The newest, all natural creation from Equine Elixirs has taken the hoof supplement market by storm
In developing the hoof supplement Crackdown, Equine Elixirs’ founder Elizabeth Ehrlich collaborated with top farriers, veterinarians, and trainers to evaluate the most common hoof related issues and how to formulate a supplement that successfully addresses them.
“The most common hoof issues are hooves that don’t grow, poor quality hoof growth, hooves that are too brittle or too soft, weak walls and those that are prone to quarter cracks, and general hoof sensitivity,” says Ehrlich. “Some hoof issues are the result of environmental factors, like tropical weather where the ground is too wet, or dry weather where the ground is too hard, while other issues can be genetic or even related to diet.”
Ehrlich was confident that she could create a whole food-based supplement to tackle the dietary component of the equation.
“What horses need for quality hoof growth is sulfur, methionine, and arginine, which are naturally occurring in many whole foods,” she says. These sulfur-bearing nutrients are key to circulation in the vascular network of the hoof, and development of strong keratinous tissue.
“Most hoof supplements overly focus on biotin, which horses already derive by fermentation of forage in the hindgut, and almost always have enough of for daily requirements,” adds Ehrlich. While Crackdown does contain some biotin, Ehrlich emphasizes the research highlighting the importance of sulfur, arginine, and methionine, which are the key nutrients for increasing the rate and quality of hoof growth, as well as overall hoof strength.
Unlike heavily-processed pelleted and powdered supplements, Crackdown’s whole food ingredients are not only more effectively absorbed, but horses love eating it.
And while hoof growth is notoriously slow, Crackdown starts increasing the rate and quality of growth within the first shoeing cycle, and farriers across the country have been astonished by the results. The same goes for vets and owners (see testimonials). If you haven’t already started your horse on Crackdown, now is the time to meet your blacksmith’s new best friend.
“We struggled to get this horse’s feet to grow any sole despite trying several avenues. After less than six months on Crackdown, his sole depth doubled and hoof quality was substantially improved. Crackdown is a staple product that I recommend to clients for overall hoof health, as well as specific cases where horses have difficulty growing sole and hoof wall.”
—Leah Patipa, DVM, Paddock Equine Veterinary Services
As seen in American Farrier’s Journal
“Because our horses show a lot, some of them would develop compromised feet with shelling or cracking. Shortly after starting Crackdown, we noticed a substantial improvement in the integrity of their hooves. Even our farriers noticed the improvement in the quality and rate of hoof growth. The horses love the palatability of the product, and there is never any left in the feed bucket. We are so excited to be able to use this all-natural product on our horses.”
—Danny Robertshaw and Ron Danta, Danny and Ron’s Rescue
*This story was originally published in the April 2022 issue of The Plaid Horse. Click here to read it now and subscribe for issues delivered straight to your door!
