Help with a good Barefoot diet :)

Joanna710

Joanna710

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So I'd like to keep my Friesian barefoot if possible. His hooves are as tough as anything and my farrier has agreed that they don't need shoes at the moment for the amount of work he is doing (I've only recently "broken" him to ride). We have been doing some light schooling and hacking on roads, and his feet seem to be holding up nicely, with no obvious wear or cracks/ splits, and he is not footy on uneven or rough surfaces.

Could someone recommend me a good diet suitable for a barefoot horse? I know biotin is important, at the moment he gets a large scoop of Healthy Hooves (Dengie) once a day, not because he needs a feed but I use it as a reward and a carrier for a broad spectrum mineral supplement.

I'm not sure whether I should just keep him on this combination, (as it does suit him) and just add Biotin, or if I should change his feed to something that is specifically formulated for barefoot horses.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)
 
I think you will find that a really good balanced diet is the thing to go for.
I have converted to the barefoot diet of hi fibre, lo sugars plus mins and vits with magnesium, the diet also helps with spooky horse syndrome. You have to be wary of branded feeds which may have molasses / moglo / sugars, they also tend to contain cereals which can cause a sugar imbalance.

In winter I feed: Fast Fibre, non molassed sugar beet, Equimins Advance and 100gms micronised linseed meal, plus a few oats and some non molassed Dengie lo alfa chaff for variety. I add some magnesium in the form of Feedmark steady up, but magnox is used by many people.

In summer I feed FF with added mins and vits, and 50gms micronised linseed meal, the hoof and hair are better than previous years when the dark bay colour washed out to bright bay, and no itchy skin. I add some magnesium in the form of Feedmark steady up.

The main problem with summer grazing is the sugars in the diet which cause the horse to get "footy" this is one reason people shoe their horses, but if you don't have this problem then that is great.
It is vital to keep your farrier on side, and to keep the hooves in good fettle, I find that 30 mins on tarmac per day will allow self trimming, ie no need for trimming.
I recommend "First Feet" which will give you lots of information on good feet.
The hooves will grow in response to work, so as long as you keep to a regular work routine you should have no problems.
You will see that the recommended daily feed is FIVE scoops of Healthy hoof to provide all that is required for a horse.
 
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Supplementing biotin is rarely necessary - the horse is perfectly capable of manufacturing sufficient biotin if it is fed a good diet.

Low sugar and starch, as Miss L Toe says. Additionally a good mineral supplement is helpful. I'd suggest swapping the broad spectrum supplement you're using now for one of the high spec supplements designed by/for barefooters: Pro Hoof, Equimins META Balance or one of the Forage Plus balancers.
 
Don't waste money on extra biotin. It is a B vitamin easily made by horses own body. Brewers yeast is a good source of b vitamins.

A barefoot diet is nothing special. It's just a hi fibre, low sugar diet often only supplemented with vits n mins when needed. Barefooters know that too much of one thing can disrupt the balance of something else so carry out forage analysis. You often find grasses and hays are short of one thing or another depending on where you are. We have low copper in ours so cows and horses get salt licks with extra copper. That is the only thing I add in summer for the adult horses. The rest of what is required is already in the grass.
 
TwoStroke said:
Supplementing biotin is rarely necessary - the horse is perfectly capable of manufacturing sufficient biotin if it is fed a good diet.

Low sugar and starch, as Miss L Toe says. Additionally a good mineral supplement is helpful. I'd suggest swapping the broad spectrum supplement you're using now for one of the high spec supplements designed by/for barefooters: Pro Hoof, Equimins META Balance or one of the Forage Plus balancers.
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Equimins won't sell you Metabalance as they are not happy that it is being promoted for barefoot, they recommend Advance.
 
I would put him on low sugar high fibre as others have said. I would also agree that fast fibre combined with linseed is the way forward. Add some mag oxs too. Its dead cheap and if you have a poor doer then up the linseed but if not then just give a cup. My girl has never looked better on it!
 
tallyho! said:
Don't waste money on extra biotin. It is a B vitamin easily made by horses own body. Brewers yeast is a good source of b vitamins.

