Barefooters - protein?

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Snipe

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Having gone barefoot with my ex-racer, I'm still sussing out what feeds suit him best. Does anyone know what effect protein has on hooves? I'm using simple systems, and need to choose between red bag grass nuts and linseed :confused:.
 
Current research in Hoof Wall Separation Syndrome in Connemaras is coming to the tentative conclusion that the lack of protein causes breakdown between the inner (unpigmented) and outer (pigmented) hoof wall, and the wall peels at the bottom edge.

The problem has been reported in TBs as well, and since your boy is also an ex racer I would suggest that you pick the higher protein level food.

I have had two mild cases, both in badly fed horses, which disappeared completely when fed a diet with a decent amount of protein in it. I also changed a lot of other things though, so I can't swear to it that it caused the improvement.
 
I always thought a natural diet would be very low in protein :eek: oops. He gets about 12kg of hay plus 1kg of blue bag grass nuts (9% protein) and a handful of hay chaff. He's 16.2hh so I guess around 550kg?

Would mild hoof wall separation syndrome look like delamination?

Will check out the other forum too, when I can.
 
At 550 kg he’ll need around 700 g of protein a day
If we assume a protein value in the hay of 7 % (which would seem 'normal' from analyses on the other forum) then your horse is getting 840 g of protein from his hay and 90 g from his grass nuts. So in total he’s getting 930 g of protein which should easily meet his requirements. However, if there are limiting amino acids in the protein then he won’t be able to use all of this protein. Lysine is the amino acid most likely to be limiting in the equine diet. You may wish to consider adding it

Linseed will provide omega 3 and 6 in addition to being ~23 % protein.
 
Snipe said:
I always thought a natural diet would be very low in protein :eek: oops. He gets about 12kg of hay plus 1kg of blue bag grass nuts (9% protein) and a handful of hay chaff. He's 16.2hh so I guess around 550kg?

Would mild hoof wall separation syndrome look like delamination?

Will check out the other forum too, when I can.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The bottom edge of the foot peels upwards. You can tell it's not white line disease because you can't see the laminae. What you see is still smoothish hoof wall, but it's the unpigmented inside layer.

I've had two horses with it. One has the HWSS Connemara genes in his breeding, and was very underfed when I got him. A good diet put him right in a few months as the old hoof grew out. The other is a Westfalian/Hanoverian and I am apparently the second person to report it in those bloodlines. He was also fed a very unbalanced diet of wheatfeed and haylage with no balancers or supplements. He was the same, once his new foot grew in it stopped happening.

Andalucian, who sometimes posts on here and you can probably PM her, is pro trimmer who is convinced that the condition is protein related. There is some evidence in the Connemara research that a high protein low carbohydrate (NSC) diet can be effective.
 
As Ali2 says my understanding is it's the quality ie. type of protein fed. Some proteins are essential in the diet as the horse can't make them in the body eg lysine and (if I understand correctly) grass and grass forages are typically low in lysine. The free online nutrition course is covering the basics of this now.
Excess protein can strain the kidneys as they have to excrete it, so feeding too much can cause problems in the longer term.
 
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Linseed sounds like a plan, then. Was thinking of trying pro hoof, too - think that has lysine in.

That's interesting, cptrayes... I've been battling delamination... Had it all sorted when he was out 24/7 in summer, but since moving yards and being stabled again its come back. Though ive recently learned that the idiot yard owner has been feeding him ridiculous amounts of wheat bran, so he's been ODed on phosphorus, too.

Thanks amandap, so I may be best off sticking with low protein and adding the essential amino acids as a supplement? Feeding just got complicated! I'm doing the online course, but haven't got to week 2 yet.
 
Snipe said:
L

I've been battling delamination... Had it all sorted when he was out 24/7 in summer, but since moving yards and being stabled again its come back. .
Click to expand...

Ooooh, interesting. The Connemara pony research has shown that contrary to many other foot conditions HWSS is best treated by having the feet kept damp - like it was all last summer!


I think I'd treat his feet daily with the heaviest moisturiser I could get hold of. I've had good results with sudocrem but the Kevin Bacon stuff gets rave reviews on this forum. I would never normally use a hoof dressing but HWSS is a different kettle of fish.
 
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