Quick Question for the hoof/diet experts

A

Amo

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2012
Messages
120
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
Quick question, and probably a daft one but am I right in assuming that if you make a change in their diet for the benefit of feet, you have to wait for the whole hoof to regrow before you see the actual outcome?

I have been making subtle changes to my boys diet over the last 4 months by adding Micronised Linseed and Magnesium and have no expectations that I will see anything until another 6 months or so when the new growth actually hits the ground. Is this correct?

How does it work for sugars though as I assume quite a lot of these are transported in the blood stream? If I changed his sugar intake (I have a feeling it is quite high) would this have an immediate effect or again would I have to wait for the growth?

Thanks
 
Yes and no ;).

The most dramatic changes (if there are any to occur) will be visible via the new growth, but diet changes can affect the form and functionality of hooves much quicker than that. If laminae are stretched or disconnected, that's permanent, so improvements to hoof wall connection will only be seen in the new growth. However, hooves are continually nourished from coronet to ground, so improvements can be seen if you look closely. Also, sole can thicken, frogs improve, and sugar metabolism improve (thus reducing footiness) - all these things can be observed pretty quickly after a diet change. There is a limit to how much poor quality hoof wall can improve once formed, however. If there are cracks I wouldn't expect them to mend overnight, but I'd also be watching very closely to make sure they don't encroach into the new growth.

Are you having footiness issues? If so, and you've seen no improvements from the diet adjustments, I'd suspect that you haven't yet hit upon the source of the problem, unfortunately.
 
You will see, or at least notice some changes as soon as you get the diet correct, the hoof will become stronger, the white line tighter, more concavity to the sole, any footiness caused by sugars will start to go, so in my view it is worth getting the diet right, it may need a few tweaks along the way.
 
Not seen any real improvement so far but I am making changes slowly to be honest as he has so many other things going on as well. He does seem to have changes in his hoof since the linseed came in though, like growth lines on all four feet so I am hoping this is a good sign.

He has always been slightly footy but I just get the response of he has typical TB feet. I don't accept this hence why I am looking into it (albeit very slowly)

At the moment he gets the below feed. Those in the know do your worst and rip it apart (educate me)

Morning
1 x scoop sugar beet (full fat)
1 x scoop nuts
1/2 scoop - veteran mix

Evening
1 x scoop sugar beet (full fat)
1 x scoop nuts
1/2 scoop - veteran mix
Handful of Ready Mash Extra (This is used to get his supplements in)
Cup of Micronized Linseed
Magnesium (Can't remember exact quantity but it is a small supplement scoop)

Plus he gets a pack of polos a day to encourage him to do his physio (carrot stretches etc)

Oh yes and ad lib haylage.

Wow he eats a lot !!!!
 
When you say full fat sugar beet - do you mean molassed? With that and the veteran mix I think most horses would be footy ;). What sort of nuts are they?

Ditch the sugar and starch - that's the single best thing you can do.
 
I'm no expert but I'd be swapping the sugar beet for speedi-beet as normal full fat stuff will have molasses in it. I'd also be giving a cup of linseed am and pm.

Others on here will be able to say more about the nuts and veteran mix but will depend on brand and what's in it.

I'm in similar boat with young TB and am going through barefoot transition if it helps, mine is on this feed am and pm
1 scoop alfa a oil
1 scoop speedi beet
1 cup rolled oats, although debating reducing this to get him off it
1 cup linseed
Adlib haylage 24/7

He also has suppleaze gold and I've just started him on pro hoof.

His feet are slowly getting better! Challenge I have is that he is a poor doer so needs more weight too.
 
Thanks guys

I will have a look at the beet and nuts when I am down the yard later, for once may read the labelling :-)

I was being careful with the Linseed as I believed it can also cause weight gain, he is just about perfect weight at the moment so didn’t want to push it too much. How much effect does it actually have?

I will probably be back tomorrow for an interpretation/more help though if you all don't mind :D
 
I can't say I'm an expert but ime reducing sugars drastically gives a response often (not always of course) in one to three days if the horse is laminitic or footy and that is the/one cause of the problems. Too high level of sugars affects the hindgut so feeding some gut support is important while the digesting/fermentation bugs get re balanced, re established. Good levels of minerals also can give a fairly quick effect to function. As has been said a new hoof will grow down from the top and one important factor is movement/work to stimulate the frog/digital cushion to grow stronger. This is the proper landing zone and the aim is to get the horse landing heel first comfortably to achieve this. Video the horse walking on a sooth flat surface in slow mo to check for this. It's hard to tell unless you are experienced in looking for it. Videos on the Rockley Farm site demonstrate this.

