# Best feed supplement for (very) cracked and brittle hooves?



## Eventer2012 (23 July 2012)

I've been looking around, just trying to find something that really works and isn't too expensive.

Just wondering if anyone has had any positive/negative experiences with particular ones, I am looking at the likes of NAF Pro Feet, Farriers Choice, Farriers Formula, Formula 4 Feet, Hoof First, Kevin Bacon etc...

I put Effol Hufsalbe on twice a day, and should be putting conucrescine on too, but any other ideas on this greatly appreciated. 

Thank you


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## cptrayes (23 July 2012)

What is your horse eating, and what was it eating 9-12 months ago? Foot quality can often more easily be improved by what you take out (carbs/sugar) than what you put in or on.


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## Eventer2012 (23 July 2012)

That's very interesting...his feed is usually pretty basic as he's not difficult to manage but the feet have been a problem for years I just really really need to get on and do something as we are hoping to go 2* this year...and no foot no horse! 

Last year he was on a scoop of basic mix and 1/2 staypower cubes all season
Winter 1/2 spillers conditioning fibre, 1 build up mix
Now 1 staypower
All twice a day....

Thanks for your reply


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## chestnut cob (23 July 2012)

My big horse had terrible feet about 18 months ago.  They grow very slowly and when I changed farriers in Feb last year, the new farrier complained bitterly that he struggled to nail the shoe on.

I changed his diet... instead of feeding sugary and starchy feeds, I switched him to Simple Systems pure alfalfa (which he turned out to be allergic to, so he now just gets D&H Safe & Sound.. been on that a few months and feet are even better now!!) and added linseed meal, brewer's yeast, seaweed and magnesium oxide.  By Xmas my farrier was telling me how strong my horse's feet looked and asked what I was feeding.  Now, nearly 18 months later, his feet look great.  They still grow slowly but that's just him.

And secondly, new (current) farrier said previous farrier was rasping away huge amounts of hoof wall and making his feet very brittle.  Current farrier doesn't rasp the wall, apart from to roll his toes, and as a consequence they're much stronger.  So I would check how much wall your farrier is rasping off!


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## VLHIEASTON (23 July 2012)

Formula4feet. I've found that to be the best by far.


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## Miss L Toe (23 July 2012)

I feed 50gms linseed meal,  500gms Fast Fibre, plus a scoop of mineral and vitamins, this is mostly Equimins.
Is he shod or barefoot and are they shod/trimmed every six weeks.


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## Eventer2012 (23 July 2012)

Thank you everyone, all the general feed suggestions are really helpful - and interesting that cutting too much off can make it more brittle. I have heard a lot of good things about formula4feet, actually nothing bad (yet)!, so certainly plenty to think about!! He is shod roughly every 4-5 weeks otherwise he starts getting a bit unsound if it's too long.


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## Miss L Toe (23 July 2012)

Eventer2012 said:



			Thank you everyone, all the general feed suggestions are really helpful - and interesting that cutting too much off can make it more brittle. I have heard a lot of good things about formula4feet, actually nothing bad (yet)!, so certainly plenty to think about!! He is shod roughly every 4-5 weeks otherwise he starts getting a bit unsound if it's too long.
		
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Most horses can last six weeks, are you feeding enough mins and vits, and a lo sugar  lo/no cereal diet.
Supplements are just that, you need a solid diet to start with.


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## Theresa_F (23 July 2012)

I feed seaweed, brewers yeast, linseed and black sunflower seeds along with just grass and speedibeet.  My two thrive on this and have great coats and feet.  However, I have found their feet are getting untidy and needing trimming at 6 weeks instead of their normal 8 weeks.  I spoke to my farrier and he said many hooves are finding the constant wet a challenge.  In winter mine are in at night but have from May lived out 24 x 7 and their feet not had a chance to dry out.

Kevin Bacon dressing as well as diet is also good stuff and I am now using it to stop the feet getting too sodden instead of not too dry at this time of year.


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## niamh (23 July 2012)

Biotin, biotin and more biotin. Buy the cheapest supplement that has the most Biotin in it.
 Expect 3 months before you see an improvement. 
Cornuscrescine for the coronet band daily and some moisturising hoof balm/oil daily on the rest of the hoof.


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## cptrayes (23 July 2012)

If his feet have been a problem for 2 years then I would suspect that his diet isn't quite right for him. Before going for what are extremely expensive supplements (though they do work!) you could try the diet changes that many people with unshod horses (like me) find are necessary for their feet to grow strong enough to cope.

1. Cut out all feed with molasses, corn syrup or molglo on the bag label and replace with straights or molasses free food.

2. Add at least 25g a day of magnesium oxide (cheapest sourced as calmag from Farm supplies, but also on eBay in a white finer form)

3. 15g a day of yea-sacc or 50g a day of brewers yeast.

If that does not do the trick you may also need to radically reduce grass intake, at the very least turning out at night and not between 9am and 7pm.  And soak hay/haylage for at least 12 hours before feeding to cut out sugar. I only need to do this in summer.

