In my last article, I briefly discussed copper. Today I'd like to explore the role of zinc. Zinc's indispensible contribution in your horse's body is to be a part of many enzymes. For example, enzyme activity is included in insulin production, blood clotting and wound healing. Zinc deficiency can also be seen in horse's coats, their hoof quality, immunity, persistent skin infections and ongoing thrush.
Of course, no nutrient exists in isolation; in this case, zinc and copper compete for the same transport mechanism, so their ratio is of great importance. The goal for that ratio is one part copper to three parts zinc. Zinc needs increase with the horse's work load, but the ratio of copper to zinc stays the same.
In addition, too much iron in a horse's diet (a real issue for us in the Pacific Northwest) blocks the absorption of zinc. Besides actual zinc intake, there is also a ratio range for iron and zinc that the diet must honor, in order to have appropriate zinc available for metabolism.
Supplements for hay in the Pacific Northwest must leave out iron, as our hay is generally loaded with it. Fortunately, we have ways to know exactly what is in our hay: samples sent away for analysis reveal exactly how much of the trace minerals are present. I have never found the amount of zinc and copper in any one commercial supplement to be sufficient to balance my hay and many contain iron. But I am glad to report that Freedom Farms custom mixes exactly compliment the mineral levels in the hay in the correct ratios.
The perfect ration for your horse!
(Originaly published February 2015)
