Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: How to make sure your horse is getting enough Vitamin E and Selenium?
QUESTION:
I am interested in knowing if there are any good sources of selenium and vitamin
E available. I live in an area that is possibly deficient in Selenium. I wonder
if there is any way to add Selenium and vitamin E to an easily ingested substance
such as corn oil. Would it be possible to add it in such a way that it would be
mixed into an oil uniformly so that when the oil is added to the regular feed it
would provide a regular dose?
Would a dose of 1-2 mg/kg do any harm to a horse that is getting enough Selenium
and vitamine E already?
ANSWER:
Trace mineral salt can be and often is formulated to provide Se. Check your
horse's hay and salt supply to find out for sure if they complement each other.
Vitamin E is usually not a problem if horses are getting green feed or nicely
cured preserved feed, unless they are being loaded up with a lot of bogus
supplements that include such oxidizers as iron or easily peroxidized compounds
as highly unsaturated fatty acids in oils. Or both. Essential fatty acids and
corn oil and the like can be good if they have vitamin E in them, but can set
your horse back if they have suffered oxidative damage.