How do selenium and vitamin E contribute to hoof health?

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: How do selenium and vitamin E contribute to hoof health?

By Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD

A: Selenium is always thought of in terms of toxicity to the feet, but selenium can also contribute to hoof health. Selenium is incorporated into glutathione peroxidase enzyme, an important antioxidant for protecting the fats. Vitamin E is important for the same reason.

Manganese plays no real direct role in hoof health, except as manganese SOD enzyme that functions inside the mitochondria.

A deficiency of vitamin A is unlikely, but if it did exist it could slow hoof growth. Vitamin A binds to receptors that stimulate cell division. As mentioned above, E is important to protect the fats.

Dr. Eleanor Kellon, a staff veterinary specialist for Uckele Health & Nutrition, has been an established authority in the field of equine nutrition for over 30 years. She is the owner of Equine Nutritional Solutions in Robesonia, Pa.

Click here to read part 2 of the Feb. 1, 2020 installment of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence: Is an overly fat horse more at risk for laminitis? Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.