No Hoof, No Horse
Monday, March 11, 2024
In order to have a sound horse, you must have a good quality foot. Poor nutrition and poor management can lead to many hoof issues.
The most common issues we see are laminitis (founder), abscesses, hoof imbalance, thin soles, and quarter cracks.
The first thing we recommend doing to help correct these issues is to make sure the horse is on a good nutrition program. You need the proper calcium-phosphorus balance. The trace minerals, copper, zinc, and selenium are also needed. The B vitamin, Biotin is also important, however, this if fed alone without the other minerals will not correct the problem. Having a good nutrition program will give you a good quality hoof so you can get better and quicker results in treating the above issues. Remember, today’s diet is tomorrow’s hoof.
From a management standpoint, man times radiographs of the hoof will help the farrier see what needs to be done. Also, when correcting a horse’s foot problem, trimming and shoeing need to be done on a 4–6-week schedule, not an 8–10-week basis.
Product recommendations for a strong healthy hoof = Equine Nutritional Issues Chart – Doctor’s Choice Supplements (drschoicesupplements.com)