Animal Trace-Minerals® / Learn
Trace minerals,
explained.
A natural system.
A closer look.
Explore the mineral structure, the organic compounds, and the observations behind Animal Trace-Minerals®—with the original research close at hand.
Understanding a complex natural system
The whole material.
Not just its ingredients.
The interaction between trace minerals, humic and fulvic compounds, and montmorillonite is best understood step by step: the mineral framework, its associated organic fraction, and the functions explored in the research.
Start with the short explanation in each section. Open the additional details or original documents for a closer look at the methods, observations, and historical context.
01 The mineral framework
The montmorillonite
structure.
A layered mineral with a naturally charged internal structure.
Montmorillonite is an aluminosilicate clay. Its structure is often compared with a sandwich: an octahedral sheet lies between two tetrahedral silica sheets, with water and exchangeable ions in the spaces between layers.
This layered arrangement helps explain why the material can interact with water, mineral ions, and other substances. Its charge and surface chemistry are central to the binding processes discussed in the technical literature.
A closer look at the layers
The original formula document presents the simplified framework as Al2(OH)2Si4O10. The research compilation also discusses substitutions in the lattice and exchangeable ions. The simplified framework is not a complete analysis of the naturally occurring material.
Here, “attraction” refers to electrical charge and surface interactions—not literal magnetism. The enlarged artwork is an illustration, rather than a measurement of a particular crystal.
Open the original structure document
02 The associated organic fraction
Humic & fulvic acids.
Part of the same system.
The organic fraction connects the mineral framework with its naturally associated compounds.
Dr. Cortelezzi’s feedlot report describes the formula as montmorillonite associated with humic and fulvic acids. It discusses these organic compounds as part of the material’s natural chelation system.
Artistic illustration, not an exact structural reproduction. View the original model
Fulvic acid
The original presentation identifies the Buffle drawing as a hypothetical structure with aromatic and aliphatic regions and oxygen-containing functional groups. These groups help illustrate the sites involved in interactions with mineral ions.
Artistic illustration, not an exact structural reproduction. View the original model
Humic acid
The structural-formula document also includes Stevenson’s model of humic acid. It illustrates a complex organic arrangement with multiple functional groups. Humic and fulvic materials should not be presented as if each has one universal, fixed molecular structure.
03 Surface chemistry
Binding & elimination
of unwanted substances.
Charged surfaces and internal spaces give the clay its distinctive binding character.
The layered clay provides surfaces and internal spaces where some substances can bind. The research compilation discusses adsorption and absorption in relation to charged particles, heavy metals, and selected contaminants.
The patent’s antitoxic discussion includes aflatoxins. Dr. Cortelezzi proposed that interactions with food-borne toxins were part of the explanation for the effects observed in the horses he followed.
The proposed digestive pathway is straightforward: material that remains bound and unabsorbed passes through the digestive tract and is eliminated. Binding behavior depends on the substance and the conditions; it is not the same for every contaminant.
04 From composition to interaction
Chelation & mineral
availability.
The form of a mineral matters—not just its presence on a list.
In the original reports, naturally chelated trace minerals are described in association with humic and fulvic compounds. Chelation refers to a metal ion binding at multiple sites on an organic ligand.
The distinction is between the composition of the whole material and the chemical forms in which its components occur. An elemental analysis lists what is present; the structural discussion addresses how parts of that material may interact.
The reports connect mineral availability with the body’s enzymatic processes. They also identify unanswered questions about the precise amounts absorbed and eliminated—an important reason to keep the source documents with the explanation.
The analysis describes the constituents present in the material.
Humic and fulvic compounds supply sites for interaction with mineral ions.
Absorption, utilization, and elimination must be considered in the context of the animal and its diet.
The original studies discuss the complete mineral–organic system. Read the methods and materials together to understand the formulation in context.
05 Nutritional function
Enzymatic function &
tissue development.
Mineral nutrition connects the diet with the processes that maintain the animal.
Essential minerals participate in the enzymes and proteins involved in metabolism and tissue maintenance. This is the connection the historical reports explore between the mineral formula and changes in coat, hoof growth, body condition, and movement.
The equine study records changes in hair and hoof tissue, including growth in the sole region. It also discusses radiographic observations and connective-tissue function. These are reported observations from the study, with the original context available below.
Taken together, these areas explain why the reports follow both visible tissue changes and whole-animal condition, rather than studying each mineral in isolation.
06 From feed to body condition
Feed efficiency &
dietary intake.
An observation that became a central part of the patent.
During the equine study, Dr. Cortelezzi reported that the horses began leaving more grain while maintaining body condition and weight. The full report describes approximately 20% lower intake within about a year, with visible changes after the first six months.
Reduced dietary intake is expressly addressed in the patent. Its proposed explanation includes improved utilization of portions of forage and the digestive processes associated with the mineral composition.
The later feedlot report compares supplemented and unsupplemented cattle, with separate results for bulls and heifers. It extends the research question to another species rather than establishing one guaranteed outcome for every animal.
Lower grain intake reported
in the historical equine study, with condition and weight maintained. See the report for the timeframe and conditions.
Read the cattle comparison
The 2003 Puerto Rico report followed 29 supplemented heifers and 21 supplemented bulls, alongside control groups of 12 heifers and 9 bulls.
It reports average daily gains of 1.692 versus 0.857 lb for bulls and 0.871 versus 0.703 lb for heifers, comparing supplemented with control groups. The report also describes differences in selection and condition; the original methods and results should be read together.
