Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant

Vitamin E is essential for supple muscles. During movement and training, small damage occurs in the muscles and waste products (free radicals) are released. This is called oxidative stress. Vitamin E repairs the damage and ensures that the waste products are neutralized. This prevents stiffness and cramps. The more a horse works, the higher its need for vitamin E. Vitamin E is also indispensable for the nervous system. In addition, the immune system can be compromised if a horse does not get enough vitamin E. The amount of fat in the feed is also important: the more fat, the higher the need for vitamin E.

Horses can develop a vitamin E deficiency if:

• Horses are not on grass or barely on grass
• They are in (heavy) training (the harder your horse works, the higher the need)
• They have a disease such as PSSM and liver issues
• Muscle tension and acidification occur due to stress
• A high-fat diet is being fed

Vitamin E is essential for PSSM

Horses with PSSM1 or PSSM2 have an increased need for vitamin E. Horses with a severe vitamin E deficiency can develop a nerve disease called Equine Motor Neuron Disease (EMND). Horses with EMND experience muscle tremors and unsteady legs. Foals and young horses with a severe deficiency can develop the muscle disease NMD. Interestingly, people with metabolic syndrom are also advised to supplement with vitamin E, although it is not yet known if this can be helpful for horses.

How much vitamin E does a horse need?

The basic requirement for vitamin E for an adult horse weighing 550 kg is often set at 500 mg vitamin E per day. Researchers usually express this requirement not in milligrams, but in international units (IU) because the specific gravity can vary per supplement. The recommended dosage is 1 to 2 IU per kg of body weight. For a horse weighing 550 kg, this would be 500 to 1,000 IU per day.

If a horse has to do light work, the need for vitamin E increases to 800 to 1,600 IU per day, and for heavy work up to 2,000 IU per day. For sport horses, these numbers may be conservative, as these animals often receive high-fat diets, requiring extra vitamin E. Double doses are sometimes recommended for horses with PSSM.

When should I supplement vitamin E?

There can be several reasons to supplement vitamin E. Because it is such an important vitamin, you should always supplement it if your horse consumes less than they need. Supplementing vitamin E is recommended:

• If your horse does not have access to pasture (in winter months)
• If your horse is engaging in (moderate to heavy) work and performance
• If your horse has a muscle condition such as tying-up or PSSM
• For muscle stiffness, weakness, or tremors

Conclusion: the ideal vitamin E supplement consists of natural and nature-identical vitamin E

Vitamin E and other antioxidants are crucial for a supple and strong horse. These substances ensure that waste products and free radicals are quickly removed, preventing stiffness and immunity issues.

If you want to provide your horse with a good source of vitamin E and do not have access to fresh grass, two things are essential:

• The right dosage
• A well-absorbed form of vitamin E

To obtain a high dosage that is well-absorbed, you almost cannot avoid adding RRR-α-tocopherol. A supplement consisting of a base product naturally high in vitamin E, such as wheat germ oil, supplemented with a significant amount of nature-identical RRR-α-tocopherol is the best recipe. The advantage of wheat germ oil as a base is that it also contains other vitamin E compounds. Wheat germ oil also contains omega-6 fatty acids, essential for vitamin E absorption.

To further enhance the antioxidant action of a supplement, grape seed extract can be added. This extract contains a high level of proanthocyanidins (OPC), an antioxidant with 50x stronger action than vitamin E.

Sources

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781855734630500102

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4988453/

https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/76/3/141/4781933

https://cvm.msu.edu/research/faculty-research/comparative-medical-genetics/valberg-laboratory/selecting-a-vitamin-e-supplement

Regina Brigelius-Flohe. Bioactivity of vitamin E. Nutrition Research Reviews(2006),19, 174–186. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/D6E1DC656A31C4920B2A339862D97BFE/S0954422407202938a.pdf/bioactivity-of-vitamin-e.pdf

https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/76/3/141/4781933

https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/labs/finno-laboratory/vitamin-e-horses