No Hoof Supplement Needed — Core Complete Covers It All

Horses on Core Complete do not need a hoof supplement. Why not?  Because the ingredients in hoof supplements (sometimes referred to as trace mineral supplements) are included in Core Complete. Hoof support is part of the “completeness” of Core Complete.

The purpose of a hoof supplement is to provide the horse with everything needed in order to grow a strong and resilient hoof with adequate sole depth.  A healthy foot does not crack or split, easily holds shoes, and is resistant to thrush, abscesses, white line disease, stone bruises, and virtually everything that can go wrong with feet.  Well-supported feet have healthy cartilage, tendons, and ligaments to support the foot during exercise and performance. The saying, “No foot, no horse” could not be more true.  Feet are the foundation for everything the horse does and a strong, flexible foot is critical for the horse’s overall well-being and for optimum performance.  

What do horses need to grow this type of foot? 

They need the raw materials that make up the foot structures as well as the key nutrients that allow their bodies to use those raw materials.  The first step in supporting healthy feet is providing adequate protein.  The hoof wall is made up of >90% protein.  Lack of protein will show up as cracking, flaking, crumbling, chipping, thin soles, and slow hoof growth. 

But not just any protein will support healthy feet.  Protein is made of up building blocks called amino acids.  Amino acids are either non-essential or essential.  Non-essential amino acids can be made by the horse’s body but essential amino acids must be fed because the horse’s body cannot make them. 

Of the essential amino acids, three are critical:  lysine, methionine, and threonine.  These three amino acids are referred to as rate-limiting, meaning that without them the horse’s ability to use ALL amino acids is compromised.  As a result, hoof quality will suffer.  These amino acids are typically deficient in hay and grass and many feeds and must be supplemented.

Horses also need specific minerals to grow healthy feet.  These include sulfur and the trace minerals copper, zinc, manganese, and selenium. 

Sulfur is needed to make the collagen in internal foot structures and the keratin that makes up the hoof horn; it is contained in the amino acid methionine.  Core Complete also provides additional sulfur in the form of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM).  Zinc maintains the hoof wall, the blood vessels that supply the foot, and other internal foot structures.  Zinc is critical for the enzymes that make collagen, keratin, and the “cement” that holds together the cells of the hoof horn.  It (as well as copper) also is critical for the synthesis of the enzyme that prevents the breakdown of fats and oils in the hoof, maintaining a protective seal (superoxide dismutase). Copper is required to make and to maintain the ligaments, tendons, bony framework and cartilage that make up the entire foot.  It also adds strength to collagen and the outer hoof wall.  Manganese is needed to maintain all of the internal foot structures.  It is required to make chondroitin sulfate which is used to form, maintain and repair cartilage.  It also maintains the bones of the foot.  Selenium is required for a key enzyme that protects cells from damage (glutathione peroxidase).

Additional nutrients are not critical to hoof health but support optimal hoof health.  Biotin (a B vitamin) contributes to hoof hardness. The anti-oxidant vitamins A and E also support hoof health by helping to manage full body oxidative stress. 

Let’s take a look at the ingredients in hoof supplements. 

Typically, these supplements contain lysine, methionine, threonine, copper, and zinc.  They may or may not contain manganese, selenium, biotin, and vitamins A and E.  They also may not include these nutrients at adequate levels to meet the horse’s needs.

Core Complete contains ALL of these nutrients at optimum levels – offering maximum support to your horse’s feet without the need for a hoof supplement.  In addition, because Core Complete is Complete, it also nourishes every other system in your horse’s body.