Individuals who own and enjoy horses
are well aware of the importance of horses' feet. No matter what
the blood lines, no matter how well the dam or sire did in the
show ring, no matter how much the professional training cost, if a
horse's feet are not healthy, the horse becomes a hungry pasture
ornament which produces manure! And, probably an expensive one at
that! In today's world of rapid global communications, we are
forever being flooded with news, information, gossip, and hearsay.
It might be from the radio, newspaper, TV, glossy magazines, or
the internet.
Different Needs
There is a mass of available information about the horse, its
feet, and its diet. It is typically produced by knowledgeable
individuals in their field, and usually the advice is sound.
However, the advice may only pertain to a certain region, or a
certain circumstance. Hoof conditions seen in Florida are seldom,
if ever, seen in the Rocky Mountain region, or feeding regimes
used in Maine would be inconsistent with horse husbandry in
Arizona.
Within a certain region there may also be many different "micro"
environments, such as the stalled horse as compared to the pasture
horse, the daily exercised horse to the forgotten horse. Sound
advice for one horse may be very detrimental to another. It
becomes very important to take into consideration the source of
the information, as well as the region and circumstances to which
it pertains.
No two horses are alike, and often their differences may be more
than their similarities. Two horses in the same pen may have very
different needs for exercise, housing, feeding, or hoof care. The
differences may stem from their genetic makeup, their disposition,
their conformation, or may be due to their previous treatment and
handling.
Hoof Health and Commercial Products
Good overall health of the horse is reflected by its hair coat.
Good nutrition and care is evidenced by a smooth and naturally
glossy coat. Typically, good hair coat is accompanied by good
feet, both in condition and growth. In a specific individual, the
feet may be bad in spite of a good hair coat, but often this is a
factor related to something other than total health. It may be due
to ground conditions, use, or even genetics. (There are several
genetic lines within some breeds known to have poor feet.)
It has been my experience that the basic health of the hoof comes
from within, being brought to the hoof by the blood. The blood
brings nutrients, moisture, and flexibility. It is difficult to
produce a strong healthy hoof by merely applying a topical
dressing. And yet, commercial hoof dressings are big business. The
typical advertisements have amazing anecdotes proclaiming the
value of the product, but rarely are there any scientific studies
to substantiate the claims. There is a vast array of creams,
polishes, paints, and lacquers available at tack stores. In spite
of all the options and all the products available, one can't fix
what's wrong with the inside of a horse by applying something on
the outside.
Diet Cure-Alls
Just as with human diets, there have been many fad diets for
horses. (Few have been scientifically documented.) It is easy to
get a bad case of "tunnel vision," hoping on hope that if a little
bit of this is recommended, then a whole lot will work wonders.
Owners continue to look for that cure-all, the panacea for the
horse.
Unfortunately, it never seems to work! The basic problem is a lack
of dietary balance. One should not overload the system with
mega-doses of one element and ignore the others. A horse's diet
needs to be nutritionally balanced.
Minerals and Vitamins
In the last 15 years, there has been a renewed interest in both
the normal physiology of the hoof and the pathophysiologyof the
hoof. In 1985, Debra Knight, D.V.M.,and her associates presented
research results of a study conducted in Kentucky and Ohio,
investigating the nutritional genesis of metabolic bone disease,
also known then as developmental orthopedic disease. One of the
findings concluded the minerals calcium, phosphorus, copper, and
zinc, were very important in the broodmare's diet for correct
development of the fetus.
A spin-off from this study revealed nutrients important to healthy
hooves. It was found that for healthy hair and hooves, not only
was biotin and methionine necessary, but the total nutritional
picture was critical. Zinc, copper, iron, manganese, as well as
calcium and phosphorus became recognized as important factors in
the diet. These nutrients are all found in the soil which are
captured by the growing plant, and then utilized by the horse.
Sounds pretty straightforward.
Unfortunately, this may not be the case. After years and years of
intensive agronomic practices, many of these minerals and
micro-nutrients have been depleted from the soil. One cannot
continue to harvest two or three to five crops of hay off the same
field year after year, and expect the soil to continually provide
the same concentration of minerals. "Oh," some horse owners say,
"I'll feed some grain to make up for it." "Yes," but typically
that grain is grown and harvested from similar mineral depleted
soil. The picture begins to emerge that feeding horses their
"normal" food may not provide sufficient levels of needed
nutrients. The historic hay and grain diet may fulfill the
roughage, protein, and caloric requirements, "the basic survival
needs" of the horse, but not meet mineral and vitamin
requirements.
