Hoof Supplements (NAF Pro Feet, Farriers Formula etc)

S

Stenners

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 July 2014
Messages
1,260
Visit site
I have a TB who in the last 6 weeks has been throwing shoes since the ground got hard and my farrier was on holiday so he lost 3 shoes and then his feet fell apart and now very dry and cracked. I'm really struggling to keep shoes on him. I did put him on Pro Feet but just wondering what your thoughts are if to keep him on it or move to a different one? I am aware it takes about 6 months to take effect!
If Pro Feet would you recommend the liquid, powder or pellets? (I recently had a bag of the pellets.

I also see Farriers Formula do a double strength one so not sure if that's any good?
 
I would steer away from all the more 'commercial' hoof supplements and go for a good low iron balancer like the barefooters or if really struggling test the forage too.

Options for me would be, pro hoof (from pro earth on eBay) forageplus, equimins adv complete (I use this but it is a bit low in magnesium for some) and equivita.

I would also consider whether the horse has any white line disease which needs treating.
 
I kind of want to know what is in most of the proprietory ones - like ester, I go for mineral balancing and advice from Forageplus. If you can't get your forage analysed (too many sources etc) they do a generic selection based on averages across the UK. And maybe add some amino acids such as methionine, which add better protein to the mix.
 
Kevin Bacon hoof ointment is good (albeit expensive). For the first time in my mare's life I've had issues with crumbly feet this summer and she lost a few shoes within a few weeks. I added some biotin to her feed and used the hoof ointment and they are all sorted now.
 
I'd look for the biotin levels in the supplement. The optimum levels to maintain already good hooves is 15mg per 500KG of horse. If your horse has got poor quality hooves, 20mg may be preferred.

What hoof care products do you apply to the hoof out of interest?
 
Laika - I was using Kevin Bacon for a few weeks but my new farrier advised me not to use that anymore as said it's like lard and will clog the hooves up and they need to breath so i'm hosing them every day when he comes in from the field at the moment.

PRO Feet Pellets provide 30mg of Biotin per day.
 
None of the commercial ones are good long term... too much iron, too much vit a and just too much of stuff horses struggle to eliminate! As someone once said "expensive wee".

Bespoke minerals is the way to go. Haven't your barefoot friends been teaching you anything?? ;)
 
Stenners said:
Laika - I was using Kevin Bacon for a few weeks but my new farrier advised me not to use that anymore as said it's like lard and will clog the hooves up and they need to breath so i'm hosing them every day when he comes in from the field at the moment.

PRO Feet Pellets provide 30mg of Biotin per day.
Click to expand...

A horse will take what it needs from the supplement in regards to the biotin and usually "expels" (for a politer word ;)) the excess in their urine. A horse will only take what it needs from the supplement, so if NAF's has 30mg, your horse should be taking in what it needs. Have you noticed your horse's hooves growing quicker and if so has the hoof horn quality improved? If not, it may be an environmental factor impacting the quality of the horn.

I LOVE Kevin Bacon's dressing but a large quantity of it is actually animal fat - so I can see where your farrier is coming from. Could I ask what your fields have been like recently? Has this been an ongoing problem or a recent issue? :)
 
Laika - I have only been feeding PRO Feet for a month so not long enough to tell if it's working but I've literally just run out hence wondering if to carry on or try something else. I've heard good reviews about PRO Feet though. He's stabled in the day and out at night and the other way round in the winter. It's only been a problem since June, he had pretty good feet when I got him a year ago and they were fine all winter. Fields are ok - can get a bit soft/wet in the rain as his field is my a brook. As much as I don't like wet weather we've had quite a bit of it the last week or so so I'm helping that will help his feet!
 
I've been doing a lot of research on hoof supplements recently for a new hunter. The vet and farrier both advised to get the highest level of bio available biotin possible. On research (other than discovering how many don't list their ingredients fully!) Maxvita's Maxahoof is the highest with 30mg of biotin per scoop. There are not a huge number of scientific studies on the appropriate rate of feeding but excess biotin is simply excreted so it is not possible to over feed. Ideally the supplement should also contain Methionine and Zinc - although you have to watch the latter as too much zinc will affect the uptake of iron and copper.

We also used Keratax hoof hardener which had made an immediate difference (too early for supplements to have had an impact yet).

I cant speak with authority about all the other supplements but Maxahoof does not have any iron or Vit A - neither of which have any impact on hoof health anyway. Looking at the other recommended products the Equimins one doesn't either - but has 5mg less biotin per day. Ditto for the Pro Earth. Forage plus don't list their ingredients - which is a "no" for me.
 