A barefoot diet is nothing special. It's just a hi fibre, low sugar diet often only supplemented with vits n mins when needed. Barefooters know that too much of one thing can disrupt the balance of something else so carry out forage analysis. You often find grasses and hays are short of one thing or another depending on where you are. We have low copper in ours so cows and horses get salt licks with extra copper. That is the only thing I add in summer for the adult horses. The rest of what is required is already in the grass.
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That's interesting, as the mineral supplement I feed is by a company called Norvite, and is specifically designed with Aberdeenshire pasture in mind. He gets the tub with the green label.

Miss L Toe said:
The hooves will grow in response to work, so as long as you keep to a regular work routine you should have no problems.
You will see that the recommended daily feed is FIVE scoops of Healthy hoof to provide all that is required for a horse.
Click to expand...

I noticed this with my old loan horse, a TB with horrendous feet and very poor condition. I asked the owners to change to a higher calorie feed and pointed out that he wasn't getting enough from the HH, unfortunately they told me where to go... I'm not sure what made me choose Healthy Hooves when I got my new horse, I guess it was advertised as low starch/ sugar and as I was only feeding it as a reward he wasn't getting particularly much of it. Is micronised linseed fairly easy to find? Is fast fibre by Allen and Page?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to find something that will maintain him where he is. Would you recommend changing feed combinations/ levels in winter? He's a pretty good-doer and will be wintered out.
 
Miss L Toe said:
Equimins won't sell you Metabalance as they are not happy that it is being promoted for barefoot, they recommend Advance.
Click to expand...

Is this a widespread problem now? I thought it was one or two isolated incidents? 'Tis a shame, if so - barefooters don't want the advance complete; if we can't have META balance we'll go to a different supplier instead. Their loss. But I'll have to stop recommending it :(.
 
Joanna710 said:
That's interesting, as the mineral supplement I feed is by a company called Norvite, and is specifically designed with Aberdeenshire pasture in mind. He gets the tub with the green label.



I noticed this with my old loan horse, a TB with horrendous feet and very poor condition. I asked the owners to change to a higher calorie feed and pointed out that he wasn't getting enough from the HH, unfortunately they told me where to go... I'm not sure what made me choose Healthy Hooves when I got my new horse, I guess it was advertised as low starch/ sugar and as I was only feeding it as a reward he wasn't getting particularly much of it. Is micronised linseed fairly easy to find? Is fast fibre by Allen and Page?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to find something that will maintain him where he is. Would you recommend changing feed combinations/ levels in winter? He's a pretty good-doer and will be wintered out.
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Yes Allen and Page do FF, micronised linseed is cheapest at Equimins for 10kgs, which is enough for a pony, I am currently feeding Laminator plus FF [as well as a cocktail of other things in stock], you could be like me and mix the minerals up, I feed a bit of this and a bit of that, partly to do with purchasing when things are on offer!
As I feed Fast Fibre, and he is on old pasture, I know his basic needs are satisfied, so I am feeding for hoof quality, and this included skin and hair, in past years with no feed he had itchy skin and hair turned to bright bay, which I thought was lovely, but of course now he is getting a full complement of mins and vits, I realise he was getting the colour washed out.
I had a look at the Norvite range but it did not tell me what the ingredients are, so no further comment there.
 
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MissL Toe can I ask what you mean when you say the colour was getting washed out? Sorry if it's a numpty q. Just never heard of that before?!
 
His natural coat colour is dark bay, in previous summers [pre barefoot diet], he got little or no feed in summer, his coat colour went from dark bay to bright bay, I thought this was a natural change from winter to summer, however it is not, since his barefoot diet, his coat colour has remained dark bay and he no longer has itchy skin.
You will notice this more in chestnuts when the bright "tango" orange in winter changes to "washed out" dull pale orange in summer.
 
Miss L Toe said:
Yes Allen and Page do FF, micronised linseed is cheapest at Equimins for 10kgs, which is enough for a pony
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Can only find 5kg tubs on the Equimins website, but I guess it'll do in the meantime. Think I'll introduce the linseed with the Healthy Hooves to start off, just so it's not a shock to the system. I'm also interested in feeding him Fast Fibre, though I'm wondering if it'd then be worth adding unmolassed chaff to his feed to bulk it out a bit. He tends to turn his nose up at sloppy feed, so chaff would give it a little more texture. What do you think?
 
