Which horse feed supplement to choose ?  

Birk Super Feet, the ideal complement to your horse’s feed, for optimal health !

Generally, administering sugar to a horse with laminitis is not recommended into its food. With Birk Super Feet, no sugar is added artificially into horse food. The sugar content of Birk Super Feet is very low at less than 3%. The starch content is also low at 5.3%. And with the relatively low amount of feed, this is not problematic, especially for horses with laminitis, insulin resistance or other metabolic problems.

Sugar is found in almost all natural base materials and therefore, by itself should not be considered a toxin. The sugar content in hay is about 5-8% and this is for about 10 kg of hay that an adult horse of 500 kg weight should receive daily.

Birk Super Feet, a low-sugar food supplement

The sugar content of Birk Super Feet is harmless even for a horse with laminitis. Birk Super Feet has a positive effect into horse feed both as a supplementary feed and as a dietary feed and is particularly suitable during recovery after illness or after an operation. Birk Super Feet is available from your veterinarian or hoof specialist.

Why is Sulfur Important for Horses ?

The connective tissues of all mammals are rich in the mineral sulfur. The skin, hair, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and the hooves of horses are comprised of connective tissue. Collagen is the protein of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in the mammalian body. Sulfur, an important component of collagen, is required for both joint health and, in horses, healthy hooves. One dietary source of sulfur is methionine, an essential amino acid that the body can convert to another “sulfur containing” amino acid called cysteine. Once converted, cysteine furnishes the sulfur “welds,” or crosslinks, that are necessary for healthy collagen and thus strong connective tissue infrastructure. The lack of sulfur or methionine in a horse’s diet is known to lead to structural weakness in the ligaments, tendons, bones, joints, and hooves. However, too much sulfur in a horse’s diet can lead to over supplementation and weaken joint strength and hoof quality as well.

How does over supplementation occur ?

Many hoof supplements contain sulfur in the form of the amino acid methionine. The added methionine balances the relative deficiency of methionine in the typical equine pasture and hay diet. Most equine joint supplements contain MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, which contains around 34% sulfur. Sulfur over supplementation can result from feeding a hoof supplement with methionine along with a joint supplement containing MSM. The excess sulfur in the diet has been shown to block proper absorption of copper. Copper, along with vitamin C, is necessary for the formation of collagen and the building of healthy connective tissue for strong hooves and joints.

How can over supplementation be avoided ?

There are other negative effects of over supplementation, and it is generally not a good idea to give more than one vitamin/mineral supplement to a horse. If the horse has joint problems in addition to hoof problems, joint supplements without additional sulfur can be given in addition to the hoof supplement. Avoiding other supplements with duplicate nutrients is key to reducing the risks of over supplementation. Giving a single balanced supplement backed by research and years of proven effectiveness is recommended, and can lead to a healthier and happier horse.

Birk Super Feet and Farrier’s Formula® Double Concentrate are formulated to provide nutrients to help build strong connective tissue, improve hoof and coat quality, and provides support for the joints.

The benefits of biotin for the horse

Horse biotin  is necessary as a coenzyme for a multitude of metabolic functions, and is significantly important in the proper growth and strength of the connective tissue. Hooves, skin, hair, and tendons are structures comprised primarily of connective tissue. Supplementation of Horse biotin  is safe - biotin is a water soluble vitamin, which means biotin is not stored in the body in any significant amounts.

What are the sources of biotin for the horse

Horse biotin  is found naturally in pasture grasses and most feedstuffs fed to horses. Hindgut microbes normally manufacture sufficient biotin to meet the horse’s daily requirement.

Does it make a difference how the biotin is derived ? 

Natural source biotin from feedstuffs and pasture is the ideal Horse biotin  source. Hoof supplements contain man-made biotin that is manufactured to be pure biotin. Synthetic biotin is absorbed and utilized by the horse. Hoof supplements typically provide supplementation of biotin at 10 to 30 mg per day.

What do you wish more people knew about horse biotin ?

Although Horse biotin  is an important nutrient for hoof health, hooves are more likely to benefit from a hoof supplement containing a balance of nutrients. Dr. Sue Kempson, a noted researcher at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, studied structures in the hoof wall called tubules with an electron microscope. Dr. Kempson found that the horses that respond to biotin supplementation show microscopic defects of tubules in the outermost layer of hoof wall, while horses that have middle and inner wall tubule defects do not benefit from biotin supplementation. In a study of 33 samples of hoof wall trimmings, only two cases had tubule defects limited to the outer wall only. The other 31 (94%) had tubule defects in the middle and inner hoof wall. The horse in the case study with middle and inner wall tubule defects did not respond to six months of “biotin only” supplementation; however this horse did respond to Horse biotin plus calcium supplementation. (Kempson, S.A. 1987. Scanning electron microscope observations of hoof horn from horses with brittle feet. Vet. Rec. 120:568-570.)

The fundamental nutrients for hoof health

Horse biotin is only one of many nutrients needed for a healthy hoof into horse nutrition. An effective hoof supplement must contain a combination of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and phospholipids.

• Amino acids are the protein building blocks of tissue.
  • Tyrosine is an amino acid component of thyroid hormone. Iodine, a mineral, is also a component of thyroid hormone. A deficiency can lead to low thyroid function, obesity, and poor hair coat and hoof quality. There is a strong relationship between tyrosine, iodine, hoof problems and obesity.
  • Methionine is a sulfur containing amino acid deficient in grasses and grains. Methionine is important for the proper utilization of lipids and building the sulfur crosslinks that add strength to connective tissue. 
  • It is important to provide a hoof supplement with a balance of amino acids – an imbalance of the amino acid ratio leads to inefficient protein production and creates excess nitrogen metabolic byproducts. 
• Vitamins are necessary for many metabolic processes and the general health of the horse and the hooves.
  • Vitamin C supplementation is traditionally believed to be unnecessary in horses. However research conducted by Life Data Labs  established that stabled or stressed horses often have minimal blood levels of ascorbic acid and therefore benefit from supplementation. Vitamin C is required for healthy and strong connective tissue.
• L-carnitine
  • L-carnitine is a nutrient that provides the body with more energy. L-carnitine is an amino acid-like substance that is synthesized by the body from the amino acids lysine and methionine or ingested through food. L-carnitine plays an important role in transporting fatty acids to the mitochondria where they are used for energy. In addition, L-carnitine is also valued for its positive effect on metabolism and energy production. Among other things, it contributes to a normal energy-yielding metabolism to reduce tiredness and exhaustion and contributes to the normal functioning of the heart. It can also help improve the use of fat as an energy source.
  • Mitochondria are cell organelles. They are found in animal and plant cells. As the "power plants of the cells" they produce the so-called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It serves your body as an energy carrier and is required throughout the body.

• Copper is an important component of a multitude of metabolic functions. Copper deficiency leads to a number of abnormal conditions including defects in the pigmentation and strength of the hooves. Forages can be copper deficient, especially if grown in high rainfall areas.
    
• Zinc is required for the healthy maturing of keratin, a major component of the outer layers of dermal tissue. Proper keratin formation is important for wound healing, skin health, and hoof structure. Zinc can be present in less than ideal levels in forages.
    
• Calcium provides the adhesive “welds” between cells. Excess phosphorus in the diet can interfere with calcium absorption. Bran is high in phosphorus content.
    
• Fatty acids and phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine) add strength and pliability to connective tissues, and are also critical for healthy moisture balance. 

The goal of a hoof supplement is to provide a balance of nutrients important for connective tissue formation that may be deficient in the horse’s diet, while at the same time preventing over-supplementation of any nutrients that may interfere with other nutrients.