| When we say vitamin E we are actually referring to a | | | | counteracted when feeding the horse additional vitamin |
| group of eight antioxidants. One most prevalent in the | | | | E. |
| body and usually considered the most nutritionally | | | | Horses recovering from equine protozoal |
| important is alpha-tocopherol. Long valued for the | | | | myeloencephalitis or EPM and other neurological |
| protection they provide, antioxidants such as vitamin E | | | | disorders will benefit from vitamin E supplementation in |
| have been credited with a variety of health benefits | | | | their diets. Vitamin E aids healthy nerve and muscle |
| from cancer prevention to slowing the effects of | | | | function. Horses with exertion rhabdomyolysis or tying |
| aging. But what about our horses? Does your horse | | | | up will also benefit with higher vitamin E intake than is |
| receive enough vitamin E in the diet you are feeding | | | | necessary when feeding the average horse. |
| him? | | | | Other times supplementation of vitamin E for horses |
| What does feeding your horse vitamin E supplements | | | | should be considered is when horses are kept |
| do? It is fat soluble, attaching itself to the fatty layer in | | | | exclusively on a diet of hay. If horses have little or no |
| cell membranes and protects the lipids from oxidative | | | | access to green grass they could become vitamin E |
| damage. Harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) | | | | deficient. |
| would weaken the cell walls. This would eventually | | | | What is the source for vitamin E for a horse's diet? |
| allow the internal fluids to leak out. | | | | Vitamin E is found in soybean oil, wheat germ, and |
| How much vitamin E should we be feeding our | | | | stabilized rice bran. It is also found particularly in alfalfa, |
| horses? For the average horse the National Research | | | | timothy, orchardgrass, Kentucky bluegrass and |
| Council recommends one thousand internal units (IU) | | | | meadow fescue. As grasses mature the level of |
| per day. For lactating and pregnant mares that amount | | | | vitamin E will reduce. It continues to diminish after the |
| doubles. Two thousand internal units are also | | | | grasses have been cut and cured for hay. Storage in |
| recommended for high performance horses. | | | | high heat, passage of time, sunlight, and rain all |
| Hardworking horses, it has been discovered from | | | | contribute to the reduction of the amount of vitamin E |
| more resent research, could benefit from as much as | | | | in the hay we are feeding our horses after it has been |
| three thousand internal units daily. | | | | harvested. |
| When is supplementation of vitamin E for horses | | | | What are the effects if a horse's diet is deficient in |
| beneficial? Very few elite equine athletes need | | | | vitamin E? Mild deficiency will reduce the effectiveness |
| additional vitamin E. The horse's muscles demand more | | | | of the horse's immune system. This will leave a horse |
| oxygen when the horse works very hard. Although | | | | more vulnerable to illness. Severe deficiencies are |
| more oxidation fuels the effort, at the same time it | | | | associated with muscular and neural disorders. |
| multiplies the creation of ROS. This effect slows | | | | The suggested upper limit of vitamin E supplement for |
| recovery from exercise and contributes to fatigue. | | | | horses is, for an average sized horse, 37,500 IU. |
| Many performance horses are given extra fat to | | | | Although no toxicity has been reported for horses |
| increase extra calories but do not have starch added | | | | given high amounts of vitamin E, it can hinder the |
| to the diet. Metabolizing fats produces additional ROS. | | | | absorption of other fat soluble vitamins. |
| These particular types of ROS activity are | | | | |