So, I wonder exactly which Vitamin E supplement people are using? I started with one from smartpak, but with the number of horses that I will have on it, would love to find something more reasonable.
I went around and around and found finding a deal on the human natural vitamin E is the cheapest way to go. Horses really will just eat the capsules in a little bit of grain/pellets, and it’s best per the research to mix in a little bit more oil. These are cheap, and there is a buy one, get one for half price deal!
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Human E capsules, d-tocopherol not dl-, is actually pretty cost effective 
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So how many of those do you give an adult horse, a weanling, etc?
I have actually been wondering a similar question myself. I have tried feeding capsules to my horse but that is very spotty. Sometimes it gets eaten and sometimes it doesn’t and the thought of choking on it always worries me even if that is illogical. There is a bulk powdered Vitamin E from purebulk.com which has a conversion table for dosages using mg/IU/teaspoons/tablespoons.
If you don’t mind my asking, did you test your rations and find they were low in E? How do you know all the horses need it supplemented? I have a gut feeling my horse could use vit E but nothing more accurate than that.
depends on how much IU you want to give Some supplement 4000-5000 IU, some only 1000-2000, so how many capsules it takes depends on how big they are. 400 IU is a common size.
what is the SP dosage you’re using now? As in, how many IU does a serving provide?
Re: testing - much better to test the horse
I also use the human vitamin E capsules…I use the 400IU and give 3 to 4 for a 1000 to 1300 lb horse…I have a pony at 800 lbs and give her two…this has dramatically increased my selenium levels in all my horses.
Dalemma
From The Horse
Who Needs Vitamin E?
Not every horse needs vitamin E supplementation. Blythe says that studies show horses most at risk for vitamin E deficiency include the following:
Horses without access to green pastures;
Horses fed old hay or pelleted feed;
Horses kept where winters are severe and kept in the barn for long periods of time;
Horses exposed to creosote-painted fences;
Horses sprayed with excessive insecticide;
Horses with EDM, EMND, EPM, and foals of EDM horses;
Foals up to two years of age;
Ill horses, especially those with diseases affecting the immune system;
Older horses which might not have the gastrointestinal efficiency for absorbing vitamin E from grasses;
Heavily exercised or raced horses.
Says Blythe: “Our research shows you need about 2,000 IU a day to prevent neurologic dysfunction, and 6,000-9,000 IU a day for treating a disease process that damages the nervous system such as EPM, EMND, or EDM.”–Marcia King
The problem is, testing does not always give you an accurate picture, as levels vary during the day.
The vets I talked to (out here in CA) recommend supplementing at least 2000IU a day, especially for at risk and young horses.
I personally put 2 (1000IU) capsules in my pony’s feed, along with her Platinum Performance which also contains some natural E. For good absorbency feeding oil with the E is optimum, which is why I feed the capsules. With a horse with neuro problems, adding more oil, or feeding a vitamin E oil (like Nano E), is also recommended.
I also found the human E to be just as cost effective plus the natural form is suppose to be way more potent. So adding that up, the human form is cheaper. I gave up to 5000 when the colt was younger or did something silly. At a 1 1/2, it is about 2000 IU.
I live in Canada so I also supplement with vit D because of the short sunlight hours and the hay in winter. When horses are inside for part of the day or not eating grass this becomes important also. In humans they are finding vit D to be very important for many things.
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http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/vitamin-e.htm
Thanks, PP. That is exactly the sort of info I was looking for.
There is also a lot of great information out there about the benefits of Vitamin E supplementation for broodmares. Of course please discuss this with your vet or nutritionist.
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=382834&sk=&date=&pageID=4
It is beneficial to provide supplemental vitamin E (2,000-4,000 IUs per day, or >150 IU/kg feed) to breeding mares, especially those in confinement. Green pasture forages, high in vitamin E, are not always available to gestating and lactating mares that often foal during winter months.
It has been suggested (Harper, 2002) that mares known to have poor-quality colostrum, poor milkers, or those who have failed to passively transfer immunity in previous years, be supplemented with vitamin E at twice the required level for at least a month before and after foaling. It is also recommended that pregnant mares fed lower-quality hay or that graze endophyte-infected fescue be given vitamin E supplementation a month before and after foaling. It has been shown that mares supplemented with water-soluble natural vitamin E (1,500 IU d-alpha-tocopherol per day) for 21 days before foaling showed higher plasma alpha-tocopherol at foaling, as did their foals at 12 to 36 hours after birth. The higher-serum tocopherol levels in foals of supplemented mares is probably due to greater colostrum transfer. Natural-source water-soluble forms of vitamin E have shown greater bioavailability. Vitamin E supplemented-mares have shown increased passive transfer of antibodies to foals, which greatly enhances their immune system.
Yes, very true. Like selenium, it almost doesn’t matter if you test the soil/forage, because in the end all that matters is what the horse is able to uptake from what they’re eating So, you do have to test them to find that out - that’s all
OH, okay, I see what you are saying, agreed.
In the same vein, I have talked to several vets who feel out here in CA, especially all horses boarded at boarding barns on an all-hay diet, should be supplemented with vitamin E no matter what their blood tests reveal.
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I use Platinum Performance Natural E and also their Selenium Yeast. I like it because they are separate so I can feed as much or as little of either as I want. I have found that one of those little blue “bute scoops” = 1000 IU, so I adjust it accordingly depending on what horse I am feeding and how much grain they are getting.
Their “serving” size is 4,000 IU, so if you are feeding less than that to a horse there are more servings in a container than the label says.
Check out these supplements. Which one looks good to you?
http://www.smartpakequine.com/charts/multivitaminssuppcompare.html
I was feeding Platinum Performance but the price is just sky high. I really like the higher calcium, vit E, others found in the Grand Vite. All horses look great on it. Hopefully that supplement combined with Buckeye Grow-n-Win, Per. Peanut hay, timothy, loose grass balancer minerals & regular loose salt will be all mare needs as she gets close to foaling. Oh also a fat supplement…
[QUOTE=Perfect Pony;5456154]
I went around and around and found finding a deal on the human natural vitamin E is the cheapest way to go. Horses really will just eat the capsules in a little bit of grain/pellets, and it’s best per the research to mix in a little bit more oil. These are cheap, and there is a buy one, get one for half price deal!
I just ordered and received a bunch of these. Thanks for the link!
Three of my five eat the capsules out of my hand, two require a little extra treat with it.
One of my mares is always testing for low E in her blood, so I’m going to give it a try. She has sometimes seemed to be bordering on having EPSM to me (vets poo-poo my concerns), so between that and the low blood E, AND the fact that she is a picky eater, I’m happy that she eats these capsules so well.
[QUOTE=Dalemma;5456196]
I also use the human vitamin E capsules…I use the 400IU and give 3 to 4 for a 1000 to 1300 lb horse…I have a pony at 800 lbs and give her two…this has dramatically increased my selenium levels in all my horses.
Dalemma[/QUOTE]
How has supplementing vitamin E dramatically increased selenium levels? How are you monitoring your selenium levels in your horses?
I give my sheep freechoice baker’s yeast/selenium. When I bred my sheep, I was told selenium will help produce strong contractions. Is this true in horses?
Do you also supplement with freechoice selenium? or supplement that along with vit. E?
