Hoofmaker

Nutrition

Foot Hygiene

Farriery

Biotin

• Lack of biotin in the diet.
• Loss of microbial gut activity, from antibiotic therapy or altered gut motility.
• Pregnant and lactating mares, or aged geriatric horses.
• Inherited diseases of biotin metabolism.

Biotin Supplementation

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of biotin for a 500kghorse is 2 mg per day.⁵ However, research has shown that increased  supplementation of biotin in the diet of horses with hoof problems resulted in improved hoof growth and overall hoof integrity.^6,2   Every 20g sachet of Hoofmaker contains 37.5mg of biotin. This is a concentrated level which maximises biotin absorption in the small intestine. Biotin supplementation will enhance the repair of hoof defects and, will help prevent their recurrence. There is good scientific evidence that biotin supplementation improves hoof strength, and decreases the incidence of heel horn junction cracks, sidewall horn cracks and lameness. In one study undertaken by Comben et al.,² 40 horses with a history of chronic foot problems were supplemented with 15mg of biotin per day. These horses had varying symptoms ranging from brittle ‘dished’ hooves, to tender crumbling hooves with toe and heel cracks. After five months of treatment, previously sceptical farriers were amazed at the change in the hoof horn of these horses. The feet had developed a better shape and the horn of the hoof walls was thicker and harder. Farriers reported that shoes could be nailed on more satisfactorily and because there was improved hoof growth, there was more opportunity to shape the hooves. These researchers reported that improvements were evident within 3-6 months of biotin supplementation, with continued improvement noted for up to 12 months. However, Comben failed to report that biotin supplementation had little or no effect on some of the horses.  It is also reported that biotin supplementation is effective only for horses with hoof defects involving the stratum externum.³

Professor S. Kempson from the University of Edinburgh undertook a study to investigate hoof horn defects with the use of a scanning electron microscope. The team at Edinburgh found that it was possible to locate the exact origin of the hoof defect in the hoof horn. They discovered that some cracks were located in the stratum externum. Cracks in this layer typically showed a loss of horn material in the outer layer. Other cracks involved the stratum medium and the stratum internum due to a  breakdown of structural organisation in these layers.³ On further scrutiny, they realised that horses with defects in the stratum externum responded very well to biotin supplementation, whereas cracks that involved the deeper layers benefited most from the addition of protein and calcium to the diet. Most people do not have access to scanning electron microscopy, therefore it is impossible to say where the weakness originates from in the hoof horn. Hoofmaker is a complete hoof supplement which will supply all of the nutrients to care for every layer in the hoof horn. Hoofmaker is the optimum supplement to use in cases of chronic foot problems.

Calcium

Bioavailable-available Sulphur: Methionine & MSM

Zinc

Amino Acids