Biotin For Horses 

Last updated on July 12th, 2023 at 02:34 am

Biotin For Horses 

There are many nutrients and supplements that can better your horse’s health.

For example, you may have heard other equestrians at the barn talking about adding biotin to their horse’s feed. This is a supplement that can be a wise choice for improving your horse’s health. If your horse has a biotin deficiency, then adding it to their food as a supplement can be very helpful!

Keep reading to learn more about what biotin is, as well as how it can benefit your horse and how much you should administer to your horse in order to achieve optimal aesthetic and health results. 

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What Is Biotin?

First things first, what exactly is biotin? Biotin is the name for a particular member of the B family of vitamins. It can be found in some food sources such as eggs, bananas, and milk, among others. In addition, biotin can be found to be used in many different metabolic processes.

These may include those that are related to the utilization of amino acids, fats, and carbohydrates.

Biotin often is recommended to treat issues like hair loss or to improve the health of nails, skin, and hair— both in humans and in animals. Below, we will go over the benefits of biotin as it pertains to your horse in greater detail.

What Does Biotin Do For Your Horse?

As was mentioned above, biotin can be used as a treatment for issues with skin or hair health. It can also be used to improve the health of your horse’s hooves. It is crucial for cell growth and is said to be a kind of “intercellular glue”.

Not only can biotin improve the health and sturdiness of your equine partner’s hooves, but it can also help to keep their coats healthy, and keep the hair of their mane and tail in tip top shape as well.

This is because biotin helps to maintain and improve keratin’s structure within the body. Keratin is the basic protein that makes up our hair, nails, and skin, just as it makes up the hair, hooves, and skin of your horse.

How Much Biotin Should You Give Your Horse?

There are many symptoms of a biotin deficiency to watch out for. If your horse is suffering from brittle mane or tail, or a dull coat, for example, a biotin supplement can help. When their hooves are deteriorating or weakening— some examples being a soft white line on the hoof or a thin hoof wall— this can also be a sign that more biotin is needed in your horse’s diet. 

The amount of biotin that you should add to your horse’s diet will partially depend on their size and weight. The general rule of thumb is to give your horse between 4 and 8 mg of biotin for each 100 kg of your horse’s weight.

For a 500 kg horse, then, this would equate to 20 to 40 mg of biotin every day. Biotin is also a commitment— you will want to give it to your horse for no less than a 6 month period, every day. This gives you time for the results to show!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Biotin Do For your Horse?

Biotin (biotin supplementation) is a B vitamin (B7) that’s important for many bodily functions in humans and animals, including hoof-quality in horses. It is particularly critical for healthy skin, hair, and hooves in horses. Here’s how biotin might be beneficial for your horse:

1. Hoof Health: Biotin is most commonly supplemented in horses to support hoof health and hoof quality. It is an essential component in the formation of keratin, the main protein found in hooves and hair. Supplementing with biotin can help improve the quality of the hoof, reducing brittleness and cracking, and it might enhance the rate of hoof growth. However, it’s important to note that improvements can take several months to become noticeable, as the hoof needs time to grow out.
2. Coat Condition: Biotin helps maintain a healthy coat in horses. It can improve coat shine and quality, leading to a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
3. Metabolism: Like other B vitamins, biotin plays a key role in energy metabolism. It helps convert feed into usable energy and supports the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
4. Nervous System Function: Biotin is involved in the functioning of the nervous system and can contribute to the overall well-being of the horse.
5. Skin Health: Biotin is important for skin health, and a deficiency could lead to dermatitis and other skin problems.

It’s generally recommended to consult with a vet or equine nutritionist before starting any new supplement regimen for your horse. They can help determine whether your horse could benefit from biotin supplementation and can guide you in choosing the appropriate dosage. Healthy hooves are not always a linear process, sometimes you need multiple things and time. Healthy hooves are a life long everyday thing.

How much biotin can you feed a horse?

Biotin can be an important supplement to add to your horse’s diet, but you may wonder, then, how much of it you should give to your horse in order to see effects. Often, the amount of a nutrient, medicine, or supplement that you should give to an animal will depend upon the size of the horse. The bigger the horse, the larger the dose you will need in order to see results, typically.

For the average horse, then the requirements are generally between 15 and 20 mg every day. The dose can be recommended up to 30 mg daily, though, especially for larger horses! 

How much biotin should I give my horse for hooves?

Biotin is a nutrient or supplement that is often used for improving the health of the hooves in horses or other hoofed livestock animals. In order to see results in your horse, you will want to be sure you add the biotin to their daily intake and administer the right amount, too. Of course, you may wonder what the right amount is in the first place!

This is not the same amount for every horse— there is not a blanket amount of biotin that you should administer. This will depend upon how much your horse weighs. The general rule of thumb, then, is that you should give your horse anywhere between 4 and 8 mg for every 100 kg of their weight.

This should be done for at least 6 months in order to start seeing results!

Does biotin help horse hair growth?

Biotin can be added to your horse’s food and daily nutritional intake for a few different health benefits. It is commonly recommended in order to help with hoof health, as well as with hair growth, including the coat, mane, and tail of your horse.

It is also important to note that you will not see results right away, so you are not expecting this. Adding biotin to your horse’s diet should be done for at least 6 months so that you give your horse’s body the time it needs to put the nutrients to work and then improve hoof, hair, and coat growth. 

What are the deficiency signs of biotin in horses?

If your horse has a biotin deficiency, you may want to look into adding it to their diet as a supplement for their health. You may wonder, then, what the signs are of a biotin deficiency in horses. Horses that have a biotin deficiency will often exhibit reduced quality of their hooves.

This can look like hooves that have a soft white line, hooves that are cracking or crumbling, or hooves that have a thin or friable hoof wall. Poor coat quality can be another sign of a potential biotin deficiency in your horse to watch out for. 

Does Biotin Help your Horses Hoof Grow?

Horse hoof growth is possible.

Yes, biotin can help to promote hoof growth in horses and support health hooves. Biotin is a type of B vitamin that’s essential for the formation of keratin, the primary protein found in hooves.

Several studies have shown that supplementing a horse’s diet with biotin can improve hoof health and potentially increase the rate of hoof growth. However, it’s important to note that these improvements don’t occur immediately, because hooves grow slowly. To see noticeable changes, biotin supplementation often needs to continue for 6 to 9 months or more.

Biotin can be especially beneficial for horses with brittle, cracked, or poor-quality hooves. However, like all supplements, it should be used as part of a balanced diet and not as a substitute for proper nutrition and care. Always consult with a vet or equine nutritionist before starting a biotin supplementation regimen for your horse.