Best Biotin for Horses

Last Updated on September 1, 2020

Are you searching for the best biotin for horses?

There are many options available and I have reviewed the top horse biotin supplements on the market and after reading this article you will know my recommendations.

Check out the quick list below for links to customer reviews and prices for my picks, or read on for the full review:

1. Biotin Hoof Blast Concentrated Equine Supplement
2. AniMed BIOTIN 100
3. Biotin 800 Pellets 6 lb
4. Majesty’s Biotin Wafers

What Are Biotin Benefits for Horses?

Biotin’s role in equine health is very important, and it is used to help ensure that horse’s hooves are healthy. There have been some studies, including studies in Vienna, Austria with the Lipizzaner stallions, that showed that using biotin was a wonderful way to help improve overall hoof health.

Another study in 1985 compared horses who had their diets supplemented with biotin for over a year with horses who did not.

The ones who had biotin included in their diets had better appearance of their new horn, as well as improvement along the weight-bearing border.

This shows a clear relationship between including biotin in a horse’s diet and improved foot and hoof health.

While theoretically, biotin should also improve a horse’s coat condition, it is generally given to a horse who has cracked and dry hooves or is experiencing poor hoof growth.

Not only does biotin help improve the production of elastin and collagen, which are essential for healthy skin and hooves, but it also helps in the production of keratin, which is the protein that is found in hair and hooves.

Adding biotin to a horse’s feed can slowly improve the health of their hooves and their feet, although it is important to note that this improvement will take a while and does not immediately occur overnight.

What Does a Biotin Deficiency Cause in Horses?

The most common sign that your horse is suffering from a biotin deficiency is cracked and unhealthy hooves.

This is because biotin is necessary for the formation of healthy hooves, and your horse will begin to show signs of a deficiency here first. While this is the most common sign of a deficiency, it is not the only one.

Other common deficiency signs that you will want to be aware of include an unhealthy coat and decreased fertility.

If you have noticed that your horse is showing these signs, then you will want to consider that they are not getting enough biotin in their diets and think about supplementing their diets to improve their health.

How Much Biotin Does a Horse Need in Its Diet?

Many horses are able to get the biotin that they need, thanks to their natural diet.

This means that if your horse is allowed to graze in high-quality pasture, especially ones containing alfalfa, that they may not need you to supplement their diet with biotin.

However, if they are not getting enough biotin from soybean meal, oats, and barley, then you need to supplement.

Horses generally need between 5-25 mg of biotin for the best results.

If you are trying to rectify a hoof problem then you need to give your horse at least 15 mg each day for a minimum of 6-8 months before you will see improvements.

It’s important that you carefully look at the supplement that you are considering giving to your horse so that you can make sure that they will get the correct amount of biotin.

Remember that biotin is water soluble, so if you do accidentally give your horse too much, they will simply excrete the excess.

It’s also important to keep in mind that if you do see an improvement with biotin that you will want to keep your horse on this supplement for their life to ensure that you are able to maintain the improvement in their hoof condition.

When Should Biotin Be Supplemented?

While many people assume that biotin is the magic supplement to give a horse who has problems with their feet or hooves, there are actually a few times when biotin needs to be supplemented immediately, while other situations may not require supplementation.

If your horse has recently had a disease like seedy toe or laminitis and has experienced damage to their hooves, then you will want to consider supplementing biotin.

This can help to speed up the growth of the new hoof.

In this case, biotin supplementation can also ensure that the new hoof growth is high-quality.

If you have had your horse on an oral antibiotic for a long time, then it’s a good idea to consider giving them biotin.

This is because oral antibiotics are notorious for altering the population of bacteria present in the hindgut. This, in turn, can reduce your horse’s natural biotin production.

Horses who have been on a high grain diet for a long period of time often need biotin supplements.

Hoof problems in some horses can be exacerbated by high grain diets that they enjoy during training, as these diets can negatively impact hindgut health.

While the bacteria in the hindgut are reestablished, it’s a good idea to supplement with biotin.

If you are not sure whether or not your horse needs a biotin supplement due to their diet, then you will want to talk to your veterinarian about whether or not their high grain diet was a problem and affected their overall health.

Older horses tend to have hindguts that don’t function as well as younger horses’ hindguts do.

This means that they may not be able to produce as much biotin as they were before.

As your horse ages, you will want to keep an eye on the condition of their hooves, because if they are deteriorating then biotin may be the answer.

Top Rated Biotin for Horses

Biotin Hoof Blast Concentrated Equine Supplement

This is the most concentrated product on the market and is designed specifically to improve hoof health thanks to the inclusion of biotin, MSM, methionine, and zinc.

Because it is packed with five times the amount of biotin as in other products, you will enjoy much faster results when you opt for this supplement.

Additionally, it’s very easy to give to your horses, as it can be sprinkled onto their food so that you don’t have to try to give it to them orally.

Pros

• The soybean protein helps to improve the condition of the horse’s coat
• Helps to improve new growth and overall hoof health quickly
• Only hoof supplement to include MSM, which helps promote the proteins that make strong and flexible hooves

Cons

• Tends to be a rather expensive supplement

AniMed BIOTIN 100

When you want a biotin supplement that is very easy to feed, then you will love using this option.

The enclosed scoop makes portioning out the amount that you need fast and easy, and your horses are sure to quickly eat it without problems.

It contains biotin, mineral oil, calcium carbonate, and roughage products, which are all specifically chosen to be included in this product for the best possible results when you are dealing with a biotin deficiency in your horses.

Pros

• Offers great results in under a year
• Most horses do not mind this product being added to their food
• Helps to improve coat health, resulting in a thick and shiny coat

Cons

• The grains can tend to be very hard and difficult for the horses to digest
• Packaging is very difficult to open, which can make it hard for people with arthritis to use this product

Biotin 800 Pellets 6 lb

This supplement is not only ideal to improve the skin, hair, and hooves of your horses, but it is incredibly palatable so it can be fed either with feed or out of your hand.

Unlike some other supplements on the market, it does not smell or taste so strong that it will turn off your horses from eating it.

Additionally, this supplemet has been concentrated, which makes it very economical to buy and to feed to your horses. Not only does it include biotin, but it is also packed with pantothenic acid, methionine, yeast culture, mica, and yucca schidigera.

Pros

• Perfect for improving feet and hair health
• Convenient for hand feeding as well as for mixing with food
• Helps to improve skin health and reduce itchy skin and dandruff

Cons

• Not all horses are happy eating pellets, and the size of the pellet means that they can be picked out of the food if the horse is very picky

Majesty’s Biotin Wafers

Unlike other supplements that have to be mixed into a horse’s food to ensure that they will eat them, when you choose this biotin supplement, your horse will feel like they are getting a treat.

Thanks to the inclusion of tasty ingredients like cane molasses, applesauce, and rolled oats, you won’t ever struggle with getting your horse to enjoy their biotin, which will give you peace of mind.

You never have to worry about whether or not there will be waste when you use this product, and you will be able to provide your horse with the coat and hoof support that they need to be as healthy as possible.

Pros

• Incredibly easy to eat
• Horses love the way they taste
• Perfect for horses who are fed in a herd setting
• Helps improve hoof health

Cons

• Some horses refuse the wafers
• Difficult to hide in food if the horse will not eat them

For more guides and tips check out these articles:

• Selenium supplement review
• Top Equine Mineral supplements
• Horse Hoof Care Complete Guide
• Equine Hoof Supplement Review

Conclusion

With a high quality biotin supplement you can ensure that your horse is receiving enough in their diet. My picks all come with the necessary biotin while still being tasty enough for even picky eaters to enjoy.