14/05/2025
Diet and environment are KEY factors! Start there! I get asked a lot about diet and I plan to make a post soon to elaborate. Not every horse is an easy fix but I have seen a diet change transform horses bodies, hooves and minds! This a good read. Highly recommend Mad Barn!
The “Secret Sauce” to Healthy Hooves
I got you there, didn’t I?
I wish there was a powder or magic pill that allowed for perfect feet. It would make my job as a hoofcare pro and owner of a hoof rehab facility SO much easier. “Just add in this supplement and everything will be great!”
Some cases are trickier. While most who follow this platform know that I always advocate for movement and a forage-based mineral balanced diet, some cases don’t seem to respond 100% to that. There may be underlying issues, like undiagnosed metabolic problems (PPID isn’t controlled by diet, my peeps!), PSSM/MIM (muscle myopathies can be tricky), chronic Lyme issue, chronic gut issues (how can they absorb their nutrients if their gut is grumpy??), or even genetic malformations like ECVM that can lead to a host of discomfort or neurological type problems.
It’s not always movement and diet. But for so many, those two things can cover a multitude of other equine management “sins.”
So where do we even begin in knowing what to feed and when?
I am a HUGE ADVOCATE for hay testing. You absolutely cannot know what your diet is lacking in if you don’t know what is even in the bulk of your horse’s diet. I personally take a hay sample every time a hay trailer is dropped at my farm, send it off to Equi-Analytical, and get the results within days, which allows me to adjust their diet and supplements for the 2-3 months I have that trailer. I’ve seen a huge change in their hoof quality and even their coat, topline, etc this way.
But let’s say you don’t have a consistent supply of hay. What do you do if it doesn’t make sense to test?
There are a few databases of forage averages based on region- they’re not always completely accurate, but it’s a start. Dairy One and Mad Barn, for example, both have some databases of hay averages by region.
There are also plenty of “starting points” for good feet - like we know forage is notoriously high in iron and deficient in copper and zinc. So we can avoid feeds or supplements with added iron, and feed supplements with good amounts of copper and zinc. The safe upper limits for copper and zinc are over 2000mg per day for a 1000lb horse, and we feed significantly less than that even for horses in rehab (for example, my rehab horses right now get about 350mg copper and about 1000mg zinc per day, based on my hay tests).
Some other complaints I’ve had from owners is “well my horse won’t eat supplements high in copper and zinc!!”. One option I had used here for some “picky eaters” is Mad Barn’s Amino Trace Plus. If you’d want to use something else, I’d honestly glance at the guaranteed analysis and compare the copper and zinc levels to something like Amino Trace Plus, because just because something says it has copper and zinc in it doesn’t mean it has any meaningful amount! Right now I am using a different supplement mix based on my hay test, but my guys are on Mad Barn’s manganese based on my hay test, and extra magnesium oxide also from Mad Barn.
Also note that the iron listed on any Mad Barn labels is not from added iron, but intrinsic iron naturally found in basically all feed and supplements. (The U.S. does not require intrinsic iron to be listed on the label, but Canada does!! I promise even your favorite supplement has intrinsic iron even if not on the label).
I know it’s a minefield, so Mad Barn is also coming out with a FREE education hub to help owners and professionals (yes, some organizations accept it for CE credit!) learn more about how to feed and what to feed.
I want to give a huge shout out to Mad Barn for sponsoring our SOLD OUT Podiatry Clinic this fall in Amesbury, MA with Celeste Lazaris, Dr. Jenny Hagen, Pat Reilly, and Ula Krzanowska! We do have a Livestream/Video Recording option available at https://thehumblehoof.com/product/october-25-26-2025-livestream/
Mad Barn did take one of our last sponsorship options that allows for clinic attendance! If you would be interested in sponsoring the clinic, please reach out to see what options may be left ☺️
