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: As a new owner, what will be my biggest challenges in feeding my horse?
From the International Hoof-Care Summit
Based on data from a survey of attendees at last winter’s International Hoof-Care Summit, here’s what farriers see as the major nutritional concerns facing horse owners:
- A general lack of nutrition knowledge and education.
- A tendency to overfeed their horses.
- Growing concerns over the high cost of feed.
- Too many available feeding options and a lack of knowledge on the part of owners to determine what program is best for their horses.
- Finding sources of high-quality hay.
- A lack of knowledge to be able to effectively compare the balance and quality of various nutritional products.
Sponsored by American Farriers Journal, the International Hoof-Care Summit is held each winter to educate footcare professionals from around the world.
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 October 15, 2017 installment: Will fall grazing all by itself provide enough nutrition for my horses?
Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.