Feeding to improve hooves...

[Lego]

Firstly, apologies for covering the whole barefoot feed thing again...and the length of the post! Thought I should try to cover most common questions...

My cob's feet aren't great, and I'd like to reach the stage where I could take him barefoot, but the hoof quality hasn't improved much since I've had him-since July 2011. The farrier has done wonders reshaping his feet so that they're even and he moves nicely and has stopped the clonking and over-reaching he did a lot of when I first had him. When I first had him, he pulled off his front shoes in the field, taking a lot of hoof off that then needed infilling by the farrier. This has more or less grown out...however, he gets frequent chips/flakes coming off the outside up to the white line, and during the wet summer, got worse to the point where the farrier was struggling to get a shoe on the worst foot. No recent foot pictures...

He's a 15.2 9yo middleweight Irish cob, reasonable doer, hunting only in Ireland until he got imported c. spring 2011. Weekly, we (approx) school x2, lunge x1, groundwork/poles x1, hack x2, day off. Fortnightly/monthly lessons, started Prelim dressage. Other than his feet, his weight and condition score is good and stable, he's muscling up nicely, his coat is lovely and shiny, his mane, tail and feathers are growing nicely, and I think I've managed to get a manageable balance between still steady enough for me, with enough in the tank to do a bit more schooling. He is intolerant to alfalfa and soya, and has mild mallenders - now nicely under control.

He's turned out on reasonable grazing during the day, has ad lib (average quality) hay at night (currently eating c.4/5 kg between 6pm-8am).
His bucket feed is (split between 2 feeds):
1.2kg D&H Safe&Sound (1.5kg for complete ration for bodyweight); no alfalfa and minimal added sugar/molasses that I could find for 'complete' fibre-based feed
125g dry weight Speedibeet (since start Oct)
1/2 ration (2 scoops) extra Biotin (recommended by farrier)
150g NatraGlow; linseed, garlic, seaweed, mint, fenugreek & rosehips
20g Brewers Yeast
2 tsp salt

What can I change to improve his feet? I've read a lot about Pro Hoof and Pro Balance - what is the difference? Would you add one of these? Don't want to duplicate vitamins/minerals unnecessarily... Or add some magnesium in one form or another? I don't want to make too drastic a change, as apart from feet, everything else is great...

Congratulations if you made it to the end! Sure I'll have missed out something useful though

 

[Grinchmass]

My friends Connemara has very soft feet and they crumble. So much so that he was constantly loosing shoes, had some strange bolt on over reach boots etc etc.

Anyway the farrier recomended biotin but the fussy little monster took a dislike to it and wouldn't eat it, we would manage to shovel some down, but he had a bit of an objection.

He now has happy hoof, his feet have improved, his shoes are staying on so maybe try this.

However he still needs shoes, and not all horses are able to go barefoot in my view (mine being a prime example) The farrier is really good that we have and will only shoe if needed, and will tell you straight. However it also depends on road work and the degree hooves are being worn down.

 

[Bikerchickone]

My boy is successfully barefoot and has been since February this year when he went to Rockley. I feed him speedibeet, a handful of linseed, handful of copra meal, spillers hi fibre nuts - again a handful, mag ox 50grams per day, pro balance at suggested quantities and salt. He has soaked for 12hours minimum hay and an occasional bale of timothy haylage as a treat. He's rock crunching and doing lots of roadwork completely sound like this.

In your shoes I'd cut out the safe and sound because it does contain molasses although smaller amounts than some other chaff, cut out the biotin and Natra glow and garlic but keep mint for flavour maybe. I'm not sure about seaweed or rosehip as I've never fed them so no idea there, but unfortunately when you want to try barefoot it really is a complete lifestyle change for your horse as I found out!

