Has anyone used both and noticed a difference between them?
My guy has been on the FF for about 3 months now and is doing well, but I’m considering switching to the Smarthoof for $ reasons. On paper they look about equal (Smarthoof actually has a little more biotin per serving) but I’d love to hear if anyone has made the switch and could give me their input…
If your horse has been on a hoof supplement for a long time already, I haven’t noticed a difference switching to other brands. Using the Smartpak comparison feature it seems they are pretty comparable for the ingredients that contribute to healthy hooves. I think your wallet will thank you for the switch :).
Another option that I have been really happy with is Bioflax20. It’s less ingredients (essentially just biotin and flax) and has 20g of biotin. It’s easy on the wallet and your horse isn’t getting any additional unnecessary ingredients (which I think is important if you are already feeding a full ration of grain, using a lot of other supplements, or feeding a vit/min supplement). It’s even cheaper than the Smarthoof.
So I would like to argue that they are not essentially the same.
Bear in mind that horses only “need” 1-2 mg of biotin daily and can synthesize it in their hind gut (hypothetically, this seems to be a point of controversy), the only reason biotin is used as a hoof supplement is because it has been shown that giving “high dose oral” supplementation (5-25mg) has shown “some” positive effect after 9-12 months. Most researchers seem to have settled on 15mg-20mg with 25mg being referenced for draft horses, anything over that (20mg unless your horse is a draft) is useless and not a number to measure the value of the product upon.
Just remember that a hoof problem is not JUST a hoof problem, it’s a nutrition problem making itself evident through poor hoof quality.
FFDS has Inositol, Choline, over double the methionine, cystine, glycine, proline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, Cobalt, Iodine, phosphatidlcoline, calcium, phosphorus, over triple the vitamin C, and sodium.
SP’s (not the ultra) has an unspecified amount of Gelatin, an unspecified amount of omega 3&6 fatty acids (compared to FFDS’s 5,800mg), almost double the zinc, and slightly more copper.
It really is no contest, FFSD is the clear winner.
However, if you really want more copper, zinc, etc… I would suggest Reit Hoof: http://horsetech.com/equine-supplements/hoof-support/reithoof
Yes the normal serving has more biotin, but the price is better than FF and it provides more of the B vitamins and collagen that help produce better more flexible feet not JUST hard feet. Plus they send you famous amous cookies with every order 
Had my horse on SmartHoof for a full year and noticed no difference at all. Switched to Farrier’s Formula DS (I keep him on the loading dose of it), and definitely noticed faster hoof growth.
[QUOTE=yourcolorfuladdiction;8428870]
So I would like to argue that they are not essentially the same.
Bear in mind that horses only “need” 1-2 mg of biotin daily and can synthesize it in their hind gut (hypothetically, this seems to be a point of controversy), the only reason biotin is used as a hoof supplement is because it has been shown that giving “high dose oral” supplementation (5-25mg) has shown “some” positive effect after 9-12 months. Most researchers seem to have settled on 15mg-20mg with 25mg being referenced for draft horses, anything over that (20mg unless your horse is a draft) is useless and not a number to measure the value of the product upon.
Just remember that a hoof problem is not JUST a hoof problem, it’s a nutrition problem making itself evident through poor hoof quality.
FFDS has Inositol, Choline, over double the methionine, cystine, glycine, proline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, Cobalt, Iodine, phosphatidlcoline, calcium, phosphorus, over triple the vitamin C, and sodium.
SP’s (not the ultra) has an unspecified amount of Gelatin, an unspecified amount of omega 3&6 fatty acids (compared to FFDS’s 5,800mg), almost double the zinc, and slightly more copper.
It really is no contest, FFSD is the clear winner.
However, if you really want more copper, zinc, etc… I would suggest Reit Hoof: http://horsetech.com/equine-supplements/hoof-support/reithoof
Yes the normal serving has more biotin, but the price is better than FF and it provides more of the B vitamins and collagen that help produce better more flexible feet not JUST hard feet. Plus they send you famous amous cookies with every order :D[/QUOTE]
Really good information! Hooves are made of keratin, which is a protein, so I would look at the overall diet first and foremost. OP, what does your horse eat and how much on a daily basis?
