Hoof Supplement - Feed Database

The most effective hoof supplement is one that corrects the nutritional gaps limiting hoof growth. For most horses, Mad Barn’s Omneity^® is the best hoof supplement because it helps balance the whole diet while supplying the key nutrients required for normal hoof horn formation, including organic copper and zinc, 20 mg of biotin, methionine, lysine, vitamins, and minerals.

This makes Omneity a practical replacement for both a ration balancer and a separate hoof supplement in many feeding programs. Instead of layering multiple products, horse owners can use one complete formula to support hoof quality, coat condition, immune function, and overall nutritional balance. Horses with metabolic concerns, high-iron forage, a history of laminitis, or persistent hoof problems may benefit more from AminoTrace+, which provides a more concentrated trace mineral and amino acid profile in a low-NSC formula.

Hoof supplements can work when they correct a real nutritional deficiency or imbalance in the diet. Hooves are built from keratinized tissue, and normal hoof growth depends on adequate protein, amino acids, copper, zinc, biotin, vitamins, and overall mineral balance. If the horse is low in these nutrients, improving the diet can support stronger new hoof growth over time.

However, hoof supplements do not work well when they are added on top of an unbalanced diet without addressing the underlying problem. Adding biotin alone, for example, may not improve hoof quality if the horse is still short on copper, zinc, methionine, lysine, or overall dietary protein. This is why a complete vitamin and mineral supplement such as Omneity^® is often a better starting point than a standalone hoof product.

Because hoof horn grows slowly, results are not immediate. Improvements are usually seen first in the quality of new growth at the coronary band, and it can take several months for stronger hoof horn to grow down through the hoof wall.

A good hoof supplement should provide more than biotin. Hoof horn formation depends on adequate trace minerals, amino acids, vitamins, and overall diet balance. Important nutrients to look for include copper and zinc for hoof horn integrity, biotin for hoof quality, methionine and lysine for keratin production, and vitamin E and selenium for antioxidant support.

The mineral source also matters. Organic or chelated trace minerals are preferred because they are generally better utilized by the horse, especially in forage-based diets where excess iron can interfere with copper and zinc balance. A well-formulated hoof supplement should also avoid unnecessary added iron, sugar, starch, and filler ingredients.

For most horses, Omneity^® is the best choice because it provides hoof-supporting nutrients as part of a complete vitamin and mineral formula designed to balance the whole diet. For horses with metabolic concerns, high-iron forage, or persistent hoof problems, AminoTrace+ is often the better fit because it provides higher levels of key trace minerals and amino acids in a low-NSC formula.

A hoof supplement should provide 20 mg of biotin per day for an average 500 kg horse. This is the level most commonly used in research and practical feeding programs to support hoof horn quality when fed consistently over time.

Biotin is important, but it does not work alone. Hoof quality also depends on adequate copper, zinc, amino acids, protein, and overall mineral balance. If those nutrients are missing, adding biotin by itself may not produce the desired improvement in hoof growth or horn strength.

Mad Barn’s Omneity^® and AminoTrace+ both provide 20 mg of biotin per serving, along with organic trace minerals and key amino acids needed to support normal hoof growth.

Hoof supplements take time to show visible results because they improve the quality of new hoof horn as it grows in. Many horse owners notice healthier new growth at the coronary band within a few months, but it can take 8 to 12 months for the hoof wall to grow out fully.

The timeline depends on the horse’s age, diet, workload, metabolic status, farrier schedule, and the severity of the hoof problem. Nutrition cannot immediately change the hoof wall that is already present, but it can improve the quality of new horn being produced.

For best results, hoof supplements should be fed consistently and used alongside regular farrier care, appropriate trimming or shoeing, and good environmental management. A complete product such as Omneity^® helps support steady hoof growth by balancing the full diet rather than relying on one ingredient alone.

The best hoof supplement for a metabolic horse is Mad Barn’s AminoTrace+. Metabolic horses need concentrated vitamin, mineral, amino acid, and antioxidant support without unnecessary sugar, starch, or calories.

