HoofWand™ by Ranchers Preferred

Muddy paddocks are hard on hooves. When wet ground gives way to dry spells and back again, the hoof wall swells and shrinks until tiny gaps open up, debris packs in, and the perfect home for bacteria forms. Reach for a metal pick on a soft, soggy hoof and you can scratch the very wall you are trying to protect. HoofWand by Ranchers Preferred was built to solve exactly that problem.

What makes HoofWand different from a hoof pick?

HoofWand is a hoof cleaning tool made from a soft, flexible, non-abrasive material that lifts both wet and dry mud and muck without scratching or damaging the outer hoof wall or the coronary band. Its strategically shaped curves clear packed debris safely, while a textured diamond pattern loosens stubborn dried-on dirt. Because it is gentle by design, it does the work of a pick on caked-up hooves without the risk a sharp metal edge brings to a waterlogged wall.

How do you use HoofWand on muddy hooves?

HoofWand is built for everyday barn use. Run the curved surfaces along the underside of the hoof to lift debris from the white line, then turn to the textured face to break loose dried mud from the wall, pastern, and fetlock. The same tool doubles as an applicator: use any side to press clays, putties, and hoof powders deep into cracks and grooves that fingers cannot reach. The flexible material is meant to wear over time, so when the edges show noticeable wear it is time for a fresh one.

Who is behind HoofWand?

HoofWand comes from Ranchers Preferred, the small operation started by Lori and Brian, two horse lovers and inventors in Albertville, Minnesota who care for a barn full of their own horses. After a warm, wet spring turned their paddocks to mud and put their herd through cycle after cycle of cracked hooves and abscesses, they set out to build a better way to clean a hoof. Many barn trials and prototypes later, HoofWand was the answer. They describe themselves simply as two people who love their horses and love solving problems, and their goal is to help every horse owner stay hands-on with their horses' hoof health.

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What exactly is the HoofWand, and why does it look like a spatula?
The HoofWand™ by Ranchers Preferred is a purpose-built hoof-cleaning tool engineered to lift dry and wet mud, muck, and packed debris off the hoof, pastern, and coronary band without the gouging risk of a metal pick. Its founders openly joke that it "looks like a spatula," but the resemblance is deliberate: a broad, flexible blade hugs the contours of a wet, swollen hoof instead of stabbing into soft tissue. It is positioned as a complement to your everyday routine, not a replacement for your traditional hoof pick, filling the job that a steel pick handles poorly on soggy ground.

Who makes the HoofWand?

The HoofWand is made by Ranchers Preferred LLC, a small two-person operation founded by Lori and Brian, horse owners and inventors based in Albertville, Minnesota. The idea was born in February 2024 after their own horses, including Yanko, a Gypsy Vanner, and OB, a Fell pony, kept developing hoof abscesses through Minnesota's freeze-thaw mud cycles, and no existing tool could safely clear waterlogged hooves in cold conditions. After extensive prototyping and barn testing, they launched the company to bring the HoofWand and future equine products to market under the banner "Hands on Hooves." They can be reached.

What is it made of, and how is the blade designed?
The HoofWand is molded from a soft, flexible, non-abrasive material chosen specifically so it will not scratch or damage the outer hoof wall or irritate the periople (the delicate band of new growth at the top of the hoof). The single blade is multi-functional by design: curved surfaces clear debris from the underside and white line, a textured diamond-pattern surface loosens dried-on mud and is gentle enough to scrub the coronary band, and the differing edges let you work both stubborn caked dirt and tender, sensitive areas with one tool. Because it is non-metallic, it is also marketed as a safe choice for clearing packed snow and ice balls from hooves in winter.

How do you use it on a muddy or wet hoof?

Usage is straightforward: run the curved surfaces along the underside white line to sweep out debris, use the textured diamond pattern to loosen and lift dried, caked mud, and work the flexible blade up onto the pastern and around the coronary band where a rigid pick cannot safely reach. The HoofWand doubles as an applicator, so you can use any side of it to push hoof clay, putty, or hoof powders into cracks and crevices after cleaning. Ranchers Preferred advises that when the edges begin to show noticeable wear, it is time to replace the tool.

Why do owners and farriers choose it over a metal pick?

The core appeal is safety on the exact hooves where a steel pick is riskiest. When wet ground swells the hoof wall and then dry spells shrink it, micro-gaps open and debris packs in, and a hard pick can scratch the very wall it is meant to protect or jab a sore, abscess-prone sole. The HoofWand's soft, flexible blade clears that mud without abrasion and reaches the pastern and coronary band that picks ignore, which is why the makers report support from farrier organizations and why it appeals to owners who want to stay hands-on with daily hoof health.

How much is it and how do you buy one?

The HoofWand is sold directly at rancherspreferred.com for $19.99 (regularly $24.95), and Ranchers Preferred offers free shipping on orders over $30, so pairing it with one of their hoof-care powders or grooming products reaches the threshold. It is also stocked on Amazon under the listing "RANCHERS PREFERRED HoofWand." Companion products from the same maker include DustWick Hoof Care Powder, DustWick Herbal Skin & Coat Care, and Ranchers Preferred Equine Feather Dust Powder.