Nutritional imbalances can harm hoof growth and quality, and it’s not just nutritional deficiencies that can cause problems, Mike Barker warns.

Barker, of Life Data Labs, a Cherokee, Ala.-based producer of equine supplements, says over-supplementation is becoming a major issue, with well-
intentioned owners overloading their horses with minerals, vitamins and amino acids to the point that the horses are unable to properly use those nutrients.

“Essentially, the horse owner would be about as well off rolling down the window on their truck and throwing out $100 bills,” he says. “If you have a specific problem with a horse, then yes, a supplement most likely helps. The most important thing is that the horse is being given a balanced diet. A balanced diet itself is going to remedy a lot of the health issues, dermal tissue issues, within the horse.”