A hoof supplement can only improve the quality of new horn growth……not existing horn. It takes nine to twelve months for new horn to grow down from the coronet to the bottom of the hoof. In other words what you feed will not affect the area the farrier is nailing shoes on for 9 – 12 months.
There are two main actions you can take to try and improve hoof quality. One is to feed an effective hoof supplement as part of a well-balanced diet for at least twelve months; and the other is to employ a farrier to trim or shoe your horse’s feet regularly.
Good hoof quality can be achieved in about ninety percent of horses that had previously suffered from poor hoof quality if these two actions are taken.
What nutrients should be present in an effective hoof supplement?
Because hoof wall consists of more than 70% protein (the rest is mainly water) it is important that the horse receives ample good quality protein in his daily diet.
A horse on a low protein diet or a horse on a low-calorie diet to promote weight loss is more susceptible to poor hoof quality than a horse on a well-balanced diet to maintain or increase bodyweight.
Biotin, methionine or cysteine, zinc, copper, iodine, calcium, fatty acids, and vitamin A all help to improve hoof quality and when fed balanced together have a greater effect than biotin alone.
For horses working hard or needing extra condition feeding a top specification conditioning feed balancer will provide all the scientifically recommended levels of biotin and associated nutrients.
For good-doers using a non-conditioning top specification feed balancer will provide all the nutrients to improve hoof quality.
If in any doubt don’t hesitate to contact an experienced nutritionist.
