Nutrition and Hoof Quality

My hoofcare provider (Courtney Vincent) emailed me to ask about a product she recently encountered:

I trim 2 horses, same place, same feeds, 3-4 year age difference, both QH, both on 5oz AZ Copper Complete.
Then [someone] gave her a sample of something called hoof armour or something like that - it is a yeast supplement for feet, very expensive. Have you heard of it? Anyway, she put the one horse on it and did not put the other horse on it.

I went back to trim and the horse on it had zero separation and foot looked good overall, the other one looked horrible, had terrible separation and just overall not good.

I had briefly looked at Kombat Boots some time ago and felt that, given the cost, I would just try HorseTech's Yeast+.

I took a closer look at it this morning, and also some other things I feel might affect hoof quality, especially in an older horse.

Yeast

Kombat Boots appears to me to be an expensive version of saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. http://www.kombatboots.com/.

Based on the information on their web site I don't see any advantage for this product over basic Diamond V http://www.diamondv.com/products-core/ or Yea-Sacc http://www.yea-sacc1026.com/yea-sacc/about.htm.

I've been using Yeast+ from HorseTech (which is Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast from Diamond V) http://www.horsetech.com/yeast.htm.

You can order bulk bags of Diamond V yeast at some feed stores or from here http://triangleh.com/category/diamond-v-yeast-order/ (I've never ordered here so don't know the level of service).

Yea-Sacc is available in SmartPaks http://www.smartpakequine.com/ProductClass.aspx?productclassid=3706

If you do a comparison, Kombat Boots claims "100 grams of natural yeast in an 8 oz. serving". This is about 12.5 grams per ounce so I presume there is some kind of filler to make it pelleted. HorseTech's Yeast+ is 28 grams of yeast per ounce or 227 grams in 8 ounces. No filler. Same for basic Yea-Sacc or Diamond V.

Kombat Boots' web site says "other" products "...use yeast cultures, yeast extracts..." implying they don't actually contain yeast. The products I looked at above do contain "Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast..." or "Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and the media on which it was grown..." - this certainly indicates that these products do contain yeast. I don't know how yeast might be grown except on a culture medium of some type so any yeast might be considered a "culture", even if it is removed from the growth media.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast will act as a probiotic and to help older horses (and younger stressed horses) with B-vitamin support, and is thought to help with utilization of feeds - improved fiber digestion in horses hasn't been scientifically proven but is claimed in other species and in horses anecdotally.

Forage

Another thing I'd look at for an older horse (or any horse with hoof problems) is the crude protein (CP) and digestibility (ADF, NDF) of their hay, and if the energy level (DE) is sufficient to keep protein from being diverted to energy use. If the hay is not really good, even extra amino acids (AA's) in the supplement might not be enough. Horse's digestive systems weren't really meant to support horses living this long (how many horses over twenty or twenty-five survive in the wild?) - some that aren't doing well on the "basics" may need a boost. Protein sources that also contain moderate levels of fat can be useful, keeping in mind that high fat levels can worsen or induce insulin resistance (IR).

We also need to look at how the horses are processing their feed. Older horses make less saliva which makes chewing more difficult, compounded by less tooth function with age. Are they really chewing adequately? Dunking or soaking hay may help. Do they need to have their hay chopped (a wood chipper from Home Depot of Lowes) or do they need to be switched to

pelleted hay (this is why my aged black Appendix mare is getting close to 8-9 lbs alfalfa/Timothy pellets + beet pulp daily, along with her AZ Copper Complete supplement and Yeast+). Plain or mixed pellets from Mtn Sunrise, or Lakin or other mixed pellets can make up 100% of the ration, with hay provided for "entertainment". This might really be the first place to look for an older horse - it's worth trying a pelleted hay for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference.

Improving protein

There is a wide variety of feeds that can provide supplemental protein. Some of them - and the amount of CP they provide in 0.25 lbs/4 ounces - are:

Soy meal - 116g

Distillers Grains - 34.8g

Flaxseed - 31.7g

Sunflower seeds - 31.7g

Split peas - 28g (high starch)

Wheat bran - 19.7g (high starch)

Rice bran - 16.8g (high starch)

Oats - 14.4g (high starch)

Soy is a fairly complete protein plus it's cheap - thus its popularity in feeds. Soybean hulls may provide lower lysine content or its lysine availability may depend on what's combined with them. Calf Manna is an example of a high soy protein feed (but also contains corn which can make it unsuitable for an IR horse).

