Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Dr. Getty
Hi. I just has a question about hooves and supplements. I have a twelve year old Thoroughbred gelding with bad feet. I use him for jumping and alot of trail riding. He is currently using pads on his feet, but they are so brittle.he started using pads because of a severe bruise. I asked the farrier if I should put a moisturizer on them and he says no they are soft enough. His feet are always splitting at the nails, causing him to loose shoes. They farrier only uses nail on shoes, so glue on would be out of the question. Do you have any ideas on what to give him to help strengthen his feet?
Where are you from? PA
How did you locate this forum? internet
Hi Sherry,
Hoof tissue is made of protein – a hard, crusty protein called keratin. In order for his body to make this protein, he needs to have the necessary building blocks. So, the best way to improve his hooves would be “from the inside, out.” In other words, by improving his diet.
If his overall health, in general, is good, then you can likely improve his hooves by adding a supplement designed for this purpose. It’s important to give him a supplement that is not going to overlap with any other supplements you are giving him. So, choose one that limits its ingredients hoof health, such as Master’s Hoof Blend or Biotone-25.
Also, if you are feeding him grass hay, you may wish to consider adding some alfalfa, in the form of hay, cubes, or pellets, to his diet. This will boost the overall protein quality.
Keep me posted on his progress!
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hi Sherry,
The two products have some similarities, however, you need to feed at least 6 ounces to an adult horse each day, whereas Masters Hoof Blend suggests a one ounce serving, so it is much more concentrated.
Also, Master’s Hoof Blend contains vitamin B6, a very necessary B vitamin when producing hoof protein. It also contains live microbials, which boost the bacterial flora in the hind gut, thereby increasing their effectiveness is supplying nutrients to your horse’s body.
Farrier’s formula contains more amino acids, however, these amino acids are supplied in ample quantity by the diet. The amino acids lysine and methionine are my main concern and both products contain these two.
Dr. Getty
Hi Sherry,
Bone meal provides calcium to the diet, and poor hooves are not indicative of a calcium deficiency. So, I would not recommend bone meal.
Also, bone meal contains trace levels of lead, so it is not a beneficial supplement for any living creature, humans included.
Hooves are made of protein and need a variety of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals such as zinc an copper (but not calcium) to assist in building that protein.
Hope this is helpful.
Dr. Getty