade with smart management.

Safety and storage

• Always use clean, dry pots — moisture causes mould
• Never melt beeswax directly over an open flame, always use a bain-marie
• Add vitamin E oil after removing from the heat, not during heating
• Label every pot with the recipe, date, and quantity
• Discard any balm that smells rancid or has changed colour