Along with zinc, iodine is one of the most important minerals for skin and hoof health. Iodine’s primary function is as a constituent of thyroxine, the hormone that is responsible for regulating metabolic rate in the horse. Horses that are hypothyroid (produce too little thyroxine) often have long or dull hair coats, or brittle and crumbly hooves, and some have trouble efficiently metabolizing feed.
The amount of iodine required by the horse is poorly understood. For additional information, see IODINE in The Horse – Too Much or Too Little?. The dairy industry has adopted much higher levels of iodine supplementation than is commonly used for horses to insure that dairy cows have sound, healthy feet. (A major reason to cull a dairy cow is because she has bad feet and cannot tolerate the concrete floors that are often used.)
FOCUS HF, FOCUS WT and FOCUS SR contain a significant amount of iodine in a highly bioavailable form. This iodine comes from SOURCE, the leading seaweed based micronutrient supplement for horses. Because this iodine is naturally derived from seaweeds, it is in an organic form that is readily digested and assimilated by the horse.