No hoof no horse. The saying is so old I'm sure no one even knows who said it first! Winter is tough on hooves, no matter if they are are shod or barefoot. My own horses have been barefoot for several years now and I do think you 'get away with less' when they're barefoot vs shod. That is to say, things like hoof hygiene are more important than ever when you haven't got a shoe to 'hide' a lot of what's going on.
Now, I can't also lay claim to being the one to even think about using a hoof clay product initially. My sister, who is also my equine podiatrist, recommended using clay last year. You can buy hoof clay products off the shelf or you can make your own very inexpensively. For benefits, application tips and my latest recipe, read on!