He's as healthy as a horse is a popular saying that shows that we think of horses as strong, energetic animals. However, they don’t quite start that way. A tiny, delicate foal has a lot of growing to do to get to the stage where their spindly little legs are sturdy enough to run with the power of a mature horse. We’ve got a lot to consider from the first nursing to the first saddle.

The nutrient that comes to mind for many of us when we think of strong bone is calcium. Calcium is, of course, very important for bone growth; and most of the calcium in the body is stored in the bone. However, the bone is much more than solid structures of calcium. Ideally the growing horse needs to have the right concentrations of essential elements including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium.

Supporting healthy bone development in a growing horse requires several steps, and here’s why: There are several types of cells involved in the development of healthy bone structure and only once these cells have laid down the bone matrix, can calcium and other important minerals bind to it and harden  into mature bone tissue.  So to begin with these bone cells need to receive proper nutrition to perform their function and to lay down organized protein fibers. Next, circulation is vital to make sure that the nutrients travel to all areas of the body and the blood needs to contain the nutrients in the proper ratio. Finally, if the blood is too acidic it can reduce the absorption of calcium and other elements, either depriving the blood of the building material or leading to minerals being leached from the bones if the pH is low enough.

If you have a young horse with an existing deficiency, simply feed Equi-Bone to provide a concentrated nutrient profile focused specifically on supporting healthy bone development. Equi-Bone is manufactured by TLC Animal Nutrition, Inc. for more information on these and other comprehensive blends, click here to visit the website: http://www.tlcanimalnutrition.com/

 

To help support the development of a young horse before an issue ever develops, feed Performance Plus Daily... and for mature horses in training or competition, feed Performance Horse MAX! By providing all the elements necessary for healthy bone development, with other essential nutrients, these products provide the most comprehensive nutrient profile available anywhere.  Improve muscle tone, bone integrity, recovery time, feed absorption, healthier hooves, skin, coat and much more.

References:

Booth A, Camacho P. A Closer look at calcium absorption and the benefits and risks of dietary versus supplemental calcium. Postgraduate medicine. 2013;125(6):73-81.

Albrektsson T, Johansson C. Osteoinduction, osteoconduction and osseointegration. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society. 2001;10 Suppl 2:S96-101.

Odland LM, Mason RL, Alexeff AI. Bone density and dietary findings of 409 Tennessee subjects. II. Dietary considerations. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 1972;25(9):908-911.

Christenson RH. Biochemical markers of bone metabolism: an overview. Clinical biochemistry. 1997;30(8):573-593.