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Zinc

Trace minerals stored as mg/kg 6 shared products have a value

Safety

Intakes several times the requirement are considered safe [1].

Excess

Intakes above 1,000 ppm, from environmental contamination of forage, have caused copper deficiency and developmental orthopaedic disease in young horses [1].

Ratios

Nutritionists commonly formulate zinc to copper at 3:1 to 4:1 [1]. A&L Canada gives about 3:1 as desirable [2].

See also copper, mineral ratios.

Sources

  1. 1. Liburt NR (peer reviewed by Boyle AG). Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids. MSD Veterinary Manual, Professional Version. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ. Last full review February 2026. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-horses/nutritional-requirements-of-horses (accessed 2026-11-07)
  2. 2. A&L Canada Laboratories. Defining Analytical Constituents in Equine Feed Reports. Fact Sheet No. 234. London, Ontario. Revised February 2022. https://alcanada.com/Tech_Bulletins/Field_Crops/Forages/234-Defining%20Analytical%20Constituents%20in%20Equine%20Feed%20Report.pdf (accessed 2026-11-07)

Last edited 7 Nov 2026, 1:48 am