Horse Supplements: What Vitamins Does a Horse Need?
Horse supplements are an important part of keeping your horse healthy. There are many different types of supplements, some of which are more important than others. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the four most important horse supplements and why they are so important.
Vitamins for Horses
Horses are athletes just like people and need good quality feed and supplements just like people do. Vitamins and minerals are important for the overall health of your horse and should be considered an important part of their diet.
There are a variety of different vitamins and minerals that are important for horses. Some of the most important ones are:
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A is important for healthy skin, hair, and eyes. It also helps to maintain a healthy immune system.
- B vitamins: B vitamins are important for energy metabolism and help the horse’s body to better use the energy from food.
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C is necessary for proper formation of bones, teeth, and collagen. It is also a powerful antioxidant that will keep your horse healthy
- Vitamin D: This is important for proper skeletal development in young horses but also helps regulate calcium and phosphorus levels in older horses
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E is another antioxidant but this one supports a healthy function of the nervous, immune, and reproductive systems.
- Lastly, Vitamin K: This is needed for proper blood clotting but it is rare that a horse’s levels would be low.
Supplements for Horses
There are a lot of supplements on the market for horses. Some work better than others. It is important to research the different types of supplements and find the right one for your horse.
These are the most common types of supplements for horses:
- Dietary: provide vitamins and minerals
- Digestive: probiotics and prebiotics which help the good bacteria and aid digestion
- Calming supplements: These can help alleviate anxiety and tension
- Joint supplements: Helps decrease inflammation and keep your horse’s joints healthy
- Hoof & Coat: provides minerals specifically for hoofs and coats
- Weight Gain supplements: Some horses have difficulty maintaining muscle mass and need a supplement to help
Minerals for Horses
There are a number of minerals that are essential for horses. Some of these minerals are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and copper. Calcium is probably the most important mineral for horses. It is responsible for strong bones and teeth, and it also helps with muscle contraction. Horses need a lot of phosphorus because it helps with energy production and is necessary for the formation of new bone cells. Magnesium is also important for horses because it helps with muscle relaxation and neuromuscular function. Zinc and copper are two minerals that are important for the immune system.
Conclusion
This article discussed the benefits of horse supplements. If you are looking for a way to improve your horse’s health, supplements may be the answer. Learn more about the different types of horse supplements and the benefits they provide with Tommie Turvey.