Protein’s role in the diet is to provide amino acids (the building blocks of bones, muscles and soft tissues) for growth and repair. So it’s easy to see why, for many generations, we assumed that the more protein in the diet, the better a horse could perform. But somewhere along the way, many people made the leap from “growth and repair” to “energy source.” But protein, and its component amino acids, is not all that good for providing energy.

Nutrition has long been known to be an important factor in developing healthy equine feet, but Susan Kempson made it clear to an audience at the International Hoof-Care Summit that diet can also play a role in causing feet to breakdown.