Weekend Wellness, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: What Does Vitamin E Deficiency Look Like in Horses?
Is your horse getting enough Vitamin E? This essential antioxidant plays a critical role in protecting nerve and muscle cells from damage, so make sure you know what to look for in your horse.
These subtle signs of vitamin E deficiency often go unnoticed.
- Stiff during warm-up
- Sore after exercise
- Sour attitude when ridden
- Lack of energy and impulsion
More obvious signs can be confused with other illnesses:
- Evidence of muscle myopathy
- Neurological symptoms
- Weak immune response
What horses are at the highest risk of vitamin E deficiencies?
- Performance horses that are competing and traveling regardless of turnout
- Horses of all ages that don’t graze on good grass for at least 12 to 17 hours per day
- Horses on restricted diets
- Horses grazing on winter pasture
How do you determine if your horse is deficient?
- The best way to tell if your horse is deficient in vitamin E is to have your veterinarian draw a blood sample, which will tell you the exact level of vitamin E in your horse’s system.
You can download a printable version of this infographic here.
You can learn more about addressing vitamin E deficiencies below:
About Kentucky Performance Products, LLC:
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For more information, visit KPPvet.com.
