Nutrition For Healthy Hooves
Once you have addressed any energy deficiencies in your horse’s diet and re-assessed hoof condition, looking further into diet additions to support hoof growth may be vital toward creating or maintaining the health of the hoof wall. Make sure to rule out and consider if your horse has recently suffered any hoof ailments too, as these can hinder overall health of the hoof. By maintaining health of the hoof wall, you can reduce the likelihood of your horse developing or the reoccurrence of hoof-related ailments.
High quality proteins have been suggested as an essential to hoof growth. Studies into certain amino acid (the building blocks of protein) in the hooves have found a correlation between the content of the amino acid, cystine, and the hardness of normal hooves. Additionally, normal hooves in comparison to poor-quality hooves have been found to have higher levels of amino acids, threonine, phenylalanine, and proline. These amino acids are considered to be ‘essential’, as they cannot be created in by the body and must be supplied through the diet. However, methionine and lysine are the two most important amino acids that tend to be limiting, as they are the most common amino acid deficiency in horse’s diets. Therefore, the need for high quality protein in the diet is crucial in the fight for healthy hooves and without these building blocks, hoof growth is restricted and integrity is likely to be poor. When you look for a hoof supplement, be aware that it should contain methionine in its formulation.
