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: With all of my summer riding, I think my horses need a hoof supplement. When do I need to start adding it to their ration?
By The Kentucky Equine Research staff
A: If you begin to use a hoof supplement in late spring in an effort to keep your horse’s hooves healthy during the summer months, you may be disappointed. In fact, it may be late fall before your farrier sees any major changes in hoof health and quality.
For the best results, use a hoof supplement continuously in all seasons. Hooves grow slowly and the outside of the hoof won’t show the full effect of a hoof supplement for several months.
Located in Versailles, Ky., Kentucky Equine Research is an international research, consulting and product development firm working in the areas of equine nutrition and sports medicine.
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 2 of the June 1, 2016 installment: Can eating poisonous plants by horses lead to serious hoof concerns?
Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.