NutriScience are proud to introduce Farriers Choice Hoof Supplement with a new and improved formulation.
Farriers Choice is a complementary feed to assist in building stronger and healthier hooves and is the latest addition to the extensive NutriScience product range.
Ingredients
Farriers Choice has a unique combination of biotin, D-L Methionine, biotin, lysine and sulphur-rich MSM. It also contains a generous quantity of the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum plus essential microminerals zinc and copper, which provides the building blocks for hoof horn and supports the manufacture of keratin (the protein of the hoof wall). Farriers Choice maintains hoof quality by supporting good growth and contributing towards strong, resilient, hard hoof horn.
Mode of Action
Biotin is included at a high concentration, based on clinical studies suggesting an improvement in hoof quality and condition, and growth rate from long-term feeding of biotin to horses with hoof horn problems (Comben et al., 1984; Buffa et al., 1992; Geyer & Schulze, 1994; Josseck et al., 1995; Zenker et al., 1995; Reilly et al., 1998). Biotin needs to be fed ongoing for horses prone to hoof problems.
Zinc and copper are essential microminerals that are key for healthy hoof horn and are deficient in forages. Supplementation of zinc is worthwhile because low quality hoof horn and white line disease can be linked to suboptimal zinc intakes (Coenen & Spitzlei, 1997; Hihami, 1999). Seaweed is a traditional supplement for healthy hooves. Seaweed is rich in iodine, which counteracts the natural deficiencies in forage. Dietary iodine shortage causes coarse, dry keratinised tissues (Safer, 2011), which affects the hair, skin and hooves.
MSM and methionine are rich sources of sulphur which is an integral part of the hoof protein keratin, so supplementation can improve intrinsic tensile strength of hoof horn.
Unique Formulation
The unique formulation of Farriers Choice promotes hoof growth, improves bonding within the hoof wall and contributes towards resilience and hardness of the hoof horn. It is ideal for horses prone to cracks, splitting and crumbling of the hoof horn, where slow growth is a problem, and for those with brittle or soft hoof walls.
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Bibliography
Buffa, E., Berg, S., Verstraete, F., & Swart, N. (1992). Effect of dietary biotin supplement on equine hoof horn growth rate and hardness. Equine Veterinary Journal, 24(6); 472-474.
Coenen, M. & Spitzlei, S. (1997) The composition of equine hoof horn with regards to its quality (hardness) and nutrient supply of horses. Proc. 15th Equine Nutrition and Physiology Symposium, 209-212.
Comben, N., Clark, R., & Sutherland, D. (1985). Clinical observations on the response of equine hoof defects to dietary supplementation with biotin. The Veterinary Record, 115(25-26), 642-5.
Geyer, H. & Schulze, J. (1994) The long-term influence of biotin supplementation on hoof horn quality in horses. Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd. 136(4):137-149.
Hihami, A. (1999) Occurrence of while line disease in performance horses fed low-zinc and low-copper diets. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 10: 1-5.
Josseck, H., Zenker, W. & Geyer, H. (1995) Hoof horn abnormalities in Lipizzaner horses and the effect of dietary biotin on macroscopic aspects of hoof horn quality. Equine Veterinary Journal;27(3):175-182.
Reilly, J.D., Cottrell, D.F., Martin, R.J. & Cuddeford, D.J. (1998) Effect of supplementary dietary biotin on hoof growth and hoof growth rate in ponies: a controlled trial. Equine Veterinary Journal Suppl.(26):51-57.
Safer J. D. (2011) Thyroid hormone action on skin. Dermato-endocrinology, 3(3), 211–215.
Zenker, W., Josseck, H. & Geyer, H. (1995) Histological and physical assessment of poor hoof horn quality in Lipizzaner horses and a therapeutic trial with biotin and a placebo. Equine Veterinary Journal. 27(3):183-191.
