Question

I have a 19-year-old, 1,400-lb (635-kg) Hanoverian gelding. A poorly trained farrier has caused him much pain over the last nine months. In addition to hoof problems, he has soft tissue damage, compensatory ailments, muscle wasting, and unusual gaits. He eats good-quality grass hay with alfalfa occasionally mixed in as well as a handful of a performance feed. He is out to pasture all day. Are any of your supplements beneficial for overall healing and tissue repair? What other recommendations can you give so that he heals as best he can?

Answer

You may want to consider swapping the performance feed for balancer pellets since such low quantities are being fed  The nutrients that would be of major concern for your gelding right now are protein to rebuild muscle tissue, and minerals and vitamins, which are responsible for bone health and integrity (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and vitamin D).

Ration balancers contain concentrated amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals so they can be fed at low feeding rates (like 1-2 lb or 0.5-1 kg per day). They are designed to supply the nutrients that may be minuscule or completely missing in the forage. Learn more about balancer pellets.

There are innumerable supplements on the market that claim many things without research to back up the claims. While we have great research to support KER supplements, the most important thing is for the horse to have a well-balanced diet or the supplements may not be of any help to your horse.

I will mention a few of the supplements we have that may be of interest, and you can decide if you think any of them would be useful.

Bio-Bloom PS – prescription-strength hoof supplement

Preserve PS – prescription-strength antioxidant for muscle health

DuraPlex – bone mineralization supplement, especially useful for young horses and older horses confined to a stall, run, or other small space

EO-3 – DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acid supplement

Synovate HA – liquid sodium hyaluronate

If you believe your gelding has developed ulcers due to the stall rest, then I would suggest RiteTrac, a total digestive tract buffer.