The tough outer wall of the hoof has no nerves, and no blood supply, except at the area of the Coronary Band. The hoof wall cannot repair itself after damage. The only way a damaged hoof wall can be repaired is from growth of new wall tissue down from the Coronary Band. This can take up to 10-12 months, depending on the site of hoof wall damage. Deep splits and cuts to the hoof wall can damage the deeper, sensitive foot structures, causing lameness and long term foot problems.
Biotin is the rate limiting nutrient in maintaining healthy feet. Biotin is a water soluble B-group vitamin, which cannot be stored in the body and is lost through urination and sweating, therefore requiring daily supplementation. Biotin is essential for repairing hoof defects, as well as being essential for normal skin, hair and coat development. Biotin is essential in the process of keratin formation. The recommended dose rate is 3mg biotin per 100kg bodyweight daily. That equates to 15mg daily for a 500kg horse.
Comben et al (1984) ** demonstrated that high level biotin supplementation improved the hardness, integrity and conformation of the hoof wall at a daily dose of 15mg biotin daily for 6-9 months. Hintz (1987) *** stated that there is no evidence that biotin is toxic to horses at this dose rate.
Proven to both stimulate the amount of, and to increase the speed of, hoof wall production, Biotin must be used as a long term supplement on a daily basis, as research confirms that it takes approximately 6 months for signs of improvement to be noticed visibly in most cases, yet hardness of hooves will begin to increase after just 2 months of supplementation. Hoof wall strength will continue to increase even up to almost 3 years after biotin supplementation commenced (Zenker, W et al.(1995) Equine Vet. J. 27,3:175-191)
Because biotin must be available in regular amounts on a daily basis, and because biotin supplementation is a long term prospect for optimum hoof condition, daily supplementation during the growth, training and racing periods is a critical factor.
The key points are:
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Biotin is a B-Group Vitamin which means that it is water soluble and therefore not stores in the body.
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Requires daily supplementation
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15mg/500kg is the recommended daily rate
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Supplementation improved the hardness, integrity and conformation of the hoof wall
