How to fix and avoid thin soles and cracked hooves in thoroughbred racehorses

 Does your thoroughbred racehorse have cracked, dry, or brittle hooves, incapable of holding horseshoes? It can be a very time consuming and costly problem for horse trainers to manage and in some cases can lead to horses being decommissioned from racing all together. There is however a solution to the problem that is:

• Inexpensive
  

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• Contains necessary amino acids
• Easy to feed

Thin soles and cracked hooves are common problems for thoroughbred racehorses in Australia

Firstly, it’s important to know, that the thinning of horse soles and the cracking of hooves is a very common problem for owners, trainers, farriers and veterinarians in Australia to deal with. As past owners of many thoroughbreds, most of them off the track, Sue and I are very aware of the unique challenges in dealing with their less than durable hooves. Being bred mainly for speed, conformation and winning edge temperament, the importance of good feet is often overlooked.

What causes thin soles and cracked hooves on thoroughbred racehorses?

Thoroughbred feet are notoriously worse than other breeds, being of a lower quality and often the toe grows much faster than the heel. This makes them susceptible to cracking in the toe, more so in dry conditions and to other hoof related problems such as abscesses, bruised soles and seedy toe. Continual shoeing adds to the problem as clips and nail holes damage the hoof wall if there is insufficient wall growth between shoeing……..

How current treatment isn’t working

EQUINEVITAL from Healthy and Agile offers a 100% collagen supplement that can improve the quality of the horses’ hooves in your stable. This supplement is not a new idea. Many old timers used to feed their workhorses gelatin to ensure strong, hard feet, resistant to Australia’s harsh conditions. The problem these days is that many hoof products on the market today are not providing value for money often containing a lot of fillers and only a small percentage of active ingredient, therefore large amounts are required to generate any result.

How does gelatin fix thin soles and cracked hooves in thoroughbred racehorses?

Gelatin is a great solution. As a supplement, it can be readily adsorbed into horses’ bloodstreams, increasing the levels of Glycine and Pproline, essential for cartilage repair. A study conducted by German scientists* fed a control group of horses a regular hay and grain diet, supplemented with soya bean meal and oil, and a test group of horses with 60g of gelatin per day. They put both groups of horses under the same training regime and carried out blood sampling. In as few as 6 days horses in the test group had significantly higher blood levels of Glycine and Proline, which are 2 of the 18 amino acids present in high amounts in gelatin.

Glycine helps:

• Synthesise other amino acids,
• Helps reduce inflammation,
• Builds muscle and joint tissue and
• Aids in the absorption of calcium.

Proline helps heal cartilage and cushion joints. It also helps the body break down protein sources for use in healthy cells.

Reference: Coenen M, Appelt K, Niemeyer A, Vervuert I. Study of gelatin supplemented diet on amino acid homeostasis in the horse. Equine Vet J Suppl. 2006 Aug;(36):606-610.

Proline with Lysine, another amino acid, is the forerunner for Hydroxyproline which is used by the body to make collagen, tendons, ligaments and heart muscle. These things are just as important for our equine athletes as they are for humans – many trainers might say, “More so!”

So why aren’t all HOOF supplements created equal?

Equinevital not only contains the necessary amino acids for promoting Keratin growth for increased hoof integrity but also supplies your equine athlete with the building blocks for stronger joints and cartilage – the harder a horse works, the more amino acids he needs…40gm per day will ensure your horses are better equipped to cope with the rigours of training in Australia’s harsh conditions.

EQUINEVITAL for thin soles and cracked hooves in thoroughbred racehorses EQUINEVITAL is:

• 100% natural collagen
• Comparably inexpensive.
• 100% Australian produced and packaged

Anecdotal evidence is strongly in favour of its use with many farriers recommending it to their clients.

Healthy and Agile sell Equinevital in 3 handy sizes and ship Australia and NZ wide.