biotin - allen & page / topspec

[Fastasflames]

my veteran has recently gone onto veteran vitality and is dong well. I was advised to take him off topspec comprehensive balancer as the VV is fully balanced. However he has terrible feet and one of the reasons i chose the topspec was the good biotin level in it. Ive tried to get hold of allen & page and sent an email to ask for advice but not heard back yet and Im off to the feed shop today..... anyone? tia

 

[COldNag]

Probably neither is the best foot-wise.

There are a lot of threads on here about barefoot diet - definitely worth a search through. You will usually find Pro Earth balancers and Equimins Advance Complete recommended, but there are others.

 

[Fastasflames]

there is no way in a thousand years this horse would go barefoot... will have a search

 

[ihatework]

Foot health isn’t really about just biotin. It’s about overall health, management and farriery.

If you have poor hoof quality then it is worth supplementing broad spec bits & mins if you are under feeding on compounds (which the vast majority are). You’d probably need to trial it for a good 6-12 months to be able to confidently see a difference.

 

[dorsetladette]

Could you not just add a biotin supplement or a veteran supplement to the VV?

 

[COldNag]

there is no way in a thousand years this horse would go barefoot... will have a search

Whether you would want to be barefoot or shod, good diet and management is key to hoof quality. What they eat makes a big difference and it is - as said above- not as simple as adding biotin. It is pretty amazing how much hooves can transform when diet is right.
Good luck

 

[Flamenco]

there is no way in a thousand years this horse would go barefoot... will have a search

Try feeding progressive earth pro balance or Equimins advance complete and you may be surprised!

A year ago I would have said the same about my horse. He is now barefoot with hard black shiny feet instead of the pale flaky ones which continually lost shoes. All that's changed is his diet. I wasn't trying to improve his hooves just stop his explosive spooking. Saving a fortune on shoes is a bonus!

A barefoot diet means feeding the right vits/minerals and low sugar / starch which is what every horse needs. Its not really about whether your horse is shod.

Feed the nutrients they need (NRV) and their behaviour / hooves / skin etc all improve. Most of the feeds in feed shops don't contain all their basic requirements at the right levels. This isn't clear on the packaging. So we buy expensive branded supplements...

 

[Fastasflames]

yes i know he is an older boy whose feet are very well managed by my farrier and we have improved them vastly - the topsepc comprehensive has been super for him for many years combined with good farriery. He events, so needs shoes and studs, even if i ever could get him to manage without shoes. ( I have another 2 that aren't shod )We have recently changed to veteren vitality to give him a boost coming into winter and as i said in my OP, was advised to ditch the topspec as we would be doubling up. I am feeding the VV at the recommended quantity. It definitely doesnt have the nutrients at the same levels as TS for horn quality so looking to add something in to the VV. Hope that makes it more clear. thanks

 

[Chianti]

Can't you go back to TopSpec and ask what they would advise as a boost so he can stay on the balancer?

 

[Fastasflames]

yes ive emailed both AP and TS, will see what they say.
I was heading to the feedstore this morning though and just wondered if anyone on here feeds the veteran vitality and adds anything for feet really....