ridges on hoofs

Question
Hi Katrina,
           I have a 15 year old gelding who i've owned for 8 years, he is a talented showjumper. About 2 years ago he showed some lameness due to arthritis, about 5 month ago the lameness was not easing after  gentle work, i then started him on glucosimin 5000,devils claw and green lipped muscle,he has now been sound for 4 month, the problem is i have noticed thick bumby ridges on all 4 hoof walls from the top to half way down. could the supplements be causing this and should i stop feeding them. He is happy and well.

                Many Thanks. Carla

Answer
Dear Carla,

I am happy hear your horse is responding well to the supplements. Various studies debate the effectiveness of glucosamine based supplements, where other studies suggest a great beneficial effect. If it is beneficial for your horse, I would not stop feeding it.

The ridges you are describing point towards a change in metabolism in the horse. That explains why it is in all four hoofs, it is caused by a problem in the horses body rather than his hoofs itself. This chage can be due to illness, but usually you see one ridge then, not continuous ridges from the top downwards. Glucosamine consists of amino acids (building blocks of protein) and glucose (sugar), which can alter the metabolism of the horse. I never heard of a negative side effect though, as long as you keep within the daily limits as stated on the label of the product. This is the same for devils claw, I cant think of any side effects.

I am not familiar with green lipped mussel extract. After some research I found that studies based on dogs an humans do suggest a slight beneficial effect, but this can be cause due to placebo effects (for example, the dog owners who know these dogs are on the supplement are so convinced that it helps, that they start seeing improvements that are not there). As it is based on oils, I would not suggest this supplement in horses. Horses don't have a gallbladder and they have therefore difficulties to digest fat. Fats often disturb the balance of microorganisms in your horses gut, and doing so, they disturb healthy metabolism of the horse. My suggestion therefore is to cut out the Green lipped mussel, and see if there is any improvement.

Besides the supplements, the ridges might be caused by change in diet (for example a different source of hay, or a different pasture your horse is on). Having an analysis if your feeds is essential to know if all nutrients are balanced according to the needs of your horse.

I hope your horse can enjoy a lot more years together with you free from arthritis pain.

Kind Regards

Katrina