Aloe Vera For Horses

The Natural Alternative for the Health of your Horse

ALOE VERA
IMPROVES HOOF GROWTH

Recent trials at University College Northampton have demonstrated that Aloe Vera gel improves hoof growth when fed to horses over a three-month period.

In his book ‘Nature’s Gift’, top vet David Urch states that the addition of Aloe Vera gel to the diet of horses increases the growth of their hooves. People who drink Aloe Vera often find that their nails grow more quickly and are stronger. The horse’s hoof is the anatomical equivalent of our nails so it was interesting to observe the same effect in horses.

Most of the same minerals, vitamins, amino acids and trace elements are present in Aloe Vera, as in commercially available combination hoof supplements, although in smaller quantities. However the synergistic action of the constituents of Aloe Vera meant that a trial to assess its effect on horn growth was warranted.

A group of horses, aged from 2 - 5 years, was selected on a BHS site in Warwickshire. They were divided into two groups, balancing the groups for age and height as far as possible. One group was fed 120mls of Aloe Vera gel daily for 16 weeks, the other group was an untreated control group. Both groups grazed together so they were all on the same nutritional plane. Feet were trimmed at 0-days, 63-days and 126-days, and at each trimming measurements of the hoof were taken at various points and a mean hoof volume calculated.

RESULTS

Results showed several interesting features:

TREATMENT GROUP
Average Hoof Growth:
DAY 0 – 63 = 11.67mm
DAY 64 – 126 = 11.21mm

CONTROL GROUP
Average Hoof Growth:
DAY 0 – 63 = 11.21mm
DAY 64 – 126 = 7.54mm

In just 60 days the difference between the two groups is only minimal. This is as expected because, like many other natural products, Aloe Vera takes a while to get into the system and for its benefits to be manifested.
In the second 60-day period the rate of horn growth in the control group dropped dramatically. This was due to the time of year – late summer – when the pasture grazed by the horses was declining in food value.
As expected, the treatment group during this second 60-day period showed a significant increase in the rate of horn growth, a massive 42% as compared to the control group.

SMOOTHER AND SHINIER HOOVES
In addition to better horn growth in the treatment group, it was observed that the new horn growing at the top of the hoof was smoother and shinier in the treatment group compared to the control group. This suggests that the horn produced in horses supplemented with Aloe Vera was of better quality than that in unsupplemented horses. Also the hooves of the treatment group had fewer sites of damage (cracks in hoof wall etc) than the control group.

CONCLUSION
Aloe Vera appears to supply many of the nutrients necessary for the growth of healthy horn, and supplemented animals show a much higher rate of horn growth, and the quality appears to be much better than seen in unsupplemented animals.

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