None of the others are "complete" proteins by themselves but, used in combination, can provide a more complete AA profile. Moorman's MoorGlo has rice bran, flaxseed and "SoyShine" lipids plus some alfalfa meal and is very palatable. Nutrena Empower is a similar product. Both are high fat (18-22%) so should not be fed in large quantities.

Whey protein isolate has a complete amino acid profile; most products (human sports/protein drink powders) provide about 24 grams protein in 1 ounce - or 96 grams in 4 oz. This is highly digestible protein (vs crude protein); does not add a lot of calories or sugars and would be one of my top choices for an IR horse or other horses where we want to limit sugar/starch. It's easy to add a scoop or two to feed twice a day. I tend to stick with vanilla - your horse may prefer other flavors. Whey (not the isolate) is a common ingredient in many feeds; it will have higher sugar levels and lower protein levels than the isolate. Make sure the product is pure whey - some protein powders also contain egg or soy protein.

So, going back to Kombat Boots, we have another "magic bullet" - an expensive product that appears to be the missing ingredient in our horses' lives. Can it help? - probably. Would it be so effective if protein, energy, vitamins or minerals were missing from our horses' ration? - probably not. Is it worth the cost? Well, until they show me in true scientific terms - double blind crossover studies comparing Kombat Boots to basic Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, I'll stick with my Yeast+ from HorseTech.

Probiotics - Do We Need Them?

I want to know what everyone is using for probiotics - and didnt you tell me once you could just add some yogurt to their feed? Wouldnt this be a different kind of bacteria than a horse would normally get?

The following quote is from Dr. Kellon's Nutrition as Therapy course. There's an entire chapter on probiotics/prebiotics which I can't reproduce here.

"The bacteria you see in equine probiotic products are all “borrowed” from human data with no studies whatsoever to support their use in horses. Then there's the issue of dose. Dr. Scott Weese in Canada is the closest thing to an expert on veterinary probiotics there is. He has estimated it would take a minimum dose of 10 to 20 billion live organisms to have any effect in a horse. Humans taking probiotics to ward off antibiotic associated diarrhea often take a higher dose than that 4 times a day! If you read the label on probiotic products, forgetting for the moment that the bacteria they contain may well be useless, very few measure up to this potency. For a horse that might benefit from pre/probiotic support, I usually recommend:

• High potency prebiotic like Forco or Ration Plus for support of upper intestinal Lactobacilli (contains growth factors for these organisms)
• Easily fermentable prebiotic foods for the hindgut organisms, like beet pulp or psyllium.
• If populations may be low (older horses, horses with diarrhea,horses with a chronic history of bloating/hay belly) and use a high potency probiotic like Equine Generator from www.bio-vet.com, or start with a human high potency acidophilus only product (acidophilus is one species of Lactobacillus.)"

Scott Weese, DVM, is an expert in diseases of the equine GI tract. His paper on probiotics can be accessed on IVIS at http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/AAEP/2001/91010100027.pdf.

(If you're not already a member at IVIS, go ahead and join - it is free and a valuable source of international veterinary information).

Because of the paucity of actual research about probiotics, when I first read Dr. Weese's paper I checked out yogurt (yoghurt) as a possible source of microbes for our horses. The "requirement" for a manufacturer to use the "live and active cultures" logo is 100 million per gram at time of manufacture; Mountain High yoghurt, for example, promotes "An 8-ounce serving of Mountain High Yoghurt contains more than 22 billion cultures at the time of manufacture." The recommended minimum dose for horses is 10 billion CFU (cultures or "colony forming units")/day.

So, IMO, it would probably be sufficient to use yogurt (a quality brand like Mountain High, Dannon or a good organic or home made) for the occasional need to boost gut microbes, such as after worming or a normal course of antibiotics.