Stenners said:
Laika - I have only been feeding PRO Feet for a month so not long enough to tell if it's working but I've literally just run out hence wondering if to carry on or try something else. I've heard good reviews about PRO Feet though. He's stabled in the day and out at night and the other way round in the winter. It's only been a problem since June, he had pretty good feet when I got him a year ago and they were fine all winter. Fields are ok - can get a bit soft/wet in the rain as his field is my a brook. As much as I don't like wet weather we've had quite a bit of it the last week or so so I'm helping that will help his feet!
Click to expand...

He could potentially be absorbing too much water into his hoof horn, so instead of being dry, the hoof horn structure is becoming weakened due to the change in weather. For example, if the horse's hooves is absorbing loads of water during heavy rain periods and then drying out when it gets hot and sunny again, the hoof structure is being weakened due to the constant change in water levels in the horn (think of it like a constantly stretched elastic band). This can lead to a similar effect where the hoof becomes crumbly. I must admit I would definitely speak in more depth with your farrier as they are the expert who has dealt with your horse's feet personally but this is just from my experience :).

If the hoof horn is absorbing too much water, you could maybe do with a barrier? I would recommend a "two-way" barrier as a lot on the market lock the moisture already absorbed into the hoof, so if there's too much in there, it can't be expelled and you could be left with a similar problem. A horse's hooves usually maintain a water level of around 25%.

It may be a case that you need to protect your horse's feet from the moisture in the field during wet periods and then during excessive dry periods then apply a moisturiser. Hoof management is a great policy in my opinion and you just need to excess the situation as and when it comes. Horse's feet vary vastly in quality whether its due to their genetics, diet, environment or farriery. I'm sure your farrier knows what they're doing though :) Just give them a call and express your concern.

But just so you know - it's recommended to stick to a supplement for around 3 months to see results!
 
I've just changed farrier as my current farrier who I had for years told me he can do no more and to take his shoes off and leave him in the field for a year! He said the damage was done when he lost his shoes whilst the farrier was on holiday and then they broke - all due to the hard ground having had no rain for about 2 months!
 
Most healthy horses will generate enough of their own biotin, including it in hoof products is just a sales pitch and is not how I would be selecting what to use. And that is the reason the supplements I and polly listed either don't include much or not at all as you'd just be wasting your money.

I would absolutely not put any sort of barrier on my horses feet. I'm trying to remember where the research was on water penetration and loss, it was minimal anyway, much less than you would think from looking at them.
 
Stenners said:
I've just changed farrier as my current farrier who I had for years told me he can do no more and to take his shoes off and leave him in the field for a year! He said the damage was done when he lost his shoes whilst the farrier was on holiday and then they broke - all due to the hard ground having had no rain for about 2 months!
Click to expand...

I would ask your new farrier to come down and give you some advice. They're experts who are trained in that field and can give you the best possible advice moving forward :) Good luck and let us know how you get on!
 
Your old farrier may well have been suggesting the best option, is there enough hoof wall to do anything with? Is the new farrier going to build up with epoxy etc? use aluminium shoes?

It is easy to say the damage was done pulling the shoes off but usually that is because there was already a weakness there before hand, that has just been exposed from the trauma of inadvertent shoe removal.
 
Laika said:
I would ask your new farrier to come down and give you some advice. They're experts who are trained in that field and can give you the best possible advice moving forward :) Good luck and let us know how you get on!
Click to expand...

I don'I know what country you are in, but UK farriers are not trained in nutrition.

Your posts are very focused on biotin and Shay says that iron has no impact on hoof health.

Most horses have no requirement for additional biotin. But they do, in the UK, suffer poor hoof quality due to excessive iron, which prevents the uptake of copper, which disrupts the use of insulin, which leads to poor quality hooves.

For that reason, you will see the no-iron hoof supplements recommended in the earlier posts. OP I agree with the others on mineral balancing.
 
Last edited:
As above re supplements the big brand ones are a waste of cash

The hot weather caused feet to dry out and crack and then you're bashing nails in which cause further splits to crumbling wall. Would be better to leave the shoes off and let the good wall grow down and recover than carry on bashing more nails in!
 
ycbm said:
I don'I know what country you are in, but UK farriers are not trained in nutrition.

Your posts are very focused on biotin and Shay says that iron has no impact on hoof health.

Most horses have no requirement for additional biotin. But they do, in the UK, suffer poor hoof quality due to excessive iron, which prevents the uptake of copper, which disrupts the use of insulin, which leads to poor quality hooves.

For that reason, you will see the no-iron hoof supplements recommended in the earlier posts. OP I agree with the others on mineral balancing.
Click to expand...

I said get a farriers opinion because she said she had an issue with shoe retention, taking into account that she said the things I suggested weren't viable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top