Read the original feedlot report (PDF)07 Field observations & development
The observations
behind the research.
Original records give the story its detail.
The full equine report describes a study in Cali, Colombia, from May 1994 to May 1996, followed by another year of observations. Eighteen laminitic or foundered horses were identified among 150 stalled horses in a larger population of 550.
The account follows changes in standing, walking, coat, hoof tissue, and feed consumption. It also records persistent lameness and limits on return to ridden work. Keeping those details together preserves the character of the original study.
The accompanying photograph is labeled “Growth band after 6 weeks” in the 2016 presentation. It is presented here as a historical photograph—not paired with a different animal as a before-and-after comparison.
The equine study
Two years of qualitative observations, followed by one year of follow-up. Methods, dosage groups, progress, and limitations are included in the full report.
The feedlot study
A comparison of supplemented and control groups of bulls and heifers, exploring body-weight gain with the same mineral formula.
Patent No. 6,764,692
Issued July 20, 2004, for the described methods relating to laminitis and reduced dietary intake in horses.
View the hoof anatomy reference Contains a clinical anatomical photograph
Buenos Aires · August–October 2005
Mara’s photographic
case record.
View the original presentation · PDF The Power Zoo presentation records a 35-year-old elephant receiving naturally chelated trace minerals for less than 60 days. Its sequence shows damaged nail and cuticular tissue, foot care, subsequent growth, and progressive healing of an abscess.
The photographs below come directly from that presentation. The accompanying slide captions document the sequence of changes in the foot during the recorded period.
These documents report historical observations in their specific settings. They are not guarantees of recovery, and the historical treatment descriptions are not a substitute for veterinary care.
08 The historical composition
A broad mineral profile.
Readable, down to the detail.
Explore the 76 constituents listed in the patent’s composition.
The entries below follow the historical patent record. Values are parts per million by weight unless a percentage is shown. They describe a naturally occurring material, not a claim that every listed constituent is an essential nutrient.
Explore all 76 constituents and their recorded amounts
- Aluminum9.3% by weight
- Antimony10.5 ppm
- Arsenic0.2 ppm
- Barium22.5 ppm
- Beryllium0.10 ppm
- Bismuth14.3 ppm
- Boron7 ppm
- Bromine5.2 ppm
- Cadmium1.12 ppm
- Calcium0.23% by weight
- Carbon0.19 ppm
- Cerium40 ppm
- Cesium183 ppm
- Chloride250 ppm
- Chromium70 ppm
- Cobalt4.8 ppm
- Copper2.2 ppm
- Dysprosium4.0 ppm
- Erbium2.0 ppm
- Europium0.49 ppm
- Fluoride3.85 ppm
- Gallium25 ppm
- Germanium25 ppm
- Gold0.68 ppm
- Hafnium2 ppm
- Holmium1.1 ppm
- Hydrogen0.05 ppm
- Indium0.38 ppm
- Iodine7 ppm
- Iridium0.51 ppm
- Iron4.1% by weight
- Lanthanum18 ppm
- Lead15 ppm
- Lithium1.44 ppm
- Lutetium0.45 ppm
- Magnesium0.83% by weight
- Manganese150 ppm
- Mercury0.166 ppm
- Molybdenum61 ppm
- Neodymium20 ppm
- Nickel60 ppm
- Niobium2.89 ppm
- Nitrogen0.03 ppm
- Oxygen0.2 ppm
- Palladium0.74 ppm
- Phosphate320 ppm
- Platinum0.08 ppm
- Potassium4.8% by weight
- Praseodymium2.0 ppm
- Rhenium1.0 ppm
- Rhodium0.44 ppm
- Rubidium36.5 ppm
- Ruthenium7.8 ppm
- Samarium3.5 ppm
- Scandium3.7 ppm
- Selenium4.1 ppm
- Silicon25% by weight
- Silver0.3 ppm
- Sodium1.2 ppm
- Strontium240 ppm
- Sulfur1.6% by weight
- Tantalum0.50 ppm
- Tellurium0.1 ppm
- Terbium0.62 ppm
- Thallium10.0 ppm
- Thorium>100 ppm
- Thulium0.25 ppm
- Tin0.44 ppm
- Titanium0.23% by weight
- Tungsten8.1 ppm
- Uranium>100 ppm
- Vanadium8 ppm
- Ytterbium1.4 ppm
- Yttrium1.2 ppm
- Zinc20 ppm
- Zirconium10 ppm
No matching constituent. Try its name or symbol.
Source: U.S. Patent 6,764,692, Chart 1. The historical product-analysis sheet and the patent differ in some values, including iron. This list uses the patent consistently; it does not combine figures from different records and is not a current-batch laboratory certificate.
Go directly to the source
The research.
The records. The originals.
A connected archive of the patent, technical material, field reports, and presentations. The original documents remain available in full, including their historical terminology and conclusions.
A documented part of the history.
Method to treat laminitis and reduce dietary intake for horses.
Carlos Cortelezzi · issued July 20, 2004. Claims, composition, methods, and the inventor’s discussion are preserved in the original patent.
PDF links open in a new tab; viewing or downloading depends on your browser settings. Historical records are provided for context, not as current dosing instructions.
09 The complete picture
One material.
A connected story.
The mineral framework, the organic fraction, and the observations belong together. Explore the sources, understand the context, and choose the size that fits your barn.