About Camp & Co. Hoof Health

Three Generations of Horsemen. One Formula Rooted in History.

Camp & Co. didn't begin with market research or trend analysis. It started with a worn copy of Clater's Farrier (29th edition) and a simple question: What did farriers rely on before modern chemistry took over?

The Lineage

William Thomas Sr. rode with the Deep Run Hunt Club in Richmond, Virginia before the Korean War. After serving, he came to Florida as a thoroughbred bloodstock agent, building a career on evaluating horses from the ground up. He understood that soundness begins at the hoof—and passed that foundation to his son.

Camp Thomas Jr. carried that tradition forward. He spent nearly a decade (1988–1995) as an exercise rider on the track, then transitioned to blacksmithing and farrier work in 1996. Over the next thirty years he became Head Farrier for leading Canadian and American Thoroughbred farms in Ocala—operations that consistently ranked among the nation's leaders in races won and purses earned.

He's shod graded-stakes winners, corrected career-ending hoof issues, and trained younger farriers in the craft. After three decades under thousands of horses, he wanted a way to keep serving them without breaking his body in the process.

Campbell Thomas III, a third-generation Ocala native and 2013 Citadel graduate, returned home after serving as a U.S. Army logistics officer to co-found Camp & Co. When Camp Jr. started pulling out century-old farrier texts—Clater's Farrier and Horse-Shoeing and the Horse's Foot by Dollar and Wheatley—Campbell saw the pattern: the old formulas worked, they just needed refinement for modern standards.

The Philosophy: Old Science, New Standards

Our formula is inspired by veterinary and farrier manuals from the 1800s and early 1900s—an era when hoof care was about function, not marketing. These texts highlighted ingredients long forgotten, such as pyroligneous acid (wood vinegar), now proven to influence the hoof and skin microbiome—pushing out pathogens rather than scorched-earth sterilizing them.

Early test blends included harsh agents like copper sulfate: effective, but brutal. Campbell pushed Camp to refine the approach—retain the antimicrobial power, but pair it with soothing, conditioning components that support the hoof instead of attacking it.

The Result: A Layered Defense System

Antimicrobial & Antifungal Agents

Pyroligneous acid alters the hoof microbiome to crowd out pathogens. It's paired with a triple-oil defense—clove, oregano, and tea tree oil—each targeting different bacterial and fungal strains for built-in redundancy.

Structural Support & Repair

MSM strengthens hoof wall integrity and helps reduce inflammation. Zinc oxide forms a breathable barrier that supports tissue recovery from white line and sole damage.

Environmental Protection

Pine tar seals against excess moisture. Bentonite and kaolin clays draw out impurities while forming a protective, heat-neutral layer that still lets the hoof breathe.

Conditioning & Flexibility

Shea butter, beeswax, and coconut oil keep the wall resilient without softening it. They penetrate into the keratin structure to prevent the brittleness that leads to cracks and chips, preserving the hoof's natural expansion and contraction under load.

What We Found in Batch 001-A

Field testers and farriers reported that the balm:

• Polishes as it protects — ¼–½ g covers the outer hoof wall and buffs to a quiet satin shine.
• Conditions dead keratin — even cadaver hooves took on a subtle elasticity and improved feel.
• Repels contamination — sand and dirt cling to the surface but cannot breach the barrier.
• Cleans easily — wipes off with a dry rag, leaving a healthy, balanced finish.
• Smells pleasant — warm pine and clove rather than chemicals.

Those qualities move the product beyond a "thrush treatment." It functions as a defensive conditioner—a working-grade barrier that restores appearance and resilience at once.

Why We Know It Works

In field testing, a Tennessee horse owner found Heritage Defense Hoof Balm outperformed prescribed canker paste and conventional salicylic acid/chlorhexidine regimens for grease heel.

Barn managers report using it daily because it feels good to apply—a critical factor for consistency and long-term hoof health.

The Ocala Advantage

We formulate and manufacture in Ocala, Florida, for a reason.

This climate—humidity, sand, wet-dry cycles, year-round turnout—is punishing. If a hoof product holds up here, it holds up anywhere. Our testing happens in real barns, under real horses, facing real problems.

What's Next

Heritage Defense Hoof Balm is our foundation product. Next come complementary treatments for scratches, rain rot, and summer sores—each built on the same principle: heritage ingredients, modern standards.

Camp & Co. exists because we were tired of choosing between products that work but burn and products that smell nice but don't work.

We made something that does both.