Hoof Supplements

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The easiest way is by studying the outside of the hoof - as the outer hoof wall is a great indicator of hoof health. If it is smooth and solid looking then you probably have a pretty healthy hoof, nutrition-wise, so a horse hoof supplement is not required.

However if you have wrinkles, ridges or cracks then this is the hoof's way of telling you that you need to look deeper into the nutritional needs of your horse.

Poor hoof quality is often a direct result of the horse not getting adequate amounts of the essential nutrients it requires. But how do you find out what is lacking? Well, first you need to look at what you are feeding your horse. Is it biologically correct, ie is it the types of food that the horse has evolved to eat? Horses have evolved to be foragers and need to eat small amounts almost constantly so their ideal diet is grass or grass hay - click here for more information on meeting your horse's biological needs.

However, grass can vary greatly in it's nutritional composition as it is dependent on the minerals available in the soil. So if your soil is deficient in a certain mineral then the grass will also be deficient. See www.safergrass.org (opens in a new window) for lots of great info on the subject of grass.

The best way to find out what your grass or hay contains is to get an analysis done at www.equi-analytical.com (opens in a new window). Read the `Taking a Sample` info on that site and request the (603) trainer package which is $49, to get a full breakdown for your hay.

Once you have the results you will then have a much better idea of what nutrients your horse is currently getting and you will be able to make an informed decision on the appropriate horse hoof supplement to give. If you don't get your grass or hay tested then you have no idea of what might be lacking and you will more than likely end up wasting lots of money (as most of the horse hoof supplements are very expensive) and not getting any positive results.