Probiotics usually shouldn't be needed on a daily basis. Once an ill horse is recovered, or a stressed horse is back to their regular routine, a few days or a week's dosing should get their gut flora going. The main exceptions would be a horse with high carbs in their diet – usually from grain or pre-mixed feeds - which spill over into their hind gut, or a horse with chronic diarrhea (and cultures should be done here to help determine the cause). Some older horses with chronic digestive problems may also benefit. Then it makes sense to use a quality probiotic for simplicity, along with a pre-biotic, which provides "food" for the gut flora. But for most healthy horses, daily probiotics are probably an unnecessary expense (which could be better spent on testing hay).

Pre-biotics: Ration Plus, Forco, beet pulp, flax, psyllium fed daily (will lose some of it's purported sand clearing ability if fed daily), yeast (Yea-Sac)

Pro-biotics: Equine Generator http://bio-vet.com/equineproducts.htm, also available at http://vetamerica.com/equine-generator-1-lb.aspx, DFM EQ from Horses Prefer http://horsesprefer.com/digsup.htm

Check labels to make sure the product is supplying at least 10 billion CFU per SERVING. Ex: the DFM EQ provides 200 billion CFU per ounce, but the serving size is 1 scoop, which is 5 grams or 1/5th ounce; this still provides 35 billion CFU per serving which is fine.

The DFM ProLactic from HorseTech is on the low side (2 billion CFU), as are most levels added to feeds or supplements. There’s a complete listing of probiotic products in Dr. Kellon’s Horse Journal Guide to Equine Supplements and Nutraceuticals.

Making It Through the Tough Times

I work with a few people who simply can't afford a basic commercial supplement, even the very cost-effective HorseTech flax-based supplements (including AZ Regional Mix or Rod's standard products).

A healthy horse doesn't need all the extras included in many supplements, such as biotin, methionine, probiotics, etc. As long as requirements are met, pasture or good quality hay with some supporting trace minerals and salt will provide what most horses not in intense work need.

Horses on hay only (often the case in the Southwest) should receive a source of Omega-3 fatty acids (flax) and vitamin E. Horses on good pasture usually are well supplied with these during grazing season.

If you are willing to trade off some convenience, this is what I suggest when money is tight:

• Buy the best hay you can find - this is not the area to skimp in.
  
• Fresh ground flax - 4 oz/day (one full cup). Purchase 50 lb bags, grind once a week and store in freezer or refrigerator.
  
• Poly copper and poly zinc - 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon/day. (Available from HorseTech or Uckele)
  
• Vitamin E - 2,000 IU. Use human gel caps - the 400 IU size are usually barely noticed and most horses just eat them right down when mixed in their feed. The oil base improves absorption - this is more important than whether the vitamin E is "natural" or synthetic.
  
• Iodized table salt - minimum 1 ounce, up to 3 ounces for idle horses and more for working horses.
  
• Selenium - generally 2 mg/day if not in a high selenium area. If in doubt about your horse's selenium status, ask your vet to check whole blood levels. (Selenium yeast from Platinum)
  
• Chromium - only if hay is grown in arid conditions where it is likely deficient. 2 mg/day for working horses, more for an IR horse, none for idle horses. (Chromium yeast from Platinum)

Along with quality hay, the best thing you can give your horse is exercise. When we confine our horses, it is our obligation to provide them with as much turn out and movement as possible. Lack of exercise can not be fixed with a "supplement".

The best treat? A good grooming. Besides being inexpensive, it provides exercise for you and an opportunity to bond with your horse. But a healthy inexpensive "food" treat is split peas from your grocery store. Crunchy, yummy and they have a complete amino acid profile.

Does your working horse need a little more in the way of protein, calories and energy? Use a 50/50 mix- by weight - of beet pulp and oats (or alfalfa and oats). This is pretty well balanced for major minerals - and most horses will enjoy a beet pulp/oat mash after a workout. Don't forget the extra salt to replace sodium and chloride losses Unless you're doing intense work, there's no need for commercial electrolytes - many don't supply enough sodium and chloride and the feed will replace potassium and calcium.

You can give your horse what he needs without breaking the bank. Of course, basic hay/forage testing will help you do this more precisely - and is usually the most cost effective method, but the suggestions above will ensure your horse is getting the basics. If your horse has special needs (pregnant, nursing, growth, high level intense work, illness) they may require other additions - but this also can usually be done without costing a small fortune.

As always, I wish to credit Eleanor Kellon, VMD for giving me opportunities to learn the basics of equine nutrition. See the sidebar for links to Dr. Kellon's nutrition courses.