What Are Trace Minerals?

Many horse supplements include trace minerals, really just metals with important biological functions. For horses, the most important trace minerals are: Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Cobalt, Iodine, and Selenium. Trace mineral deficiencies can cause a wide variety of health problems: including, poor hoof and hair condition, bone problems, and blood cell formation issues.

Where Do Trace Minerals Come From?

Did you ever wonder where the trace minerals in your horses' supplement come from? Like most metals, trace minerals can be produced by mining or recycling

Mining for Trace Minerals

Rocks rich in a particular mineral (like copper or zinc) are mined and processed to extract the minerals. Rocks containing a beneficial metal like copper may also contain lesser amounts of heavy metals, such as lead. Some heavy metals can end up mixed in with the extracted copper, and without proper safety procedures these contaminants can end up in your horse supplement.

Metal Recycling

Metals are recycled by melting down salvaged machinery, vehicles, electronics and other scrap. Much of this metal scrap, especially copper is covered with insulation and other plastics; which must be removed or burned away. Burning plastics can create PCBs, dioxins and other toxins that can end up in the recycled copper and eventually in your horse supplement.

Safe Horse Minerals

We created the Alltech Quality System (AQS) to address safety issues like contaminated trace minerals and to insure that our natural supplements are always effective, nutritious and safe. Learn more about the AQS and horse mineral nutrition.