Nutritional Balance
In addition to the basic nutrients, it appearsthat vitamin A,
necessary for cell maturation and cellular differentiation in the
hoof, may be important, as well as vitamin E and selenium. If
there is a deficiency in any of these vitamins or minerals, it may
be reflected in a less than ideal hoof wall. Once again, the
concept of balance becomes critical.
Protein and energy are needs frequently forgotten for a healthy
hoof. It is not unusual to observe bad feet on a malnourished
horse, and then, observe improvement after protein and energy
levels are increased. Basically, the horse should be provided with
enough total energy and protein to fulfill its basic needs.
Some nutritionists report available protein may be limited by the
amount of lysine, an amino acid of protein. Consequently, lysine
has been recommended as a needed supplement. However, it should be
noted other researchers found four lb of grass-alfalfa hay daily
provided sufficient lysine. Therefore, it might be rare that
lysine actually is deficient in mature horse diets.
Biotin Controversy
An interesting case is biotin, a water-soluble vitamin sometimes
referred to as a B vitamin. It is thought by many horse owners to
promote fast hoof growth. Biotin has received considerable
attention as a supplement, in spite of the fact that researchers
found the normal horse needs to absorb only a mere 2-3 mg of
biotin daily, and the amount of biotin in the blood of a horse
with "bad" feed was similar to that found in the blood of a horse
with "good" feet.
Many individuals feel there is sufficient "in-the-field" evidence
to suggest that biotin supplementation may, in fact, be useful in
promoting faster hoof growth. Based on only a few feeding trials,
biotin quickly became the "in vogue" supplement for bad feet. The
horse industry quickly jumped on the band wagon, and soon, many
concentrated horse supplements contained at least enough biotin to
claim to be a "smart source" of biotin.
But then, after disappointing results, the industry began touting
the need for mega-biotin supplementation, frequently as high as
100 mg daily. This was quite a jump from the initial
recommendation of 15 mg daily. (The 2-3 mg daily recommendation by
researchers apparently was grossly ignored.)
Biotin was believed to cause faster hoof growth, but not
necessarily a stronger hoof. For a stronger hoof, some felt the
addition of a sulfur-containing amino acid, namely methionine, was
necessary for the cross-linking of proteins within the hoof. There
now is sufficient knowledge to suggest that not only may
methionine be helpful, but also cystine and cysteine, other sulfur
containing amino acids, may be necessary in the diet for the
production of a stronger hoof.
Shoeing
Along with proper nutrition, correct and consistent trimming and
shoeing is critical in maintaining a good hoof. Unfortunately, in
my area it has long been the custom to keep shoes on the horse
during late spring, summer, and fall, and then, pull the shoes in
the winter. For many horses, this means eight months of
improvement when they are shod, then sufficient time while being
barefoot to revert back to their previous poor hoof condition.
Consequently, I frequently recommend year-round shoeing. With the
proper support, protection, and alignment, I have found it
possible to improve the condition of the feet, preserve the gains
made during the "good times," and extend the usefulness of the
horse.
Exercise
Exercise is critical for the horse. Box stall confinement is not
conducive to a healthy hoof. The stalled horse lacks exercise, and
the feet receive poor blood circulation. Frequently, the horse
must stand in feces and urine. Good and consistent exercise
circulates blood throughout the entire body, works the
cardiovascular system, and increases the circulation to the hoof.
Exercise helps the wall to expand and bend, which aids in
maintaining the needed flexibility and viability. Exercise also
utilizes the frog and sole's natural blood pumping function.
Conclusion
To create and maintain a horse with healthy feet, three basic
criteria are needed:
The healthy horse, with healthy feet,
should be the combined goal of all individuals associated with the
horse. The needed teamwork is not limited to only the horse and
rider. It becomes paramount that the truly successful relationship
involves the horse, the rider/owner, the veterinarian, and the
farrier. Add to this team, balanced nutrition, proper exercise,
and a healthy environment. Leave out one aspect and one can plan
on falling short of the goal.
Horse owners should expand their knowledge of successful horse
husbandry. Know from the start a horse will be an investment not
limited to the initial purchase price, but enlarged to a network
of economic upkeep. Realize the horse is built from the ground up,
beginning with sound and healthy feet. Utilize the knowledge and
resources available, maintain a healthy and balanced horse, and
pursue your dreams.
Dr. Hayes received his veterinary degree from the University
of California at Davis. Dr. Hayes is one of only three
veterinarians in the U.S. who are certified by the American
Farriers Association as "Certified Journeyman Farriers." He has
taught farrier science at California State Polytechnic University
and Maryland Virginia Farrier College. Dr. Hayes concentrates on
treating lameness, especially hoof and shoeing problems, at his
Meridian, Idaho clinic.
For More
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