Success stories with Biotin

[Keira 8888]

Hi guys,

Am browsing biotin supplements at the moment as P’s hooves just don’t seem to grow very fast and I want his bad horn to grow out as quickly as possible.

Has anyone been in the same situation with a non growthy hoof (or whatever the correct term is!)

He is currently just on daily turnout grass, hay and balancer (he used to have oat straw and pink mash to help his hind gut and make him feel full when he convinced himself he was dying of hunger over the winter) but I’ve stopped that now.

I just need something to help his hooves grow faster!

Any success stories would be greatly appreciated. I’m currently tempted by “horse first, hoof first” supplement as it seems to have a high percentage of biotin. Was about to buy it and another livery said don’t bother with biotin - it’s a waste of money.

What would you guys do?

Keira x

 

[JackFrost]

Is it bad to be non growthy? - genuine question. I always assumed that some horses hooves just grew faster than others.
Is growthy good and non growthy bad?

 

[Lady Jane]

My farrier rates Biotin and says my horses feet are growing better as a result. He has been on Formula 4 Feet for 3 years. I use it as my balancer as it has other nutrients to balance the diet. Does your horse need to grow hoof faster? Mine does, the qulaity of horn is good but he is footy as he weras it down too fast. If he didn't have this problem I would just feed a more general balancer. F4F seems the most cost effective for high Biotin levels but I'm sure there are others. Low sugar and low starch are important, and too much iron can cause a problem as it suppresses the absorption of other nutrients - but I can't remember which one?

 

[Gloi]

Biotin is only one of the things you need for good hooves. You also need the right mineral balance including copper and zinc.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I’ve always been told healthy horses will produce adequate levels of biotin by themselves. Also check your balancer doesn’t already have biotin in it.

I used to use biotin but honestly never saw an improvement. I’ve just started mine on Equimins.

as others have said do you want more growth due to an issue or because you just think he should be growing more? Also don’t forget hooves do grow slower over winter (or at least my mares certainly do anyway!)

 

[Keira 8888]

Thanks so much guys.

I want faster hoof growth to grow out the poor quality horn (when P was starved and poor) he still has splits that are grieving out. The new hoof growth looks healthy but is taking quite a long time!

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Thanks so much guys.

I want faster hoof growth to grow out the poor quality horn (when P was starved and poor) he still has splits that are grieving out. The new hoof growth looks healthy but is taking quite a long time!

I’ve been there. Waiting for my mare to grow out her hoof when I took her off shoes was painful! So many chips they looked awful. Give it to the end of summer and I’m sure they will look much better.

 

[doodle]

Plain biotin j have found does very little. I have used formula4feet for years. It definitely helps. I use it as a balancer so stoped the topspec when I started it. I’m not sure it makes his feet grow faster but the quality is better, so the cracks and chips grew out rather than continuing to crack up his feet. Spring grass makes them grow faster tho.

 

[Red-1]

Progressive Earth's Pro Hoof is an excellent quality supplement to aid hoof growth. I would use that above a single biotin supplement.

I, however, use Formula 4 Feet as a hand treat to aid with clipping. It is highly palatable and makes clipping also palatable to Rigsby!

 

[Surbie]

I have fed biotin and forageplus hoof & skin health for well over a year and they have made no difference at all to hoof growth. The wall is lovely and thick but they just don't have much downward growth.

 

[be positive]

We had one on Equimins hoofmender which certainly helped with growth, not the most palatable but went down ok with a bit of linseed which is also useful for good quality horn and skin although most grow much faster in spring and summer anyway.

 

[skint1]

I had a mare with terrible feet, I tried lots of expensive supplements but the best turned out to be Biotin Plus (I think NAF make it)

 

[FireCracker238]

I'm another who rates Formula4Feet. Xander gets pure biotin too, think it's by Omega Equine, I've not noticed any difference since starting him on it but the farrier has apparently ?

 

[Shysmum]

My rescue shetland Pepsi is 31 now. Last year he came down with severe canker and abscesses in both front feet. After a HUGE amount of vet treatment, he ended up on a biotin supplement bought from the vet, and is now sound as a pound hacking barefoot. I take it myself for my hair and nails...it works !

