Basic Horse Supplements

Proper nutrition should provide all the nutrients an animal needs. However, depending on the situation and the activity performed by the horses, it may be necessary to reinforce it. Next, we’ll talk about some basic supplements for horses.

How to feed a horse

This will depend on whether it is used for different tasks and, even more, if you participate in contests or do hard work. In these cases, you should review his diet to determine if he needs to incorporate other nutrients that are not provided in his daily diet.

Recommended daily servings

First of all,  to ensure that the animal receives an adequate amount of food,  the intake of the proper proportions of food must be taken into account:

• Gentle work: 70% forage and 30% feed.
• Moderate activity: 60% forage and 40% feed.
• Strong activity or competition: 50% forage and 50% feed.

In the latter case, due to the high demand, it is essential to incorporate some basic horse supplements, such as a booster.

What are supplements?

During the stage of sport practice or hard work, the horse will need to complete  its feeding. Supplements are vitamin complexes that increase the nutritional level of food.

This is a way of trying to get the  right level of vitamins according to the animal’s needs.

Formats

On the market,  basic horse supplements are sold as injections, pellets, liquids or powders. From the simplest, such as vitamins E or C, to supplements that mix several nutrients.

Also,  there are supplements made with  natural products. An example are mixtures based on ortiga, flax and marigold.

Horse Basic Supplements: Why Start?

Vitamin A, D and K:

Vitamin A is often ingested in the diet itself. This occurs whenever the forage is of good quality and provided in adequate portions.

A quality forage is evidenced by its colorful green and a fresh and natural smell.

Vitamins C and B

These  must be replenished daily and are usually dissolved in water.

Other vitamins

They are also important, depending on the horse’s energy expenditure and needs:

• Boiled flaxseed: provides protein. It must be provided in small quantities with food.
• Flaxseed oil: improves the animal’s digestion and coat.
• Cod liver oil: provides vitamin D. Recommended in winter for animals that live in boxes.
• Natural supplements: carrots and apples, which are sources of vitamins and minerals and which they generally like.

short term effects

If the diet is good, but the animal needs an extra contribution to make the most of it , a high performance supplement is ideal.

These can be found in liquid form based on:

• Creatine
• Vitamin B1, B2, B6
• Folic acid
• Biotin
• L-carnitine

What are nutraceuticals?

The vitamins we’ve seen before are the basic vitamins in a diet. Now ,  nutraceuticals are supplements that mix herbs with pharmaceutical ingredients, which are not drugs.

They have the peculiarity of increasing the body’s defenses and ability to absorb and heal them. Because it produces a gradual effect, its benefits are felt in the long term.

beware of excesses

In the case of vitamins and basic supplements for horses, it  is important to get the correct amounts.

When providing multiple supplements or their mixtures,  you should control the total amount of the feed,  as excessive consumption is toxic to the animal.

Excess vitamin A: causes kidney problems. The symptoms associated with this are:

• night blindness
• infections
• The excess of tears
• Reduced fertility

Excess vitamin D, is evidenced in :

• Lack of appetite and weight loss.
• Excessive water intake and frequent urination

• calcified kidneys

Procedure for providing supplements

• Keep in mind that not all vitamins are the same.  In addition, attention must be paid to the body’s absorption capacity.
• It is also necessary to consider which mixtures potentiate (vitamin E with selenium)  or degrade  (vitamins E and C with iron and copper)  the effects of the supplement.
• It is necessary to take into account the nutrients that the horse receives : hay, alfalfa, cereals or animal feed.
• We must review the physical state and the level of work, to define the appropriate supplement.
• Do not exceed allowable nutrient levels if multiple supplements are mixed together.

Finally,  you should always be well informed and be wary of miraculous promises of immediate results. In addition, we should consult a trusted veterinarian to adjust feed amounts depending on the animal’s situation.

Main image source: Counting Stars