Dr. Frank Gravlee, founder of Life Data®, has worked with horses suffering from mild to serious hoof problems for over 50 years. During this time, his research has determined that horses with hoof problems often have nutrient deficiencies or excesses that negatively affect the dermal tissue structure. The hoof is dermal tissue and the hoof shows weakness more quickly than other dermal tissue structures due to its function and location. The horse owner should be able to recognize a few of the nutritional concerns that can occur in the hoof:
Nutrition Related Hoof Problems: Excessive Bran
- Crumbling Hoof and Poor Hoof Quality
- Bran contains a high level of phytate. Phytate is a substance found in plant seeds containing phosphorus. The excessive amount of phosphorus from feeding too much bran interferes with the absorption of several minerals including calcium. Often, the result is a crumbling hoof due to calcium deficiency.
Nutrition Related Hoof Problems: Zinc Deficiency
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- Rapid Hoof Growth
- A zinc deficiency can sometimes lead to rapid hoof growth; however, the hoof quality is low.
- Some horses with a zinc deficiency need their hooves trimmed every 10-14 days.
- Brittle Hoof Wall
- The deficiency can result in poor quality keratin in the outer layers of the hoof wall to make the wall brittle.
- Rapid Hoof Growth
Nutrition Related Hoof Problems: Biotin Deficiency
- Hoof Wall “Peeling”
- A biotin deficiency is rare; however, when it does occur, one will likely see thick layers of hardened tissue ‘peeling off’ the hoof wall much like the peeled layers of an onion.
- Other dietary deficiencies usually accompany a biotin deficiency.
Nutrition Related Hoof Problems: Vitamin A
- Hair-like projections
- Hair-like projections emerging from the hoof wall or the sole of a horse’s hoof can indicate either a Vitamin A excess or a Vitamin A deficiency.
In addition to the above there are many more ‘nutritional red flags’ too numerous to list here. We will continue expanding on this subject in future blogs. Use a quality hoof supplement such as Farrier’s Formula® to provide the nutrients to grow strong healthy hooves.