My daughter's barrel horse is having a hard time keeping shoes on due to soft hooves. Does anyone know of an *affordable* dietary supplement that would help this problem. We've started using a paint-on hardener, but would like to solve the problem, not just repair it after-the-fact. Thanks

-- glynnis (gabbycab@aol.net), May 13, 2000

Answers

Our horse joe started having a problem with his hoofs so we rubbed hoof condicioner on them and went to adding something called clips on his shoes[asked our farrier about suppelments but he did not belive they helped]the clips worked and he stoped throwing shoes.If that hadnt worked we would have tried the supplements though .

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), May 13, 2000.

I've used a suppliment called "Super Gain" which has alot of biotin which is needed for hoof growth. This is also for underweight, geriatric, or heavily used horses that need extra suppliment. Its a wonderful product and I even feed it to my goats. Another product by the same company is "Horse Guard" and is for the majority of horses. Both are a bit spendy, but you only feed a bit and both of my horses had such strong hooves that they never needed shoes.

-- Julie (juliecapasso@aol.com), May 13, 2000.

I seem to go at things a little differently. We use supplements for our Dairy Goats to stop the cost of problems. I had ordered my supplements through Jeffers for 14 years, Equine Catalog 1800- Jeffers, but mom (Arabs, shows at Nationals) sent me this new catalog United Vet Equine 1-800-328-6652 Much less expensive! They even have price breakdowns of their vs other drugs and yes Biotin would be the drug of choice. www.unitedvetequine.com Maybe this would help, Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 13, 2000.

Biotin would be the way to go. There are tons of products on the market. Don't know if one is really superior. Also take a look at your stall bedding/flooring. Excessively wet conditions can cause soft hooves.

-- teresa (teresam@ascent.net), May 13, 2000.

Soft hooves need shoes with clips. Clips help to prevent nails from shearing off and pulling chunks of hoof wall when the shoe comes off.Most are "set" hot. Hot shoeing may also harden the hoof capsule in the area that the nails are driven into. Read up on biotin before using it and do not expect immediate results. I use clovite for my thin soled mare and have gotten excellent results. Shoes should have two clips per shoe.

-- Joe Pence (www.pence@montana.com), May 16, 2000.

Biotin would be my chioce, but try a product that has methionine as well. My shoer swears by plain ol' jello and says the horses like the flavors pretty well. Another thing to consider is that hooves need a break from shoes now and then. If possible try wintering your horse out without shoes. Every nail is a hole in the hoof wall (read damage) and allows natural moisture to escape leading to dry, crumbly hooves. Also, some people seem to think that adding a mud hole around the water trough or wetting the stall bedding helps when in fact this can major problems. The combination of constantly wetting then drying out sucks all the natural moisture right out of the hoof, esp if mud is involved (think of the mud masks ladies use to dry oily skin). Last year I was given a big gelding who was supposedly totally lame. Took him out of his soggy pasture, pulled his shoes and let him run out in our fairly dry pasture. Within 2 months he was sound enough for light trail rides and a couple months after that was totally sound. I never gave him suppliments nor reshod him!

-- Elle (hotging@aol.com), May 17, 2000.

We found that by feeding Southern States Ledgends 14 we eliminated all of our hoof problems,it is fortified with lots of biotin and other vitiams and minerals. WE had 2 barrel horses and used rim shoes.

-- jay l vance (jay.l.vance@worldnet.att.net), May 18, 2000.

My horses are all barefoot, but since we began feeding them whole kernel corn they no longer have sand cracks and their hooves generally wear so evenly that they really don't even need trimming. In other words, no hunks or chunks break off the hoof. We feed each quarter horse 1/2 of a "3 pound" coffee can of corn, the other half can is of 16% horse pellets. The corn provides carotene.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), May 23, 2000.

First off Glynnis. Horses only have problems cause they were never meant to be "stalled". It is brought on by humans. That being said,soft feet are due to diet! diet! diet!. ALLWAYS fix the problem from the inside first.Supplements are the best way to go. I work on a ranch with over 180 head. And every time we get in a horse that has soft feet they get Grand Hoof by Grand Meadows. Biotin and Methionine are critical for strong heathy hooves. After 3-5 months, there is a noticable improvement in hoof wall quality. It takes a whole year for and antire wall to grow out. So in 9 months you will see a big difference from the old hoof at the bottom from the new hoof at the top. He will never hold a shoe with un-health hooves. Give your horse the diet he needs. You do the same every time you eat your vegies! He He.

Rid'em easy.

-- Ron Radmer (rradmer@pacbell.net), June 14, 2001.

Ron Radmer is RIGHT on! People , listen! I am an RN, a horse breeder , and a skeptic. I need proof and I got it from feeding HT20 to an immune compromised horse with low thyroid and high cortisol. He had many symptoms I recognized for low thyroid.......Feeding HT20 for almost a year and he has had shoes off for 3.5 months on rocky, hard, ground,with only minor chips at the sides and his heel is growing for the first time. He is not being ridden during this transitional phase. His very contracted heels in the back are starting to spread.However, we just did a front lateral x-ray on each front foot, and his sole is VERY thin.(he was sore) We may put easy boots on for a while,hate to put shoes on as his feet will not be able to expand and contract naturally, cutting down much needed circulation to the hoof. A glue-on shoe presents the same prob'.Any experienced people out there with booting info'? Thanks, Patti

-- Patti Gallagher (horsebabe8@yahoo.com), March 24, 2002.

My farrier recommended putting Jello powder in their grain for stronger hooves. It is a cheaper alternative to commercial hoof conditioners. The different flavors will color their mouthes but you can use plain gelatin.

-- Kay S (forestdale@juno.com), May 29, 2002.

Hi,

Our vet, and our farrier recommended plain old jello gelatin mixed in the feed twice a day for our donk who has the worst hooves in the world - he was foundered when purchased and his hooves just shear off in chunks and he has waves and cracks. Nasty looking hooves. Our Belgian mare is always getting cracks which will run the entire length of the hoof. Neither is shod and both are on soft ground (one is even up in the wooded paddock off the hot, dry ground. We were advised to start the jello gelatin mix, feed a good, balanced commercial feed with added biotin in it and use a mineral block. We switched feeds to an all grain, fortified feed and now mix in the gelatin. It is cheaper than all the other supplements and seems to be working. We won't know until later in the year, but are having no lameness in the Belgian which was evident by this time last year (she would get very sore feet)by middle of June and have to have shoes. So far, so good this year. I use hooflex liquid and Shurehoof (whichever I have on hand, and wet the hooves with water, then let partially dry to touch, paint on the hoof dressing which seals the moisture in the hoof as our hooves are hard and brittle. Suggest you move horse to a dry environment, out of stall (if possible) and perhaps put clips on the shoes to help hold them. Barefoot when not riding is a great way to let the hooves get some "natural" relief.

-- Cindy (sidepasser@hotmail.com), May 30, 2002.