The Top Two Best Selling Hoof Supplements
“No foot, No horse”, is a saying that I have heard for years and it is incredibly true. It seems that every horse has that “one thing” that has to be managed and for me and my horses it has always been their feet! Over the years I have spent thousands of dollars on supplements and this year I decided to evaluate what my horses really needed. Many clinical studies do prove the importance of feeding a Biotin based supplement if your horse has dry, cracked or brittle feet. I will be explaining why you may want to include one of these top 2 hoof products in your feeding routine.
Farrier’s Formula Double Strength-click here to purchase
Best Rated Hoof Supplement for horses in the US for 12 consecutive years
Horseshoer’s Secret -click here to purchase
Recommended by many horse experts, including the American Farrier’s Association
Biotin is key, but there is more to know….
Biotin is a B-Vitamin and a horse gets it naturally from many of their foods including oats, barley, soybean meal, alfalfa, and rice bran. The question is how much biotin they can they really absorb in hind gut through the fermentation process that takes place there. By adding biotin to their diet you can improve growth rates and condition of the hoof in 8-10 months (the studies varied). This has been proven by researchers who have seen these improvements macroscopically at the hoof horn. The effective amount of biotin that a horse needs is unclear, but most clinical studies recommend a daily dose of 15-20 mg per day.
Research also shows that you should choose a hoof supplement that is well balance with zinc, methionine and iodine because they also play a big part in improving the overall hoof health. It is important to buy this product from a reputable source because once biotin is mixed with other ingredients, especially fats and oils, it shortens the shelf life. Both Farrier’s Formula and Horseshoer’s Secret understand the importance of fresh product and contain all of these key ingredients and more. These two products are pretty comparable. Farrier’s Formula is a bit more expensive, but does have more vitamins and minerals.
Whether you choose Farrier’s Formula or Horseshoer’s Secret, the most difficult part of trying a supplement is that you must be patient because it can take up to 9 months to 1 year to see the results. I want to also add that if you do see improvement after that length of time it is also important to continue the supplement or the hoof will begin to deteriorate again. I will continue this supplement in my barn and if you have hoof issues I would recommend that you do the same. Happy hoof, happy life!
References:
H. Geyer, J Schulze. 1994. The Long-Term Influence of Biotin Supplementation on Hoof Horn Quality in Horses. Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd. 136(4):137-49.
J D Reilly, D F Cottrell, R J Martin, D J Cuddeford. 1998. Effect of Supplementary Dietary Biotin on Hoof Growth and Hoof Growth Rate in Ponies: A Controlled Trial. Equine Vet J Suppl. Sept;(26):51-7.
E A Buffa, S S Van Den Berg, F J Verstraete, N G Swart. 1992. Equine Vet J. Nov;4(6):472-4.