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: Do horse owners need to be concerned about the possibility of poor hoof quality and growth when certain minerals are missing from the diet?
By Bob Peacock
A: Many nutrients that affect hoof growth and quality (such as vitamins A and E, calcium, lysine, selenium and zinc) can sometimes be lacking in a horse’s diet. However, making sure a horse has free access to a loose salt, mineral and vitamin mix that contains calcium and phosphorous will prevent most deficiencies.
With an increase in hoof wall diseases, other additives such as choline are often used. Choline helps eliminate poisons from the system through the liver and improves the nerve responses to aid in healing.
Bob Peacock has spent his entire 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). 
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 October 1, 2015 installment: When a horse’s feed intake is restricted, will it have an impact on hoof quality?
Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.