The hoof is put under a lot of different stresses and strains throughout a horse’s life. One major influencing factor on hoof health is the environment. Each year, as we swing between a warm, dry summer to a wet, cold winter, the hooves are likely to suffer.
Over winter, the cold, wet conditions are not the only thing putting strain on the hooves. During winter, the forage we give to our horses is a lot less nutritious than that given during summer and spring, because of this, horses can start to become deficient in key vitamins and minerals – especially if their feed is not balanced.
It is not just nutrition and environment that affect hoof health, other influencing factors include; poor conformation, horses being kept without shoes and horses with a predisposition to hoof problems. All these factors put extra stresses and strains on the hooves and can lead to cracks and damage.
Why Biotin is is Important
Biotin plays an important role in the production of keratin, by supplementing additional biotin to a horse’s diet, we can essentially increase the amount of keratin produced by the body. Biotin optimises the production of keratin and the process of keratinisation. Keratinisation is the process of producing strong fibrous proteins to create tough structures (such as hooves).
So essentially, by providing a horse with additional biotin in the diet, we can make sure that the hooves have everything they need to grow strong and healthy – without needing to worry about cracking or crumbling!
