Poor Hoof Growth

chops-labelle

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17 August 2011
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Hoof Supplements...... a mine field! I have a 21yr old TB who i struggling to keep front shoes on. We have had to have a cast applied to one foot in order to fit the shoe so he can at least walk. Without it he was very lame but now is much better. Top Spec supplement seemed to have good reviews, now a friend of a friend has said "Better for Feet" is very good but i can't find who makes it. Has anyone heard of it? He's been out at night all summer and just tonight has come in and will be out during the day now for winter. He has D&H 16+ mix with Veteran Mollichaff with Global Herbs Old Age supplement and MSN supplement. Was using Keretex but stopped when his feet got too dry, currently using Kevin Bacon stuff. Has anyone got some good advice for hoof growth please?
 
Work them - lots of roadwork, don't put any gunks on the hoof, feed a low sugar forage based diet, avoid things like TopSpec, feed a great supplement such as Forage Plus or Pro Earth and trim as little as possible.

That's it in one sentence really.

And give it time.
 
Cut out high sugar and starch feeds - the mix and the mollichaff for starters - replace with good fibre feeds, a properly balanced supplement aimed at supporting the feet and sit back and wait. This often gets refered too as a 'barefoot' diet but in actuallity it's just good management and will still help improve the quality of shod feet.
 
Don't get hung up on balancing the minerals - it was a big thing for a while and everyone was spouting "balanced minerals"

Reality is unless you control all feed the balancing is only a best guess to be honest

So it[s OK to take the "Berocca approach" and feed a good supplement - not TopSpec or BlueChip which are basically harmful rubbish - but go for Forage Plus by Sarah Braithwaite or Pro Earth from Ross and Mel Barker
 
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