Joanna710 said:
Can only find 5kg tubs on the Equimins website, but I guess it'll do in the meantime. Think I'll introduce the linseed with the Healthy Hooves to start off, just so it's not a shock to the system. I'm also interested in feeding him Fast Fibre, though I'm wondering if it'd then be worth adding unmolassed chaff to his feed to bulk it out a bit. He tends to turn his nose up at sloppy feed, so chaff would give it a little more texture. What do you think?
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http://www.equimins-online.com/all-products/26-equimins-cooked-linseed.html then tick on the box for other sizes. I feed FF on its own in summer but add chaff in winter for variety and taste. I must admit I sprinkle a few oats on top to make it taste better or use the Dengie non molassed chaff which is also very tasty.
I think you are looking at
http://www.equimins-online.com/all-...mond-omega-micronised-linseed-supplement.html
which is a fortified product for performance horses or for sand colic.
Fast Fibre is a hay replacement, so you can feed as much/little as you like and horse will not have digestive problems, or get fat.
 
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Can I jump in on your post and just check if the following is suitable...my horse is shod but her feet are rubbish and I would like to get her diet right if I try barefoot again!

Currently feed half scoop happy hoof, magnitude, benevit advance and protexin, about to start pro feet. She also gets pony nuts in a snack ball if in.
If switch to fast fibre (is speedibeet the same) and linseed can I continue with other supplements? Can I continue with happy hoof or should I switch to dengie unmollased chaff. What can I put in her snack ball?
 
I think you can phase out the HH [added molasses] and replace with Fast Fibre which has mins and vits no molasses.
Non molassed sugar beet is more often used in winter to provide more energy. I usually throw in a double handful of Dengie non molassed lo alfa chaff in winter as well.
If the feet are in a poor condition, is this due to lack of mins and vits over the last six months?
The Benefit Advance has a good range of vitamins and minerals, you might be best to ask their advice, particularly if the horse has been on it for a while and no improvement..
You should not need to feed a full days supply of Benefit advance plus a full days supply of pro feet as well as Fast Fibre, maybe go for half and a half [BA and PF]
I would think a high fibre nut would be best in a snackball, again try to avoid molasses and cereals, which is difficult!
Some linseed will be fine unless horse is fat, in which case the Benefit Advance might provide the required oils.
 
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treacle_beastie said:
Can I jump in on your post and just check if the following is suitable...my horse is shod but her feet are rubbish and I would like to get her diet right if I try barefoot again!

Currently feed half scoop happy hoof, magnitude, benevit advance and protexin, about to start pro feet. She also gets pony nuts in a snack ball if in.
If switch to fast fibre (is speedibeet the same) and linseed can I continue with other supplements? Can I continue with happy hoof or should I switch to dengie unmollased chaff. What can I put in her snack ball?
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I would cut back on the magnitude if feeding Pro Feet, I think you are maybe getting over complicated, so suggest you read all the instructions carefully and make sure you are not over dosing!
 
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Cool ok, not started the pro feet yet and use magnitude for calmer so will be good to ditch that if the pro feet has same effect.

She is a good doer so I won't bother with the linseed!

I only feed half the recommended amount of benevit advance and have done for 4years but this year her feet have suffered, her coat is shiny but she has faded more this year too so it was interesting to read your reply. I was looking for a biotin supplement as I am not feeding enough happy hoof to get the biotin and only half the vits and mins as can't do 2 scoops in her tiny feed!

Will replace happy hoof with fast fibre and get chaff in winter.

I use Pegasus nuts at the moment but will need to check sugar content!
 
treacle_beastie said:
Cool ok, not started the pro feet yet and use magnitude for calmer so will be good to ditch that if the pro feet has same effect.

She is a good doer so I won't bother with the linseed!

I only feed half the recommended amount of benevit advance and have done for 4years but this year her feet have suffered, her coat is shiny but she has faded more this year too so it was interesting to read your reply. I was looking for a biotin supplement as I am not feeding enough happy hoof to get the biotin and only half the vits and mins as can't do 2 scoops in her tiny feed!


Will replace happy hoof with fast fibre and get chaff in winter.

I use Pegasus nuts at the moment but will need to check sugar content!
Click to expand...
The great advantage of Fast Fibre is that it is so low in energy, that you can feed a reasonable amount without getting a fat horse, and of course it is inexpensive. I don't think you need worry about biotin as the mins and vits will supply enough, but if the feet don't improve you may have to go for forage analysis.
I would also add micronised linseed in winter.
SORRY, pro feet has no magnesium, so keep on with the magnitude, I was mixed up with pro hoof!, so maybe feed a bit more Benefit advance .
 
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