Horse Vitamin Supplements
Humans and animals alike need vitamins for body resistance against diseases; to slow aging process; and for optimum performance. Grazing green grasses and legumes on fertile soil is enough to provide all the needed vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed by horses. However, it is too costly to test the fertility of the land or the grass and leaves eaten by horses in the pasture to determine if it could be a source of complete vitamins and some minerals. As such, its more economical and easy to buy horse vitamin supplements.
In many instances, particularly during cold weather, the horse only eats the dried grass and hay in the barn provided by the caretaker. The dried grass and hay are not as nutritious as the fresh green grass and legumes eaten by the horse from the pasture since vitamins and nutrients were already lost in the process. The afore-mentioned situation requires the giving of horse vitamin supplements. There are lots of available vitamin supplements in the market with different kinds of performance the horse owner may choose from.
Need for horse vitamin supplements in the diet
Vitamins and some minerals are necessary to improve horses health. Some feeds available in the market already contain several vitamins and other minerals. You should always read the label of all feeds given to your horse to measure its vitamin intake. If the feedstuff is of good quality, additional horse vitamin supplements are not needed. However, if these are not of good quality, small amount of vitamins can be combined with the food. Vitamins should only be given in small dosages. Intake of vitamins and some minerals in excess of ten times the needed dosage is toxic and can create bigger health problems.
Essential horse vitamin supplements
To provide enough horse vitamin supplements, you can mix five pounds of premix vitamin A, D, E, and K per ton of mixed feeds. Five pounds of brewers yeast is likewise sufficient per ton of feeds for Vitamin B requirements. Vitamin A is essential for good eyesight; prevention of night blindness; and promotion of good healthy skin, coat, respiratory and reproductive system. Vitamin D helps maintain strong bones and helps in the digestion of calcium needed by the bones. However, intake of more than ten times the required dosage can be toxic that can lead to unnecessary calcium deposit in the soft tissue which can damage muscles, kidneys, heart and blood vessels. Vitamin E helps improve the horse reproductive performance and resistance to infectious diseases. Vitamin K is essential for normal blood clotting in injury cases. Vitamin B helps maintain good appetite, prevents anemia and prevents stress to keep the horse always in good mood.
The giving of horse vitamin supplements is only one factor to promote good health. It is equally important to give them clean fresh water which should be available all the time; fiber rich foods; clean environment; and feeds free from molds, parasites, rodents and dirt.
We all want to take good care of our horse; treat lovingly and loyally – in the same way they are loyal to us – their master and their only friend.
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