Hoof trimmers and farriers have a new option for equine foot problems like white line disease, wall separations, excessive wear, uneven growth and cracks. If ignored, wall problems can effect a horse’s performance, accelerate lameness or lead to expensive hoof repair procedures. Preventing and treating hoof wall problems has been a challenge to professionals and owners alike. The D.E. HOOFTAP is practically invisible once installed but the hoof responds with tighter new wall growth and a healthier white line. Zinc-coated D.E. HOOFTAPS insert into the hoof wall and are lightly hammer-tapped until flush with the wall’s bearing surface; they may be covered by a shoe or boot or left exposed on an unshod hoof. When the trimmer or farrier returns, the tap is removed with a standard farrier’s nail puller tool, and results are evaluated. D.E. HOOFTAPS are a patented invention of New York farrier Doug Ehrmann, who experimented with an anti-bacterial zinc-coated insert to help grow out hoof defects from within; he was encouraged when he saw improved growth. D.E. HOOFTAPS do not impede natural foot flexion and expansion in a barefoot horse. Under a shoe, they are a nonchemical asset to encourage healthy growth. Taps are also an alternative to shoes on hind feet for some horses, and are useful in horses transitioning to barefoot, when appropriate. Some horses wear only one tap at a time; others wear several. Any kind of shoe can be used with hoof taps. Hoof taps are manufactured in England and were tested in the farrier school at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in New York, where instructor Steve Kraus, CJF described D.E. HOOFTAPS as “a less costly way to keep barefoot hooves from falling apart, or to help grow out cracks.” New Jersey veterinarians Brendan Furlong and Wendy Leich adopted D.E. HOOFTAPS for their sport horses; one young dressage horse scored 80% in Wellington, Florida this winter wearing taps. They opted to install taps in their horses’ feet in lieu of shoes. Sold in containers of 25, each steel tap has an anti-bacterial zinc coating and three shallow anchors that hold the tap in the wall just outside the white line. Please consult your hoofcare professional to decide if DE HoofTaps are appropriate for your horse.