I found that when I brought my horses home and switched to a lower starch slightly higher protein premium feed, all the feet really toughened up and improved in quality. For years I added veg oil, now I add flax, but I also feel that a fat source helps with brittleness.
Another issue is moisture - the hooves absorb some moisture and expand, and then when they dry out, they contract. It’s just enough that sometimes it can cause cracking and brittleness. If your horse lives outside in a wet environment or is constantly getting feet washed off, it may contribute to the problems.
I did a lot of research and found that Dumor Hoof from TSC is almost exactly the same as Farrier’s Formula. Just a few points off here and there and much much cheaper.
My old TB was on Farriers Formula for years. He was at the barn I worked at while in college so I took care of him during that time (he was a university-owned horse and I took him home with me when he was retired from the program). I took him off the FF and saw NO change - his feet didn’t get worse (I had him 12+ years before I put him down at 31). His feet actually looked better after but could’ve been due to change in his feed program and daily life.
I put my current mare on Reithoof by Horsetech and saw a difference with her feet over time (she needed help with her laminitis). So that along with a new farrier made a world of difference.
[QUOTE=FineAlready;8428888]
Had my horse on SmartHoof for a full year and noticed no difference at all. Switched to Farrier’s Formula DS (I keep him on the loading dose of it), and definitely noticed faster hoof growth.[/QUOTE]
I’ve had the same experience. We’re back on Farrier’s Formula Double Strength again.
He’s on Triple Crown Training, about 8 lbs a day, supplemented with 6 oz/day Cocosoya oil (will be switching to vegetable oil when this current round of Cocosoya runs out). He gets alot of fairly good quality hay (round bale during day and about 4 flakes at night) and has good pasture when it’s not winter. I feel like everything is pretty much there nutrition-wise…but his feet have never been great…he’s got “TB feet”. They’re not awful, but are always a little cracked and chipped looking. They’re not a total disaster, but there is definitely room for improvement.
Thanks so much everyone for all the responses so far…you’ve given me alot of good ideas to think about.
If you are using the comparison chart on SmartPak’s website, it gives the price per day for the FFDS as the loading dose, not the maintenance dose. So the actual price (post the 60 days of loading) is half as much as they are quoting, or less than $1 a day.
Equus did a great article comparing the supplements within the last year, I think? It recommended a few brands for a variety of reasons (price, mineral content, proteins, omegas, binders and fillers, etc). One of the recommended supps was FFDS. SmartPak’s supplements were not on the recommended lists.
I have a tb with terrible feet. I have been using hoof secret from cox veterinary labs that I buy from big dee’s. I don’t know if you will notice any difference if you switch but I have had phenomenal results with it. It’s like my horse has completely different hooves. And it’s a good bit cheaper than the other two.
Honestly, since you’re feeding him that much grain, I doubt that any problem he has with his feet is a result of poor nutrition or a deficiency in minerals or protein.
I’d look at two other potential causes:
the big possibility is how he’s trimmed and shod. Cracks can result from a poorly balanced hoof or a hoof with long toes and underrun heels. If the horse is shod on top of a bad trim, that tends to accentuate the problems. Another possible issue related to trimming is just letting him go too long between trims. If you’re going more than 5 to 6 weeks between trims, that might be causing the chipping and cracking by itself.
the second possibility is how wet his environment is. If he’s in consistently muddy and wet conditions that can contribute to various hoof issues.
Good luck!
[QUOTE=Marla 100;8429122]
I’ve had the same experience. We’re back on Farrier’s Formula Double Strength again.[/QUOTE]
Me too. It could be anecdotal, but I am not going to take the chance of trying again for the price difference.
Hooflex has a new hoof supplement that you could look at as well. Higher levels of biotin, lysine, zinc, and copper than Farrier’s Formula Double Strength, plus it uses a chelated form of the minerals to support bioavailability. It has prebiotics as well. Looks to be less expensive than the Farrier’s Formula and is only a 2oz. serving vs. 4oz. http://absorbine.com/products/hoof-care/hooflex-hoof-builder-supplement
I have used FFDS and SmartComplete. My farrier actually noticed the most difference after Finnegan was on the Gro N Win for about 7 months or so.
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