Vitamin E and other supplements

[IndysMom]

I have an 18yo QH and I live in upstate NY. For many years, I’ve supplemented him with SmartPak’s SmartOmega 3 & E Ultra, and MSM. The MSM is pretty inexpensive and I’ll continue that. However, the SmartPak has had a considerable rise in price (and that sneaky fulfillment fee) so I’m looking for some COTH wisdom on what else might be a reasonable alternative.

As he’s aged, I’ve cut back on his work. We ride (western so no jumping) 4 days a week, mostly ring work as his idea of a trail ride is to walk around the outside of the barn. He is sure that there are too many wild animals farther out and it’s not safe LOL!

We do show, but not as much as we used to, 3-4 shows over the summer. He has daily turnout and is stalled at night. He’s sound but requires some maintenance in his hocks on a yearly basis.

[Simkie]

We’ve had a few threads on vit e and pricing, so you might find search fruitful. I like the Santa Cruz offerings.

Pellets:

Natural Vitamin E Plus Supplement for Horses – UltraCruz®

Or powder:

Natural Vitamin E Supplement for Horses – UltraCruz®

It’s about 14 cents per 1000 iu.

For omega 3, flax is probably the most economical, even with how the price has gone up recently. A 50# bag is $65 (for me, maybe less for you.) Feed a half cup - one cup/day.

[fivestrideline]

Seconding the UltraCruz E, I use the pellets. For one horse, I believe the pellets were almost the same price as the powder (since I can’t buy in huge bulk quantities without it going bad), and my horse vacuums it up.

Flax is great, if your horse will eat it. Mine won’t. He’s now eating a Triple Crown omega product, but we had to introduce it agonizingly slowly. Omega Horseshine is another palatable option for the picky ones.

Just in general, when you go to switch supps, don’t buy huge quantities until you know that your horse will eat it consistently!

[Kyrabee]

For years, I just popped 3-5 Natural vitamin E capsules (400 IU each) in her supplement. Most of the balancer I feed have at least 500 IU. That is pretty cheap.

I recently started that same Smartpak supplement. Yes, I might have to reconsider given the price increases and the fulfillment charge.

I do baggies for supplements so can’t do oil for the Omega 3. We will see. I just got some so have a couple months to figure it out. The other Omega 3 supplements (that are primarily marine sourced) I have found in pellets are even more than Smartpak.

My 20yo gets a ration balancer, magnesium, the SP omega + vitamin E and aloe vera pellets.

Susan

[BlueDrifter]

I read the other threads and opted for MicroIngredients Vitamin E to add to their supplement bag. I also use the original Omega Horseshine. I have tried other flax products but seem to always go back to the original Horsehine as it seems to have the highest omega 3 compared to most.

[FjordBCRF]

I made some changes this year over the CalTrace Vitamin E debacle. I switched over to Custom Equine Nutritions Omega E and have been happy with it so far. Flax and Vit E.

OMEGA-E

[ozone_joan]

I also use the Santa Cruz vitamin E powder. For omega 3, I am feeding Chia Seeds. I buy it in bulk. Unlike flax, it doesn’t need to be ground. You can feed it whole. Provides lots a vitamin B and protein as well.

[Simkie]

Flax doesn’t need to be ground, either.

Just curious, how much does chia cost?

[SBrentnall]

I buy chia seeds at Costco - they’re about $8-10 per pound and I feed 1/3 cup per day.

[Simkie]

Wow, so…$400 for 50# on the low end

Flax has really gone up in price, but seems downright cheap at $65/50#

[BlueDrifter]

That does have enough Omega 3 in it (24g), I might need to check it out!

[ozone_joan]

I buy bulk chia seed off of Amazon. $35.00 for 10 pounds.

[outerbanks77]

I can’t remember all the reasons, but I researched flax vs. hemp oil a few months ago and put my horses on hemp oil. It has less O3, but has some other benefits. The feeding rate is lower, and the price per gallon is about the same, so overall it’s cheaper. I mainly started it for my perpetually itchy horse, and she seems less itchy and her winter coat came in really shiny. It is also helping the powdered supplements stick and she is vacuuming everything up whereas she used to leave some of her concentrate and supplements. I haven’t noticed a difference with the other mare, but she is always blindingly shiny on her own and doesn’t tend to get itchy. They both get 2oz a day, and I buy a couple gallons at a time from Bulk Apothecary (usually possible to get a discount code).

They also get a scoop per day of the UltraCruz Vit E powder, CalTrace and Tri-Amino.

[PaddockWood]

Thought it might be of value to others. I have been supp’ing Santa Cruz Vit E - powder - for a couple months since pasture turned brown. We just tested the level on my guy and he came back at something like 6.0 - which they thought was good. It’s working. Nice to know money that gets spent delivers the goods.

[JB]

@BlueDrifter

I read the other threads and opted for MicroIngredients Vitamin E

just a heads up (and I can’t remember now if you’re in the other thread!) that MI is now using synthetic E.

That may be temporary, I don’t know, but it’s listed on their website that they use dl. I know for a while, HorseTech has had it listed that due to sourcing issues with natural E, they are using synthetic in part.

If you use about 30% more synthetic, you have the same-ish effective dose

AFAIK UltraCruz is still natural E

[BlueDrifter]

Hi JB, thanks for the head’s up.

The actual bag in my possession say d-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate – so that is natural from what I have read. I bought it July, so that probably explains it.

When this bag is up, I will look at Ultracruz and others!