Anyway I'm sure there'll be more knowledgeable people along shortly but happy to help if you need it, as far as I can anyway. Good luck

 

[ghostie]

My thoroughbred had terrible terrible feed, and also does not cope well with alfalfa. I did a lot of reading on the subject and discovered that a 'barefoot diet' is nothing more than a sensible horse friendly diet

Like you I was reluctant to change much because he had a glossy coat and seemed otherwise well, but in desperation I switched to the following, and you wouldn't recognise his feet now! His backs are off and he's completely comfortable without. We may well take the fronts off soon too, not because I'm necessarily bothered by being 'barefoot' but his hinds are doing so well I'm tempted to give it a try. He's stopped overreaching and brushing with his hinds too.

Very simply we feed the following twice a day:

1 scoop of kwik beet (as it's the lowest sugar I've found)
1 mug of micronised linseed (from Charnwood milling)

In the morning he has a little scoop of Progressive Earth's Pro Hoof (ebay) and a little scoop of their Yeasacc.

Honestly, he's like a different horse - my farrier cannot believe the difference - the new hoof growth is amazing compared to what he had before

I think it's the combination that is working wonders as I've tried them all individually in the past and it's not worked as well.

this is worth a read http://www.barefoot-south.com/barefoot-articles-diet.php

 

[Fizz06]

Speak to Sarah at ForagePlus-she does a good all round supplement with a bit extra for hooves or she will make you up something based on your horses diet. Cannot recommend her service highly enough, my horse is so much improved after trying one of her supplements!

 

[spotty_pony]

I had this problem with my boy during the summer. I started feeding Farrier's Formula and the improvement has been fantastic - he now has lovely feet again! Definitely recommend it!

 

[dressedkez]

Not barefoot - but have a little TB with poor feet and Farriers Formula has helped masses. He has kept his front shoes on for the longset time ever, and I am seing lots of hoof growth.
Rest of his diet is simple - conditioning mix with Alfa A and top quality hay.
Have a youngster is doing quite well without hinds - but work is gentle at the moment - he is on cooling mix, as he is well covered.
I simply do not have the time or the patience for a bit of this and a bit of that......hence just trying to feed normal branded feeds in relation to temperement, condition and work, with supplements to assist any latent problems - for example last year I had a horse who we fed Red Cell too - because he seemed hyper allergic to everything, and that settled him down......possibly a wind op had contributed to his matabolism being shot to pieces for a while.
I do like a simple life!

 

[Lego]

Like you I was reluctant to change much because he had a glossy coat and seemed otherwise well, but in desperation I switched to the following, and you wouldn't recognise his feet now! His backs are off and he's completely comfortable without. We may well take the fronts off soon too, not because I'm necessarily bothered by being 'barefoot' but his hinds are doing so well I'm tempted to give it a try. He's stopped overreaching and brushing with his hinds too.

Very simply we feed the following twice a day:

1 scoop of kwik beet (as it's the lowest sugar I've found)
1 mug of micronised linseed (from Charnwood milling)

In the morning he has a little scoop of Progressive Earth's Pro Hoof (ebay) and a little scoop of their Yeasacc.

Honestly, he's like a different horse - my farrier cannot believe the difference - the new hoof growth is amazing compared to what he had before


this is worth a read http://www.barefoot-south.com/barefoot-articles-diet.php

Ghostie - how badly did yours brush behind when shod? I'd be very interested in taking him barefoot at least behind if it would reduce the brushing... I'm not set on barefoot per se, but would like his feet to be good enough that he could if that makes sense?

Can I ask what made you go for the Pro Hoof over the Pro Balance? Both have been recommended for similar situations on here... How much kwik beet do you use as a dry weight? I think that if I gave a whole scoop we'd be pinging round the arena! On 125g dry of speedibeet (more or less the same but slightly lower MJ/kg) added to the low calorie chaff , he certainly has a fair bit more energy in the tank... Also, what do you give the yeasacc for? Something specific or just as a general digestive aid? I've already had a look at the barefoot-south website and it's v informative.

Thanks for the replies so far guys