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

Q: What is recommended in terms of vitamins for hooves that are weak and crumbly?

By Bob Peacock

A: With these specific concerns, a recommended hoof supplement should include these vitamins:

  • Vitamin A: This vitamin promotes tissue growth, strong bones and hooves, and healthy skin, hair, teeth and gums and builds disease resistance.
  • Vitamin D: This vitamin helps properly utilize vitamin A, calcium and phosphorus that are needed for strong bones, teeth and hooves.
  • Vitamin E: This vitamin helps retard cellular aging as an antioxidant. It supplies oxygen to the cells for better endurance, helps fight fatigue and accelerates healing and hoof growth.

Bob Peacock has spent his career in the equine footcare business and is the owner of the Farrier Science Clinic in Hamilton, Ohio.

Hoof Nutrition Intelligence is brought to you by W.F. Young Co. (Absorbine). Absorbine

Like many significant achievements, Absorbine® grew out of humble beginnings—and through the tenacity of someone willing to question the status quo. In this case, it was a young woman in late 19th-century Massachusetts: Mary Ida Young. Her husband, Wilbur Fenelon Young, was an enterprising piano deliveryman who relied on the couple’s team of horses to make deliveries throughout the Northeast. Inspired by Mary Ida and Wilbur’s vision, Absorbine® has continued to add innovative products throughout the years — products used every day by horse owners around the world. Which is why, since 1892, we’ve been The Horse World’s Most Trusted Name®.

Click here to read Part 1 of the August 1, 2015 installment: How important is sulfur to hoof quality and growth?

Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.