Cambridge Grains Copper Sulphate

Copper is an essential trace mineral. All tissues of the body need it for normal metabolic functions.

It helps reduce inflammation, form strong bones, joints and blood vessels, maintain hair colour and it is a fungicide.

The first noticeable sign of deficiency in copper is usually a dull faded coat and since the hoof walls are closely related to coat-hair they too will be affected. Hooves will be weak, prone to abscessing, losing shoes, breaking off or crumbling and splitting. Flare, cracks and stretched white line allow entry of nasty anaerobic bacteria, which can potentially “eat” their way up the inner hoof wall tissue and develop into ‘seedy-toe’.

Horses with copper and zinc deficiency will also tend to have frog tissue that is prone to developing thrush which is a fungus (black and putrid!) and they will also be more susceptible to various skin conditions such as rain scald and Mud Fever.