Are supplements necessary for horses?
One of the most important aspects to be aware in working with horses’ diet. Many owners of horses don’t realize that they feed animals rather than an instrument!
Horses require minerals and vitamins like humans do. In fact some horses may need them more than others, based on their level of activity and genetics.
One of the things that you could do is ensure your horse has an ongoing feed of grass or hay throughout the day. Since different horses aren’t alike and we must supplement the nutritional deficiencies with supplements.
Not all horses require supplements. There have been instances that horse-owners inject mineral supplementation into their animals, which can cause grave harm, and sometimes death. Furthermore certain horse owners injecting the horses of their pets with Ace they receive from their friends.
It is best not to take injectable medicines without discussing them with your doctor first. Your veterinarian is the most qualified person to advise you in this area. To find out if your horse is in need of supplements, think about the food you feed it and the horse’s nutritional needs.
Generally speaking, a horse’s supplements and food requirements are based on the horse’s age and level of activities. Horses with a longer lifespan may require extra supplements to maintain their health as their digestive system may not be as efficient. Broodmares may require supplements to cope with the extra stress of lactation and pregnancy.
Remember that No two horses are exactly the same. The amount of feed additives or supplements that help keep one horse healthy and fit might not be enough for a different horse.
Each horse has unique needs for nutrition even if it is doing exactly the same amount of work like other horses. In fact, there’s an estimated difference of between 20 and 30 percent in the amount of energy required by horses.
Let us look at for instance endurance horses. They can be healthy and fit with grass and grass on their own Others may require 6-12% of their grain and supplements to their hay and grass to keep the same level of fitness.
What kind of nutrients do horses require?
All horses require a healthy daily diet that includes six components that include water, carbohydrates oils, proteins as well as vitamins and minerals. It is essential that horses get enough nutrients.
If they’re not eating enough nutrients, this can lead to serious health issues.
Proteins and carbohydrates
Horses are able to convert hay and grass into protein in order to build massive muscles. To do this, they need to take in a lot of food. Even at a moderate amount of activity horses need to consume about 1.5 to 2 percent from their weight forage.
Therefore, a 1,000 pounds. horse needs to consume 20 pounds. of forage daily. This 20 pounds. can be derived from various sources, such as grass, hay or legumes, as well as fodder. When your horse training, it will need to eat more calories as well as increase the amount of protein it consumes; one method to achieve this is to use an supplement.
Fats
Horses are not getting much weight gain from diets. Consult your veterinarian about supplementing your diet with flaxseed oil or vegetable oil and other food sources that contain omega essential fatty acids. Older horses are likely to require fat supplements more frequently than younger horses.
You should generally eat half 1 cup of flaxseed for every 400 pounds. of body weight every day. If you opt for a commercial supplement, choose one that contains calcium to correct the inverted calcium-to-phosphorus ratio found in flaxseeds.
Minerals and vitamins
Horses also require minerals and vitamins Deficiencies in these can cause various health issues, ranging from lameness to colic. A dose of a horse multivitamin daily can reduce these problems. Your veterinarian can inform you what your horse’s personal vitamin requirements.
You could also supply your animal with a vitamin supplement or offer an mineral supplement according to its diet. If, for instance, your horse follows grass-hay only diet, its vitamin and mineral requirements are different from those who eat both grass and legumes.
Here are some nutrients your horse may need when it is eating grass-hay only diet.
Vitamin E Horses require 1. IU or Vitamin E per pound body weight. If you weigh 1100 pounds. horse, that is 1,100IU vitamin E.
Beta carotene: Add to your daily diet a dosage of 72 mg of beta carotene for each kg of body weight, or 30 mg of Vitamin A. Avoid feeding this supplement to horses who are on alfalfa diets.
Biotin – This keeps the tail and hooves, as well as the hair robust. It also encourages shiny coats.
Vitamins B and C Horses typically do not require these supplements unless they are sick or have anemia.
Vitamin D When it is in excess, it may cause calcification of bruises. Talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.
Psyllium supplement
If your horse is grazing in a field you can find it eating dirt and sand with grass. This isn’t a problem since it may help the teeth and provide them with iron. But, the sand may build up in an animal’s intestinal tract in time, leading to colic.
To lessen the amount of sand that builds up in the hindgut of your horse, feed it a psyllium supplement at least once every week or for a few consecutive days, at least every month. This will increase intestinal mobility and digestion.
Supplements for Probiotics and Prebiotics
These supplements help to maintain your horse’s digestive health as well as increase the horse’s immunity. They also aid in healing the horse’s gut, increase the micro-flora and assist the horse to get the most benefit from the food it eats.
The types of supplements available for horses.
The most commonly used kinds of supplements available for horses are:
Supplements for horses: These dietary products offer minerals and vitamins your horse needs to keep their overall health.
Supplements for digestion: These supplements can include probiotics, yeast strains and prebiotics. These can help the bacteria that live in the hindgut of horses work better and aid digestion.
Supplements for calm horses These supplements are beneficial in easing tension and anxiety. This is particularly beneficial for horses who are anxious in transport.
Supplements for joints: These products could provide relief by reducing inflammation that is associated with degenerative joint disorders such as arthritis. This allows users to live a full life without discomfort.
Hoof and Coat supplements provide vitamins and minerals to maintain hoof health and promotes shiny coats and healthy skin.
Supplements for weight gain Certain horses are having difficulties maintaining muscle mass and weight and require a weight-gain supplement. There are a variety of different kinds available that aid, and they typically include high amounts of amino acids, fats as well as vitamins, minerals and various other nutrients.