Horse: Dhara
Breed: Arabian
Age: 9
Discipline: Competitive Trail Riding
Owner: Hannah Clark
About six months before I started riding at age eleven, my dad died. I had always liked horses, and my mom thought riding and horses might help me through my grief. She was right, and horses have absolutely shaped the person I am today.
My horse Dhara, whose registered name is Rushcreek Darline, is a nine-year-old Arabian mare. She came from a very large ranch in Nebraska and has a brand, which is unusual for Arabians. I bought her as a barely started seven-year-old and she’s been the easiest horse I’ve ever trained! We do long distance and competitive trail riding together, but she also loves to jump and do dressage.
Everyone’s heard the saying “no hoof, no horse,” but this is especially true for distance riders: small problems that can be managed for hour-long rides in an arena are big, debilitating problems for horses that are asked to cover 30 miles over varied terrain. Two years ago, Dhara was struggling to overcome weak hooves and low heels, so my veterinarian recommended I start her on biotin to support healthy hoof growth.
I tried a couple of biotin supplements at first, but one was expensive and Dhara refused to eat the other. SmartHoof Pellets had the ingredients I was looking for and were cost-effective, so I decided to try them next. Since starting on the formula, I’ve been happy with how strong and quickly her hooves have been growing in. Due to that growth rate, my farrier has been able to correct her low heels faster.
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