Calcium is essential to all animals for bone and tissue growth. Limestone Flour should be fed when there is a need for additional calcium in the diet to supplement these requirements. It also has a number of other important roles to play throughout the body in that it helps with muscle contractions particularly of the heart and also plays a role in the nerve impulse transmission in the central nervous system. Recommended as a source of calcium for those horses fed on a ‘straights’ or a cereal based diet particularly if bran is included as this will help to balance the calcium to phosphorous ratio. A lack of calcium in the horse is seen as epiphysitis (orthopaedic disease) and weakness. Limestone Flour contains only ground limestone and is essentially pure calcium.
Limestone flour is not recommended for youngstock as an excess of calcium can lead to developmental abnormalities such as Osteochondrosis desicans (OCD). Mare, Foal and Youngstock Supplement should be used as an alternative