Understanding ‘PPM’ on Horse Feed Labels

An equine nutritionist explains what “PPM” means on feed labels and how that translates to your horse’s diet.
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Understanding
Understanding feed and supplement labels can be difficult. Work with a qualified equine nutritionist to determine what feed or supplement will work best for your horse. | Photo: Erica Larson
Q: I have been comparing feed and supplement labels and notice that often minerals, such as calcium, are listed by percentage, but copper, zinc, and some other minerals are either listed in milligrams or “ppm.” Why the differences and what does “ppm” mean?

A: Kudos to you for looking at labels and comparing products, and I’m sorry that it hasn’t been as straight forward to decipher as perhaps you’d hoped.

Calcium is an example of a macromineral, meaning that it’s found in body tissues at concentrations greater than 100 ppm (there’s that unit again!). Other macrominerals you might see listed on feed or supplement labels include phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, and sulfur. Copper and zinc are trace or microminerals and found in body tissues in amounts less than 100 ppm. Other trace minerals commonly considered in the horse’s diet include cobalt, iron, iodine, manganese, and selenium.

So what is ppm? This unit stands for parts per million and is a measure of concentration equivalent to 1 milligram per kilogram. So if there’s 50 ppm of copper in a feed that means that, if you feed 1 kilogram (which is equal to 2.2 pounds), you would be providing your horse with 50 mg of copper

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Clair Thunes, PhD, is an equine nutritionist who owns Clarity Equine Nutrition, based in Gilbert, Arizona. She works as a consultant with owners/trainers and veterinarians across the United States and globally to take the guesswork out of feeding horses and provides services to select companies. As a nutritionist she works with all equids, from WEG competitors to Miniature donkeys and everything in between. Born in England, she earned her undergraduate degree at Edinburgh University, in Scotland, and her master’s and doctorate in nutrition at the University of California, Davis. Growing up, she competed in a wide array of disciplines and was an active member of the U.K. Pony Club. Today, she serves as the district commissioner for the Salt River Pony Club.

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