Vitamins & Supplements for Horses

With a lack or overabundance of vitamins in horses, the metabolism is disrupted, and therefore the normal functioning of the body, which can cause:

– rapid fatigue;

– poor appetite;

– muscle weakness;

– breathing problems;

– skin diseases and much more.

A balanced diet makes your horse healthy and happy.

Here are some tips that can help you choose a top dressing. Think about what vitamins your horse needs.  these are vitamins A, D, E, K, B, C, H (Biotin). Also necessary macronutrients – calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorine, sulfur; trace elements – iron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine, selenium. The amount of a given element depends on the age, function performed, level of exercise, physical condition, and current feeding pattern of the horse.

1. Think about how to give the vitamins the horse. If the horse is standing and eating in the stall, then giving vitamins is quite simple. And you can always check whether the horse has eaten vitamins and, if so, how much. If the horse is on a pasture, then it becomes difficult to give vitamin and mineral supplements because horses eat in groups, and you will never know how much your horse has eaten. In this case, it makes sense to purchase those top-UPS that can be given as a treat from the hands.
2. Think about how many vitamins and minerals necessary for your horse.

Vitamins are divided into two groups – fat – and water-soluble.

Water – soluble- B, C, H (Biotin) – are excreted from the body along with the urine, which means that it is almost impossible to overdose such vitamins. This does not mean that they can and should be introduced into the diet in unlimited quantities. So, for example, B vitamins are synthesized in the large intestine of a horse and their lack occurs only in the absence of normal intestinal functioning.

The introduction of vitamin C into the diet is quite a controversial issue, because horses usually do not lack this vitamin and in addition, vitamin C is useless in the composition of feed pellets, because it is destroyed by temperature. Biotin (vitamin H) has a positive effect on the skin and hair, takes part in various metabolic processes.

Fat – soluble vitamins- A, D, E, K – are paramount, because they must be supplied in the required amount to the horse’s body from the outside.

The most important is vitamin E, which is found only in green food. If a horse eats green grass, it usually does not require additional administration of this vitamin. However, with increased physical activity, sports horses produce a lot of free radicals and require an increased amount of vitamin E to neutralize them, including to protect lipids in the diet. In addition, vitamin E combined with tryptophan and magnesium has a calming effect. Vitamin E combined with selenium is not only a powerful antioxidant, it also has the function of supporting the horse’s immune system. The required amount of vitamin E varies from 300 IU/kg of feed for light work to 1200 IU/kg of feed during peak athletic activity.

Vitamin D, along with silicon, helps the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestines, and is also an antioxidant. It is produced in the horse’s body under the influence of UV rays, even in cloudy weather.

Vitamin K regulates blood clotting and is almost always found in sufficient amounts in grass and hay. Cases of vitamin K deficiency are almost unknown.

Vitamin A is essential for vision, healthy tissue cells, and the mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary systems.