I do not believe any oral suppliments help as much as they claim. There are no scientific results that proove otherwise.
I agree with you to a certain degree. I reckon manufacturers surely have 'artistic license' with their packaging & claims!:lol::-( ...But then that's not confined to supplements & the horse industry either. And absence of proof is not proof of absence. Especially on these matters, I think absence of proof is more likely about absence of funding for research.
But surely you agree that nutrition & feeding is vital to health, and that generally speaking, domestic horses will be deficient *or imbalanced* in a number of nutrients? Therefore, supplementation is often beneficial. That's why my advice is to do feed analysis through an *independent* service to the manufacturers, such as FeedXL.com for eg. That way you *know* what your horse is getting & needs, and you know whether the particular supp does actually supply it - found out the hard way that many don't, despite lables, before using FeedXL.
Nutrient imbalance can cause suppression or depletion of other nutrients in the body, so it's vital to not just feed them anything, but only what's necessary to correct the balance. I think this is the biggest factor & perhaps it is that studies have only been carried out on Joe Bloggs feeding a complete supp to their horse when she's not sure what it needs - it is getting more nutrients but still just as imbalanced. While I am not aware of any other studies done, I know of a number of cases where soil or feed has been tested from pasture with sick animals, found to be deficient in zinc or such, and the horses have come good after supplementation.
The amount that you have to give to a 1100lb - 1500lb horse to be effective in 1 dose for what you want that suppliment to do, will break down from the mouth, into the salavia, into the stomache, into the blood, and into the specific spot you want the suppliment to effect - will end up very minimal.
Um, it's not about going 'into the specific spot'. They don't have to find their way to where you intend them to go
. The nutrients don't just go to specific spots & work there, but they're more of a general conditioner for the health of the body. Different nutrients do have different functions tho & affect different organs more or less. For eg. while they affect various bodily functions, copper & zinc particularly effect the hair & skin(ie hooves too). Other thing with skin & hair is that they're extremities, that the body stops feeding when nutrition is lacking, in order to retain enough for the health of the vital organs. So they are often the first sign of ill health *in the entire body* not just of themselves. Flakey hooves for eg don't necessarily just signify foot probs, but may be due to deficiency or suppression of glucose in the entire system for eg.
Whether nutrients begin being digested in the mouth, stomach or otherwise, they're still digested. But on that note, it does depend on the type of nutrient, and generally speaking, natural sources - plants for eg - are far more digestible than synthetic or otherwise manufactured supplements(eg it's far more effective to eat beetroot for iron deficiency than take high-dose iron tabs). Unfortunately many natural sources have far lower levels than manufactured supps, so it's a question of balance & understanding how they're digested.... or paying for a service like FeedXL so you have an *independent*(note I wouldn't trust one paid by a feed co) qualified nutritionist to explain or tell you what's best.
I believe, that the only sure way to help your horses hooves, in the long run - is to find a farrier who does a good job, and allows the hoof to have blood flow.
This seems to be still a common view. Unfortunately it's traditional, even in veterinary research, to have looked to the mechanics only, in treatment of problems such as laminitis & founder. Altho it has been common knowledge for eons that carbohydrate overload is the major cause of lami, until recently, they don't seem to have known what to do with the information. Drs Chris Pollitt & Robert Bowker are 2 people at the forefront of research that is changing the situation & attitudes tho. Through recent research, I am coming to believe that nutrition & diet has *everything* to do with hoof health, and while of course good hoofcare is important, it is but one factor. Management is what really matters most - ie proper feeding & exercise - so therefore the vast percentage of responsibility is down to the owner, not the farrier.
Re blood flow, it has been shown that laminae break down due to metabolic stress - regardless of the mechanics, regardless of hoof function, usually diet/nutrition probs. In fact, in *truly* healthy, well connected feet, it is virtually impossible to separate laminae with mechanical force alone. In the case of laminitis, the NSCs suppress glucose, leading to breakdown and subsequent swelling, leading to reduction of blood flow. Without correcting these issues, regardless of mechanics or function, the laminae cannot grow strong & well connected with good circulation. It has been show that increasing glucose and insuline sensitivity may be beneficial, especially if sugar/starch levels cannot be reduced sufficiently - altho again, not sure there's any hard 'proof' on that yet for you. Think I read of studies done on this on hoofrehab.com or safergrass.org.
There is nothing wrong with going with shoes on the fronts only.
That depends... As a blanket statement I believe it's incorrect.