 

[Keira 8888]

Thanks so much for all this info guys.

Have narrowed it down to the ones you suggest above and will make my purchase today!

That’s good to know there is more potential growth in Spring - fingers crossed.

 

[Keira 8888]

My rescue shetland Pepsi is 31 now. Last year he came down with severe canker and abscesses in both front feet. After a HUGE amount of vet treatment, he ended up on a biotin supplement bought from the vet, and is now sound as a pound hacking barefoot. I take it myself for my hair and nails...it works !

Thanks so much for this! Can you remember the name of the supplement? Xx ?

 

[Carrottom]

2 people I know used a product called kerabol to speed up hoof growth, both were convinced it worked. No personal experience though and I would wonder if faster growth might compromise the horn quality.

 

[Trouper]

I wouldn't be wanting to rush hoof growth - it's quality of hoof not quantity that matters. If he is getting all the nutrients he needs from his forage and balancer (ie what you are putting in and how he is absorbing it) he should gradually develop good feet and, yes, growth rates do vary seasonally.
Whatever additional supplement you start him on now will take months to show any difference so you may have to sit on your hands a bit longer!!!

 

[jnb]

My cob is barefoot and was fed TopSpec when he came over from Ireland quite weedy and I thought he'd never make a show cob.
His feet however have always been excellent. He is now a maxi! lol
Last Spring having had to change farrier due to lockdown however, he had a bit of an overzealous trim and as a result became the very tiniest bit feeling the big stones in our driveway every now and then.
I switched him gradually to a barefoot diet - from Fast Fibre and Top Spec Lite to Thunderbrooks Hay Cobs and Equimins Advance and the growth improved quite quickly .
I will say he's always had amazing - white - feet but having had a equine podiatrist out 2 weeks ago she says his depth of sole is amazing and hoof quality excellent.
Hope that helps - just to add he has always had superb soft old meadow hay (the meadow's old, not the hay!) all winter and I have added a small amount of soft old meadow haylage for travelling etc.

 

[vhf]

Hi guys,

Am browsing biotin supplements at the moment as P’s hooves just don’t seem to grow very fast and I want his bad horn to grow out as quickly as possible.

Has anyone been in the same situation with a non growthy hoof (or whatever the correct term is!)

He is currently just on daily turnout grass, hay and balancer (he used to have oat straw and pink mash to help his hind gut and make him feel full when he convinced himself he was dying of hunger over the winter) but I’ve stopped that now.

I just need something to help his hooves grow faster!

Any success stories would be greatly appreciated. I’m currently tempted by “horse first, hoof first” supplement as it seems to have a high percentage of biotin. Was about to buy it and another livery said don’t bother with biotin - it’s a waste of money.

What would you guys do?

Keira x

I bought a youngster with shocking feet/skin/coat and I tried several different high quality, well recommended hoof supplements etc. before I got her right. In her case it was Equimins hoofmender, which I now alternate with their Advance complete. I suspect that different horses respond to different products because the environment externally and internally will be different. Biotin has to be fed in the right proportion with other things - this is not something I am an expert in, hence relying on supplements that are recommended by people who know their onions, and swatting up on the company as well as the product! You need to choose a product that has high amounts of the right ingredients, and as few fillers as possible, to get good value for money, which is when palatability can come in. (I introduce TB to new things quite literally 2 pellets/1pinch at a time, and build up really slowly).
Incidentally, my other horse had poor hooves when I got her (TB feet) and came good on Top Spec Balancer and linseed. Was on it for years and then I switched her to the same as the other horse and farrier asked me what I'd done as her feet were even better than usual. I do use Keratex hardener to protect them from chipping, and am trialling their gel to see if I can stop wussy TB's heels going soft. I have been told that rubbing cornucrescine into the coronet stimulates growth, but I can't imagine fast growth always = good growth.

 

[Shysmum]

Thanks so much for this! Can you remember the name of the supplement? Xx ?

Will check for you. I also got it on Amazon x

 

[Shysmum]

Will check for you. I also got it on Amazon x

EQUISTRO KERABOL BIOTIN about £45. Swore by it.

 

[Shysmum]

Its strengthens the hoof from inside out, doesn't necessarily speed up growth. It improves hoof quality.