Why are my horses feet still terrible??

MrA

MrA

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Feb 8, 2012
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He's been on biotin for well over a year and a rosehip and seaweed supplement for well over 6 months now but his feet are still very crumbly and weak. Having his shoes removed while he is on boxrest so really want to try and get his feet looking better.

Anything else I can try please?
 
Biotin isn't always the greatest thing it promotes hoof growth but doesn't really strengthen the quality of hoof growth what is his diet?
 
What does the farrier recommend? Kevin Bacon hoof dressing is meant to be good - I know it won't work alone, but used in conjunction with other things it may help.
 
I am not an expert by any means, and my attempt at taking Dolly barefoot was a disaster from start to finish. However, after a lot of research and supplementing what was missing in her diet, she now has extremely good feet. I don't think Biotin alone is the answer TBH.

If you go on the Phoenix horse forum or even just google barefoot diet, you will find masses of information about how to pin down what they need. I think one of the biggest issues with Dolly was getting her diet as low as possible in sugar, as well as giving her different minerals.
 
I use Kevin bacon regularly :)

I used to use keratex hoof hardener but didn't really notice any difference.

He just gets hay and tiny handful of hifi molasses free. The seaweed and rosehip is a Dodson and horrell product called firm foot.

There is too much information I get so confused haha x
 
I have tried various supplements in the past and the one thing that works for my horse's feet (lost shoes non stop and hoof prior to this) is rubbing original cornucrescine in daily.
 
I have noticed the modern Haflinger does tend to have poor quality horn. THe worst feet I ever saw were on a Haflinger. They used ton be known for their hardwearing feet and it was a Haflinger I used to do shoeless endurance on, back in the 70s
 
I just feed magnitude, but she does already have good feet. I think if the horse has good feet they do and if not they don't.
My previous chap had good feet but he still went sore.

As the feet are the last to get the nutrients, what about a general purpose supplement for all of him?
 
newforest said:
I just feed magnitude, but she does already have good feet. I think if the horse has good feet they do and if not they don't.
My previous chap had good feet but he still went sore.

As the feet are the last to get the nutrients, what about a general purpose supplement for all of him?
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This. I'd forget the individual things like biotin & feed a good general purpose supplement or balancer, compare products because they aren't all equal. If you haven't already then talk to your farrier too, they know far more than just nailing non shoes. It may be that changing how often he's shod will help, or an antibacterial dressing or *whispers* a different farrier.
 
Seaweed is also not great high in iron which our grazing generally already is - and this causes difficulties in magnesium/copper/zinc being absorbed which are required for good hoof growth
 
I'd also look at the bigger picture eg. management and nutrition (eg not what goes in the bucket feed but what grass and terrain he's on etc.), healthy hooves don't just come from supplements and dressings.
 
I've been very lucky with Belle as she had good feet to start with but have found that by carefully watching how much sugar is in her diet and giving her more movement and forage plus (winter balancer) her feet have continued to improve.
Maybe he just doesn't have good feet but one thing my old farrier used to say was 'never ever put anything on hooves that is oil/fat based' apparently he said that fat 'cooks' the horn and causes more damage than it prevents, he recommended nothing but aqueous cream if anything at all. Not sure how true that is as lots of people swear by the kevin bacon stuff.
 
Zinc and copper are very important for hoof health but they are low in most grazing and it seems to be almost impossible to find a supplement that has enough copper and zinc in it, in the right ratios and without iron added
 
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Lottie86 said:
Zinc and copper are very important for hoof health but they are low in most grazing and it seems to be almost impossible to find a supplement that has enough copper and zinc in it, in the right ratios and without iron added
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This is why I like the forage plus balancer, ultra low in iron but the right balance of copper and zinc among other things.
 
popularfurball said:
Seaweed is also not great high in iron which our grazing generally already is - and this causes difficulties in magnesium/copper/zinc being absorbed which are required for good hoof growth
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I would agree with PFB. I would say your mineral balancing is out, and would suggest getting a forage analysis done. I have had a grass one done and am waiting for the hay to come back.

We are high in iron and manganese, low in calcium, copper and zinc, and I would imagine that the hay would be the same, being from the same area.

Once I have the hay analysis back, I will get a proper plan done to balance the minerals correctly.

I don't think that general supplements are very helpful. Most have iron added, which most of UK is pretty high in anyway, and iron will block as PFB says, magnesium, copper and zinc, so you would need to feed higher levels of those to combat the iron already in your horses daily ration of forage, let alone whatever supplements/hard feed you give.

Edited to add, it is forageplus that I have gone to for analysis, and as Kite Rider says, they are more with it for mineral supplementation than the big companies.
 
Kite_Rider said:
This is why I like the forage plus balancer, ultra low in iron but the right balance of copper and zinc among other things.
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But the Forage Plus balancer obviously doesn't taste very nice as some horses (including mine!) won't eat it!

I have a nearly full bag if anyone wants to buy it off me?! It's not cheap stuff to waste but I have given up trying to get it into him now! Such a shame as it's really really good stuff!
 
Well, maybe I will depending on what they come back with. However, getting it into him will be a different matter as he is super fussy and can smell a supplement a mile off and refuses to eat it - grr!!!!
 
sjp1 said:
Well, maybe I will depending on what they come back with. However, getting it into him will be a different matter as he is super fussy and can smell a supplement a mile off and refuses to eat it - grr!!!!
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Yep mine too! But give me a shout if you decide to give it a go! X
 
I will. Hay has now come back and have emailed them to find out whether they think I can go onto the general balancer, or have to have tailor made.

I think short of pouring pounds of mollases over his very sparse feed, I will never get any minerals into him!!! And obviously thats something I don't want to do with his high exciteability!!!
 
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