Hoof Nutrition Intelligence 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 2 of the latest question and answer installment that you can share with your footcare clients.

Q: Will fall grazing all by itself provide enough nutrition for my horses?

By Equine Guelph staffers

Autumn grass often appears to be an adequate nutrition source all by itself, may look abundant and your horse may still be happily grazing. However, fall grass is typically higher in fiber and lower in nutrition.

Your horse may begin to shed pounds if late fall pasture is the sole source of food, even though it had been able to maintain a healthy weight during the spring and summer months. You also need to consider the fact that fructan levels can increase with the return of moisture and that this sugar can trigger laminitis.

An equine nutrition plan not only needs to consider the horse’s workload, but also consider changes that occur in the nutritional content of pasture or hay throughout the seasons.

Equine Guelph is a free Canadian horse management advisory service offered by the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario.

Hoof Nutrition Intelligence is brought to you by W.F. Young Co. (Absorbine). 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 October 15, 2017 installment: As a new owner, what will be my biggest challenges in feeding my horse?

Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.