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 have to consider hoof health when developing a specific feeding plan?
By Eleanor Kellon, Equine Nutritional Solutions in Robesonia, Pa.
A: I believe feeding for hoof health is no different than feeding for equine health in general, as here are no magical nutrients for hoof health. Every cell in the horse’s body is like a tiny battery-powered factory. Like all batteries, it depends on a very specific balance of ions (minerals) to operate. The factory is fueled by calories in the form of carbohydrates, fats, protein and fermentation products from the hindgut and it uses these to manufacture the products it needs — enzymes, membranes and proteins of many types.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School, Dr. Kellon is an authority in the field of equine nutrition, conditions affecting performance horses and the use of nutraceuticals with horses. She is the owner of Equine Nutritional Solutions, which is a nutrition consulting firm, and also serves as a veterinary specialist with Uckele Health & Nutrition.
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 December 15, 2015 installment: How important is feeding manganese in terms of hoof quality?
Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.