Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Dr. Getty
Hi Dr. Getty I have a 4yr old quarter horse mare in good weight and coat. She gets a tim/alfa mix 6 lbs of legends 10/10. She is used as a pleasure horse. The problem is Quarter Cracks...
She has 2 white front hooves which I have always kept shod. But I just pulled off the shoes to give her hoof wall a break from all the nails and clips. I have given her flax seed and biotin supplements at different times and it did not help. I have tried numerous hoof dressings with no improvement. The farrier said to try hoofmaker hand cream to soften up the hoof and I just started this. Is there some kind of supplement that will help this besides the ones I mentioned. She is on green pasture and there isn't any mud around she is also stalled at night...I'm at wits end....Thanks for you help
Where are you from? NJ
How did you locate this forum? google
Hi Debbie,
Yes, I would suggest a supplement that provides more than biotin, since there are other nutrients that are involved in producing healthy hoof tissue. I find BioFlax Ultra to be excellent. Keep in mind that it takes at least 6 months for healthy hoof tissue to grow out.
Topicals are really not helpful, except to help hold some external moisture on the hoof. But, healthy hooves require and "inside, out" approach where you feed the inside of the horse, so the outside can be healthy.
Please keep me posted.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO