Biotin plays a part in many metabolic reactions in the body, including the metabolism of fatty acids and amino acids, and during the production of glucose. Biotin is also important for normal cell replication.
Biotin is found in many feeds and feed components. Examples of biotin content are: Alfalfa hay 0.2 mg/kg DM, Oats 0.1 to 0.4 mg/kg DM, Barley 0.13 to 0.17 mg/kg DM.
Biotin is one of the water soluble B-vitamins. For a horse, the exact requirement for biotin is not yet determined. Therefore, PC-Horse cannot warn of deficiency or of surplus of biotin in the ration. Normally, sufficient biotin to cover the horses' needs is produced by the microbes in the intestinal tract. Biotin is reported to have a positive effect on normal hoof growth and in the repair of damaged hooves. For such conditions, typical recommendations say that relatively large amounts of biotin (10-30 mg/day) must be provided for periods of 7-9 months.
Many animal feeds and mineral- and vitamin mixtures have added biotin. There are also special supplements with particularly high levels of biotin on the market.