Hoof supplement for good doer

[noblesteed]

Hi all
My 16 yo andalusian x connie has a habit of losing shoes and having cracked feet over the summer - usually August when I have time to ride more I have owned him 7 years and most years he seems to do this around the beginning of August. In the past we tried barefoot but it didn't suit him.
Now I think this year I am going to try either a hoof oil-type product or a supplement in spring to see if it supports his hoof strength and prevents the shoe loss.
He is a good doer and has been prone to lami in the past so I have to be very careful what I feed him in the spring. His grazing will be restricted so I am planning on maintaining his feed (D & H safe and sound) to ensure he gets his correct nutrients.
Can anyone recommend a supplement or product for him please?

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Just because he did not manage barefoot ... and he would not if feet were bad, still use a diet suited to the barefoot horse. The feet take months to grow down from the coronet band even in a healthy horse, so best time is to start now, and continue every day.
Any topical oils etc are purely superficial, so that wont work.
If hooves are currently poor use Pro Earth Pro Hoof supplement.
For regular use there are a few, pro earth will advise, others may be better in certain situations. I used Equimins original for a while.
At full rate this alone will cost about the same as S&S, which is OK for ponies on maintenance, but if you have a problem you have increase the mineral supplementation, and not in spring but now.
What I did with my andalusian pony cross was to get him nice and slim just as the grass was growing nicely, also when he was stabled he got fed before going out so he was not very hungry. He was not a good doer as such, just normal, needed a wee feed if in work. When I put him on micronised linseed [50-100gms] and minerals, and non molassed fibre [quickbeet], his itchy skin stopped and his coat kept dark bay all summer long. His feet were always good, but once barefoot for a while the concavity improved and the sole thickness improved.
Have you considered barefoot for at least a few months, this is often recommended, even by farriers. Just call it pasture / paddock trim