RED DEER — Good nutrition can put a horse on a firm footing.
Providing the right levels of trace minerals such as zinc, copper, selenium and manganese in a horse’s diet can build healthy hoofs and strong bones.
“We can see changes in the hoof wall when we have had major dietary changes,” Connie Larson, a veterinarian with the animal nutrition company Zinpro, said at the recent Alberta Horse Industry Conference in Red Deer.
Home grown feed should be tested to see if supplements are needed.
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“Be careful what supplements you are adding and why you are adding them.”
Follow the directions on the label when buying a complete commercial feed. Producers often decide the commercial product is too expensive and cut it with grain.
“You have just undone all the nutrition that the well educated nutritionist for that feed company put into that formulation in balance. You have just undone the balance,” she said.
“Horses are resilient and they can survive what you do. Just be careful not to create a wreck with your nutrition.”
Changes to the diet can cause foot problems for a horse.
The hoof is a hard capsule that protects the inside of the foot and can handle weight and movement.
“It has to be flexible enough that when that horse puts its foot down, it actually can support it. Are we providing the right nutrients to optimize this process?”
Strength begins at the cellular level, and trace minerals and other supplements can make a difference.
Repairing a damaged foot takes time and depends on the season, genetics and nutrition program. It grows faster in warm weather.
The trace minerals — zinc, manganese, copper and selenium — receive the most attention for hoof health to prevent problems that could eventually indicate lameness.
The hoof wall contains high levels of zinc, which are necessary for tissue maintenance, growth and repair, as well as development of collagen and keratin, a fibrous form of protein.
“Zinc is needed for over 300 different enzyme functions going on in the body,” she said.
Copper is needed for the production and maintenance of bone and connective tissue. Copper enzymes bridge amino acids such as methionine and threonine.
“If we have a copper shortage, we will have a weakened hoof wall. You will see more cracking and shelliness in the foot,” she said.
Manganese helps build the skeleton. A pregnant mare needs adequate amounts of this mineral to ensure the foal has proper skeletal development. It also helps glue the cells together in a hoof and develops sole thickness.
Selenium prevents cellular membrane damage and works with vitamin E on immune function. It also has anti-oxidant properties.
Toxicity from selenium can cause cracked or sloughing of hoofs and possibly lameness. Selenium replaces the keratin in the mane and tail hair and the hair breaks off. As little as two parts per million can cause problems.
Feed should be tested to assess selenium levels.
Vitamin A maintains the integrity of the epithelial tissue in the foot. A deficiency causes inflammation around the coronary band. Toxicity causes fragile bones and abnormal bone deposits, but overdoses are rare. Vitamin E is needed for immune function.
Biotin is part of the vitamin B complex. Horses with a deficiency may have a brittle hoof wall. Buildups do not happen because it is water soluble and the horse eliminates it in its urine.