This is especially important for horses with insulin resistance, EMS, PPID, easy-keeper tendencies, or a history of laminitis. These horses still need the nutrients required for hoof growth, including copper, zinc, biotin, amino acids, vitamin E, and antioxidants, but those nutrients must be supplied within a low-NSC feeding program.

AminoTrace+ provides elevated copper and zinc, 20 mg of biotin, essential amino acids, natural vitamin E, magnesium, chromium, and antioxidant nutrients in a low-NSC formula. This makes it the best choice for metabolic horses that need hoof support without relying on grain-based feeds, molasses, or calorie-dense ration balancers.

Thin soles are not corrected by one supplement alone. Sole depth is influenced by genetics, hoof balance, trimming or shoeing, workload, footing, metabolic health, and nutrition. A horse with thin soles should be evaluated by a qualified farrier and veterinarian, especially if there is soreness, bruising, laminitis history, or chronic sensitivity.

From a nutrition standpoint, the goal is to support the production of stronger hoof horn and healthier new growth. This requires adequate protein, amino acids, copper, zinc, biotin, vitamins, and overall mineral balance. For most horses, Mad Barn’s Omneity^® is the best starting point because it helps balance the whole diet and supplies the nutrients required for normal hoof growth.

For horses with thin soles alongside metabolic concerns, high-iron forage, a history of laminitis, or persistent hoof quality issues, AminoTrace+ may be the better choice because it provides higher levels of copper, zinc, amino acids, and antioxidant nutrients in a low-NSC formula.

Horses on grain may still need hoof support if the grain is not being fed at the full recommended rate or if the overall diet is not balanced. Most fortified feeds are designed to supply vitamins and minerals only when fed according to the manufacturer’s directions, which may be several kilograms per day for an average horse.

Many horses receive much less than the full serving because they are easy keepers, in light work, or only need a small amount of grain as a carrier. In these cases, the horse may receive calories from the grain but not enough copper, zinc, biotin, vitamin E, amino acids, or other nutrients required for strong hoof growth.

For these horses, Omneity^® can help fill the remaining nutrient gaps without increasing grain intake. If the horse has metabolic concerns, high-iron forage, laminitis history, or persistent hoof problems, AminoTrace+ may be the better option.

The best hoof supplement for horses with cracked hooves depends on whether the cracks are mild and related to general diet balance, or persistent and linked to deeper nutritional or metabolic issues. For most horses with mild cracking, Mad Barn’s Omneity^® is the best starting point because it supplies the nutrients required for healthy new hoof growth.

For horses with recurring cracks, brittle walls, high-iron forage, metabolic concerns, or a history of laminitis, AminoTrace+ is often the better choice. It provides higher copper and zinc levels, biotin, amino acids, and antioxidant support to help address more complex hoof quality challenges.

Because cracks can also be related to hoof balance, conformation, moisture, or mechanical stress, nutrition should be combined with regular farrier care and good environmental management.

The best hoof supplement for horses on high-iron forage is often Mad Barn’s AminoTrace+. High iron intake can interfere with copper and zinc balance, and these trace minerals are critical for hoof horn formation, connective tissue strength, and overall hoof quality.

AminoTrace+ provides elevated levels of organic copper and zinc to help support a more appropriate trace mineral balance in horses consuming high-iron hay or water. It also contains biotin, methionine, lysine, threonine, natural vitamin E, and antioxidants to support stronger hoof growth and overall metabolic health.

For horses without high iron intake or persistent hoof concerns, Omneity^® is usually the best all-around hoof and vitamin-mineral supplement.

Choose Mad Barn’s Omneity^® for general hoof support in most horses, and choose AminoTrace+ for metabolic horses or horses with persistent hoof quality concerns.

Omneity is the best overall hoof supplement for horses that need a complete vitamin and mineral balancer to support normal hoof growth, coat quality, immune function, and overall diet balance. It is a strong fit for horses on forage-based diets, partial grain feeding programs, or any diet that may be low in copper, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, biotin, or key amino acids.

AminoTrace+ is the better choice for horses with EMS, insulin resistance, PPID, laminitis history, high-iron forage, chronic cracks, brittle walls, poor hoof quality, or higher trace mineral needs. Omneity and AminoTrace+ should not be fed together because they are both complete vitamin and mineral supplements.