How do I make sure my horses get methionine?

Hoof Nutrition Intelligence is a twice-a-month web segment that is designed to add to the education of footcare professionals when it comes to effectively feeding the hoof. The goal of this web-exclusive feature is to zero in on specific areas of hoof nutrition and avoid broad-based articles that simply look at the overall equine feeding situation.

Below you will find Part 2 of the latest question and answer installment that you can share with your footcare clients.

Q: I recently read that a nutritionist was indicating methionine is needed in a horse’s diet to improve hoof quality. How do I make sure my horses get this?

By J. Frank Gravlee, DVM, MS, CNS, and Scott Gravlee, DVM, CNS, Life Data Labs

A: Methionine, proline, glycine and glutamine are among the major building blocks needed for healthy connective tissue or collagen. Copper and vitamin C are also necessary, serving as catalysts in the formation of strong and healthy horn. All of these nutrients should be supplied via diet or supplementation for healthy hooves.

Methionine is important for the proper use of lipids and for building the sulphur crosslinks that add strength to connective tissue. This is a sulfur containing amino acid that is commonly deficient in many grasses and grains

Frank Gravlee and Scott Gravlee are veterinarians and equine nutrition consultants at Life Data Labs, Inc. in Cherokee, Ala.

Click here to read part 2 of the Jan. 1, 2020 installment of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence: What role does calcium play in dealing with brittle hooves?

Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.