Do a search for barefoot diets or perhaps pm Oberon, I think she has a list she gives out.
Some low sugar treats or even apple would be better than polos for the stretches. A packet a day is a lot of sugar.

Low sugar forage, low sugar feeds such as fast fibre or speedibeet to carry a good balancer such as pro hoof or forage plus. You may need to add a little extra magnesium and salt. If you have footyness, cracks or very flat hooves I would consider soaking hay or getting it tested for sugar and starch then you know if you need to soak or not. Grass restriction may be necessary in the short term or even longer depending on the grass you have and the horse. Going as simple as you can may well help.

If you're minted or have bad problems getting grass and hay tested for minerals etc. may be needed to see if there are any severe deficiencies or imbalances. Lowering sugars as far as possible is a huge step to help ime.

Join this Forum. http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/index.php

Blimey, I've waffled on, hope it makes sense. :o Changing gradually is a good way and your horse may need weaning off his taste for sugars by mixing beets for eg. and gradually increasing the ratio of unmolassed.
 
The feed you give him now in my opinion is not low sugar and has heaps of mollasses, if you think he is footy because of low grade lami I would cut the mollasses completely and very little starch, I feed mine hifi mollasses free, pura beet same as sugar beet but no mollasses or they get fast fibre also mollasses free, if your feeding mix its full of sugar and so are most nuts, and a whole pack of polos that is tons of sugar, one of mine can get footy in spring because of the grass this is why I feed this diet all year, no point feeding magnesium if your feeding mollasses it wont work.
 
Sorry for hijack! BUT........
alfa A (unmol) appears to be making my girl footy, suggestions for what to change to? Hifi Unmol? Happy hoof? I need a chaff as she doesnt like her vet vit without it (and FF she dropped weight on)
Thanks!
 
dianchi said:
Sorry for hijack! BUT........
alfa A (unmol) appears to be making my girl footy, suggestions for what to change to? Hifi Unmol? Happy hoof? I need a chaff as she doesnt like her vet vit without it (and FF she dropped weight on)
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Honeychop plain chopped straw is what I use.
 
Last edited:
Dianchi - mine get a scoop of Halley's Timothy Chop. It's just chopped up timothy hay with nothing added. They seem to really like it :) Halleys do a variety of other chops - they do an oat straw one too. Quite a few of them do have alfalfa in them, but the timothy one is safe ;)

I believe Honeychop do an unmollassed oat straw chop too?

I used to use D&H Safe &Sound, but wow, when you dish it out and your hands get all sticky, you realise how much added molasses even a "low sugar" chaff has!
 
WOW! That is a lot of sugar and starch...

Personally I would swap the Sugar beet for speedi beet and ditch the Mix AND cubes (they will contain mollasses).

Then feed one to two mugs of Micronised linseed a day together with the pro-hoof and Mg.


Thats it!

And yes, you should find your horse becomes a lot less footy quite quickly but for overall improvement you may need to wait 6 months or longer... its a working progress! ;)
 
Ok any ideas for a chaff?
Going to try and see if i can get the honey chopp straw one but i know my local feed store doesnt stock it!
 
dianchi said:
Ok any ideas for a chaff?
Going to try and see if i can get the honey chopp straw one but i know my local feed store doesnt stock it!
Click to expand...

I gave up on Chaffs for the same reasons your struggling with you could try graze-on gold blend or just go back to FF and add some Micronised linseed for condition (which would be good for her feet anyway...

I Also feed D&H ERS Pellets which are high fibre, high oil and low sugar...
 
I have an unshod TB - she gets Fast Fibre, and chopped rosehips with half the recommended amount of pro hoof. Nothing else apart from on days when there is only an hours turnout she gets Spillers high fibre cubes in her feed ball. I also feed hay rather than haylage. I don't bother with a chaff.
If I were you I would get rid of the Readymash Extra - it's a wonderful feed for weight gain, but it is quite high in starch - about 17% if I remember right. I would also get rid of the Veteran Vitality.
Good luck! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top