Looks like your equine partner is a little sore in his feet. Maybe your farrier mentioned it at his last trim. Your trainer said he looked a little off up front. Great, now you need a hoof supplement too! So how do you decide? A recommendation? Reviews online? Maybe you just walk into the feed store and grab a bucket hoping to see a difference. Hoof supplements can be daunting and many of them contain inactive ingredients that won’t even benefit your horse. Read the full blog to learn three important facts about hoof health that will impact your equine partner.
1. Biotin isn’t the only supplement to support your horses hooves.
Most hoof supplements boast the amount of biotin contained. They have trained us to believe biotin is the only ingredient that will improve the quality of our horses hooves. The reality is, biotin can be helpful when it can be readily absorbed but your horses hooves need more!
There have only been a few studies on the effects of horses supplemented with biotin but the results are typically positive. Horses do show some improvement in hoof growth but results were not noticeable for 8-15 months. To see the full studies, click here.
The issue with relying solely on biotin for hoof support is quality and dosage. Like all vitamins, not all biotin is created equal. Lower quality biotin is not bio available and will unlikely be absorbed by your horse. Studies of many popular hoof supplements showed that many products actually contained lower amounts of biotin than listed on the labels. Since supplements are not regulated, there is no way for consumers to know exactly what amount of biotin their horses are getting.
2. Collagen and its role in hoof health.
When we take a closer look at hooves and how they are made, we are able to look at additional means to supplement and support them. The main component of equine hooves is compressed protein called keratin. The same protein human hair and nails are made of! This helps us because we know collagen is one of the main building blocks for hair and nails. If collagen is the building block for hooves, why would we not want to supplement directly with it?
The exciting news is Precision Joint Solution is filled with quality bio-available collagen. Not only does it help horses tendons, ligaments and joints, it also helps your horses coat and hooves! Precision uses Natural Egg Membrane (NEM) as our water soluble form of collagen. To learn more about NEM, click here.
3. The importance of circulation.
Having high quality vitamins and minerals for hoof support is essential but how do we make sure those ingredients actually make it to the hooves? This is where circulation comes into play. Horses need proper circulation to their hooves to maintain blood flow as well as move nutrients to the area. Horses who have poor circulation tend to be deficient in certain nutrients that help and promote proper hoof growth.
One way to increase the circulation is to supplement with magnesium. Magnesium for horses increases circulation and vasculation when introduced to the blood stream. The increased circulation helps get proper nutrients all the way down to the horses hooves. Especially the essential collagen we just talked about!
In the horse and hoof world, trends and fads come and go. One thing that stays the same is the importance of soundness. Your vet, your farrier and your trainer will all tell you, no hoof, no horse but what does that really mean? With tons of hoof supplements on the market, there really a big difference from one to the next. If you don’t believe us, read these testimonials from a farrier and a natural hoof trimmer.
“I have personally witnessed the amazing results from the use of Precision Joint Solution on my clients horses. Whether athletes, retired, or suffering from chronic pain and discomfort due to poor confirmation. I’ve seen a lot of different products and methods of trying to achieve comfort and healing in the joints. None with the consistent results as Precision Joint Solution. Farriers have a saying;”soundness sales” Precision Joint Solution helps me do my job, and attain my goals for proper horse care. With hundreds of supplements on the market, it’s nice to be able (with confidence) to recommend a product that delivers . It is very rewarding to observe a horse growing into his new legs. To himself become more confident in his abilities, and more relaxed in his own skin. The clock has been turned back a few years for them.”
J. Garner, Professional Farrier
“I am a professional barefoot hoofcare specialist. I have been trimming horses for many years because of my favorite horse. He is a top notch barrel horse that was impossible to keep sound because of laminitis. My favorite horse, HH Easy Bar Bailey, has suffered from bouts of laminitis nearly his whole adult life. He is now 17. He had been returned to his soundest when he was on Precision Joint Solution for a little over a year, a few years back. I was able to compete on him again! I couldn’t believe the changes in the quality of his feet. We were also able to extend his normally every 6 months hock injections to once a year (he has a bone spur on his right hock). I went through some life changes and quit competing a few years ago and he sat, except for occasional riding, so I stopped giving him his supplements. He did okay, but was never as sound as he was on PJS. Then, he tanked. He went through a founder episode and then abscessed severely. His soles were paper thin. I couldn’t ride him for a few months. We put him back on PJS and within a week, I saw a change. He was lengthening his stride walking in the pasture. Within a month, I was riding him in boots. Within two months I was riding him without boots. I then doubled his PJS for two weeks and he made some significant changes in his hooves. His sole was no longer convex, and he was starting to wear his toes down! I have discovered that, while PJS is a wonderful product for joints, it is phenomenal for laminitis! Here’s why: Egg shell membrane- builds and repairs soft tissues. Pro-tease enzymes-reduce inflammation and cleanse toxins, and relieves pain. In my experience, my horse gets as much pain relief as he does from a gram of bute! Without damaging his stomach. Chelated Minerals, which are the hoof tissue’s building blocks, including MAGNESIUM! Magnesium is critical to horses with laminitis. Studies are showing that magnesium assists horses who are Insulin Resistant. Also, horses who colic with resulting endotoxin release (that can produce laminitis), are known to have low levels of magnesium. Vitamin C-reduces oxidative stress. Manganese-activates enzymes, aids in digestion, supports correct bone formation. I am elated that my old partner is coming back to work! The first time he loped comfortably, I cried. I have missed him so much. Thank you PJS!”
Holly Heidemann, Professional Hoof Trimmer