Comparison of the Mineral Profile of Two Types of Horse Diet, Silage and Commercial Concentrate, and Their Impacts on Hoof Tensile Strength.

The research article examines the impact of two types of horse diet, silage and commercial concentrate, on the horse’s hoof tensile strength. Through studying the mineral profile of the horses’ diet and their correlation to hoof strength, the researchers sought to identify which diet leads to stronger hoofs.

Objective and Methodology

• The main objective of the research was to compare the mineral concentrations of sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and Iron (Fe) in two types of diet, silage and a commercial concentrate, and their influence on horse hoof tensile strength.
• The researchers used atomic absorption spectrometry, a technique for determining the concentration of metallic elements in a sample, to measure the mineral content in the diets.
• Thirty-two Spanish horses were studied, randomly divided into two groups and each group was assigned one of the diets for a span of 12 months.
• Horse hoof tensile strength, a measure of the strength of the hoof’s connective tissues, was measured using an Instron universal testing machine.

Results

• The researchers found that Mg and Fe levels were higher in the silage diet than in the commercial concentrate.
• Hoof Mg, Zn, K, and tensile strength were found to be influenced by the hormonal stage of the horses.
• The type of diet directly affected the horse hoof’s Mg, Zn, K, Na and tensile strength, with Mg, K and Na being higher in horses fed with concentrate.
• For each unit of Zn and Na in the hoof, the tensile strength was affected by -0.10 N/mm2 and -0.003 N/mm2 respectively.

Conclusions

• The findings underscore the importance of diet in determining the mineral profile of horse hooves and their tensile strength.
• Diet type affects not only the mineral profile of horses but also factors such as tensile strength that contribute to hoof health.
• Further research could provide more insights into optimal dietary specifications to improve horse hoof health and strength.