In addition to that it would be good to know the mineral balance of your grazing and hay. Imbalances like I have, high manganese and iron, are common. Mine prevents the absorption of copper which is required to allow insulin to work properly to digest carbs.
If in doubt, and you can't test, consider supplementing with a "barefoot" mineral and vitamin mix instead of a GP one. Forageplus.co.uk have a winter one and a summer one. 

If you have black cows near you turning brown, or horses, that's often a sign of copper deficiency


ps it is not wise to supplement seaweed unless you know your iron and iodine levels. It is high in both and can do more harm than good.


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## splashgirl45 (23 July 2012)

i had the same problem when we had a hot summer a few years ago and i started feeding formula4feet and my horses feet improved so much my farrier asked me what i was feeding her as he was impressed with the condition., cant remember how long it took, think it was about 3 months,i have kept her on it .....


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## Sneedy (24 July 2012)

I'm afraid neither Farriers Formula or Formula 4 Feet did much for my chaps shocking feet, I tried them for years (not at the same time ), we still needed filler and regular tidy ups between shoeing appointments.......he just produced very expensive poo !!!


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## Brownmare (24 July 2012)

Sneedy said:



			I'm afraid neither Farriers Formula or Formula 4 Feet did much for my chaps shocking feet, I tried them for years (not at the same time ), we still needed filler and regular tidy ups between shoeing appointments.......he just produced very expensive poo !!!
		
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I used Formula4feet for a couple of years and had really good results with it, then I moved to a different part of the country and it stopped working. I mentioned it to our new vet and she confirmed that local high iron and low copper levels are too much for it. I now use Forageplus minerals and the horse has fab feet (we also supplement our cattle with copper, zinc and magnesium)


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## AngieandBen (25 July 2012)

I don't get how these "moisturisiers" work, don't we have enough rain to moisture the hooves?!  Even when its hot like now, the moning dew is enough surely?

Diet;  Neither my barefoot ponies have dry/cracked hooves;  When you feed good from the inside the outside takes care of itself


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## AngieandBen (25 July 2012)

Not the best example of a hoof on the link tbh! Lots of flair going on, looks like it could do with a good proper trim.

I don't put anything on the outside of my ponies hooves, never have, never will ( and they are 19 and 21 );  they are fed Linseed though and yes I agree it does reflect in the coat and hooves


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## ILuvCowparsely (25 July 2012)

The best things i have found are


 farriers formula
 formula 4feet
 hoofmender  (100% money back guarantee)
 Kevin Bacon Hoofmoist
 Surefoot
 yeast
seaweed 
solar oil

 cornucresine round the coronet


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## Beans1 (25 July 2012)

Kevin Bacon Hoof Formula - Not the cheapest but an all round supplement which I believe really works!  

I am a massive fan of Kevin Bacon products so this is going to sound like an advert, but I don't think I would have got a horse through Badminton that I groomed for without doing everything below:

This horse had particularly bad feet so I threw everything at him.

Kevin Bacon Hoof Formula - I kept him on the loading dose for 3 months.
Kevin Bacon Hoof Dressing - Applied daily - if his feet were looking particularly brittle I put the hose on them for 10 minutes before I put the dressing on.
KB Hoof solution - On his soles and frogs and anywhere where the nail holes were disintegrating, this was in an attempt to keep bacteria to a minimum.

Remember to pick out feet really regularly (his were done approx 3 times per day) also keep his bed immaculate, standing in bedding which has any trace of manure or urine will damage the feet.  

Keep farrier visits regular - a loose shoe will damage the foot.

Hope this helps


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## ILuvCowparsely (25 July 2012)

Checkout here for hoof care

 and hoof care downloads on improving the feet 
http://equinecare-and-control.weebly.com/h.html


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## hoofguy (25 July 2012)

Leviathan said:



			Checkout here for hoof care

 and hoof care downloads on improving the feet 
http://equinecare-and-control.weebly.com/h.html

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good idea... great site and pro layout.. good luck... i like it!  regards, hoofguy.


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## BigRed (25 July 2012)

My old TB had feet that didn't grow fast enough.  I tried Formula4Feet and it did not work for her.  It was only when I gave her TopSpec Balancer that her feet grew, it made a huge difference to her.  Her only other "hard" feed was DH Safe and Sound.


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## Bestdogdash (25 July 2012)

I have found Kevin Bacon supplement and hoof treatment to be pretty effective.


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## hoofguy (25 July 2012)

BigRed said:



			My old TB had feet that didn't grow fast enough.  I tried Formula4Feet and it did not work for her.  It was only when I gave her TopSpec Balancer that her feet grew, it made a huge difference to her.  Her only other "hard" feed was DH Safe and Sound.
		
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Thats interesting.. when you find what works. i see lots of feet every day and a change in feed is evident in ring growth changes.. feed/terrain/pasture/illness.. it always shows at a later stage in the feet.. in fact when a client buys a new horse i can usually see weither its come from a good or bad management/enviroment.I went to see a sore horse over weekend that had laminitis in all 4 hooves `sinker`... coronet had dropped into capsule.. the lady is a good horsewoman and it was`nt a happy ending, but this is a unprecedented year for founder `laminitis`so keep on the case folks..


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