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: If my horses are in good condition, is it necessary to have nutritional concerns about hoof growth and hoof quality?
By Dr. Stephen Duren
Feeding an inadequate equine diet today can result in poor hoof quality 9 months from now and perhaps result in a situation where a horse can’t hold a shoe. Today’s diet definitely affects the future health and integrity of the hoof wall.
A horse owner can’t suddenly address hoof health by switching to a proper diet at the time you put the shoes on, as the basic nutrition foundation must already be there. At the time you see a poor hoof condition, the owner needs to realize there is a considerable lag time between feeding an improved ration and when the horse can grow new hoof horn. Owners need to be working on hoof health via proper diet all along.
Stephen Duren is a staffer with Performance Horse Nutrition in Weiser, Idaho.
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 April 1, 2017 installment: What is the role of iodine in the equine diet?
Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.