Question
Robber is my 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare (14.2 hands; 1,030 lb or 470 kg) that is in moderate body condition. She has thin soles and crushed heels, typical of many of her breed. She’s stalled half the day and turned out half the day. Pasture quality depends on the season. In the summer, it’s great; in the winter, it’s not. She is fed 10-15 lb (4.5-9 kg) of grass hay every day, plus 2-4 lb (1-2 kg) of alfalfa hay daily in the winter. In the summer, she gets a few flakes of grass hay in addition to her pasture intake. As far as concentrates, she receives 2 cups of crimped oats, 1 cup of timothy pellets, and 1 cup of rice bran in the morning and evening. I also feed her a trace mineral supplement and supplemental vitamin E in the evening. She doesn’t love the trace mineral supplement, so I often add molasses. I feel as though her coat is drab this year, too, so I want to make sure I am hitting all the key nutrients. I plan to start riding her again in a few weeks.
Answer
The feeding program is suitable for your horse currently. As you start riding again, her energy requirements will rise, but increased pasture quality and quantity are likely to fulfill this need.
The current diet relies on grass hay to supply protein and amino acids as well as some of the key minerals related to hoof health, such as calcium. Protein quantity and quality can vary greatly in grass hays based on the species and stage of maturity at harvesting, so grass hay diets can be marginal in essential amino acids.
You are improving the overall protein and mineral intake by offering alfalfa, but you may consider using a ration balancer instead of the trace mineral supplement. A ration balancer will also supply key vitamins that are not included in the supplement or provided in sufficient amounts in the hay.
Additional copper and zinc are not necessary, as the current diet is already providing adequate levels. Changing the source of these minerals can be beneficial, but the current supplement provides organic sources that are considered to have exceptional bioavailability.
Other factors outside of the diet also play critical roles in improving hoof health, including regular, competent farrier care that focuses on optimizing hoof conformation, thrush treatment if necessary, and limited exposure to wet-dry cycles (as much as possible).
Is limited hoof growth an issue with Robber? Improving the speed of hoof growth is desirable for addressing hoof issues. A field study with Bio-Bloom HF (available in Australasia) showed improved hoof growth rates during 120 days of supplementation. You may want to consider Bio-Bloom PS, a targeted hoof supplement designed to be fed in conjunction with a balanced diet and available in the United States and other countries.
A ration balancer combined with a well-formulated hoof supplement is a successful approach for horses with chronic hoof problems fed hay-only diets.
