

You will also sometimes hear them referred to as microminerals.

Trace minerals are only required in small amounts, especially when compared with major minerals. There are two main classes of minerals needed by horses: trace and major minerals. Minerals help with many vital processes in the body such as energy production, metabolism, and muscle contraction. They are essential to the wellbeing of all living things, including horses, and help to make up many important parts of the body including blood cells, muscles, bone, and soft tissue. All minerals are molecules, also known as elements, that come from the earth.

To back up a little, let’s discuss what minerals are exactly. However, when it comes to deciphering labels, horse owners may be unsure which forms of trace minerals are best for their horse. Feeding a commercial feed product with added minerals or a vitamin and mineral supplement for horses can help to correct any nutritional imbalances or deficiencies. While it’s true that forages do contain some trace minerals, it’s usually not enough or provided in the correct ratios. This is especially important when it comes to providing sufficient protein, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, commercial feed and supplement companies have stepped in to fill in the nutritional gaps that result from the modern-day domesticated lifestyle of horses. In the real world, however, this just isn’t feasible in most situations. Ideally, horses should get all of their nutrition from grass and other plants as they roam and graze over large areas of land.
