Hoof Nutrition Intelligence 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 1 of the latest question and answer installment that you can share with your footcare clients.

Q: While my trainer refers to my mare as an “easy-keeper,” is there anything I need to watch out for in regard to hoof concerns?

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

A: These “easy-keepers” sometimes founder due to the overfeeding of concentrates or grazing lush pastures. They often have dull coats, poor hooves and should be supplemented with L-tyrosine and iodine to furnish the essential nutritional building blocks for producing needed levels of the thyroid hormone.

Many of these horses will require special veterinary, farrier and general management care.

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

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Click here to read part 2 of the April 1, 2020 installment of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence: What is the impact of poor nutrition on hoof quality?

Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.