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: What’s the role of phosphorus in a horse’s diet and does it have an impact on hoof quality?
By Connie Larson, PhD
Phosphorus accounts for 14% to 17% of the makeup of the bones in horses and it is also important for maintaining skeletal soundness.
The role of this macro mineral not only includes skeletal development and maintenance but it also provides needed buffering and energy metabolism. Phosphorus also plays an important role in the synthesis of phospholipids, nucleic acids and the phosphorus proteins that are needed for cellular functions.
Connie Larson is an equine nutritionist and researcher with Zinpro Corp. in Eden Prairie, Minn. She has been a frequent contributor to American Farriers Journal and a speaker at the International Hoof-Care Summit.
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 February 1, 2018 installment: One of the other boarders in the barn suggested I ask my farrier for some nutritional advice for the poor quality hooves on my 18-year-old mare. Is that a good idea?
Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.