Vitamin E

H

happy_talk

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 August 2007
Messages
521
Visit site
Talk to me about vitamin E.

I have recently (6 wks) changed to a high fibre diet (alfa, kwikbeet, linseed, bailey local balancer). With the weather she gets limited turnout, and what turnout there is, is in a field that has been “sacrificed” (= trashed). NRC says 400iu/day requirement, which is what the balancer supplies. Horses also get vit E from grass/ fresh forage (so for her, negligible I imagine). I’ve seen that for barefoot diets, Vit E is supplemented to levels much higher than NRC, anywhere from 3000- 12000IU/day. Or in horses with a muscle disorder, up to 20,000 IU.
So, how do you know if you need to increase the levels of Vit E in the diet – what signs are there?
How do you supplement to the 4000 / 12000IU level – the strongest human capsules I can find are 400 IU. Are they all liquid filled as trying to slice some up last night was a mess and got dangerous with knife, small hard capsule and oily slime everywhere!
 
You're feeding linseed, which is a source of Vitamin E? Do you need to add more?

Apparently flaxseed (what linseed is called in the US) contains around 9 mg/100 g of tocopherol.
 
Last edited:
there is a low level of vit E in linseed, which I guess is why when you feed an oil you increase the vit E level as an antioxidant.
10mg tocopherol only = 15 IU (from what I can find)
 
I use the liquid vit E from Holland and Barratt - it is quite hard to find on the shelf - but I get it online. Don't confuse with the stuff used for skin care! I don't like the gel caps; horse won't eat them and they are messy and fiddly - the liquid is a doddle. You can get it high strength too.
 
I would only bother to supplement vitamin E for;

Elderly horses with poor teeth who may not get enough grass
Horses on restricted grazing/no grazing for the winter
Horses on soaked hay and no grass
Horses with Cushings/IR
Horses on high oil diets/ESPM

I feed my elderly, Cushings chap with poor teeth (:D) Pro Balance +, which has 1000mg Vit E added and then I add a gel cap of 1000iu to his feed.

I get them from Holland and Barrett or the Nutrition Centre in the local Tesco hypermarket.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=vitamin+e+1000iu&_sacat=0&_from=R40

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=902&prodid=621&cid=211

Or you can get it in powder form
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VITAMIN-E...t=UK_Horse_Wear_Equipment&hash=item41685105a1

Or you could feed Brasil nuts as a treat - they are a good natural source of vit E
 
thanks for those ideas- seems there are some less messy options, although I have soaked the capsules in water today and was able to mashy them up and fish out the "shell".

I'm going to supplement as an experiment as she has virtually no grass through the winter and possibly may be either deficient, or showing some mild EPSM symptoms.

chocolate cup cakes for all!
 
Last edited:
I usually leave the lid open on the pot of Vit E capsules in my tack room. The damp air makes them softer and easier to use.

I bite the capsule and squeeze the liquid into his feed.

I used to chuck the empty capsule on the floor of my tack room (it will dissolve eventually) but now I just chuck it into the feed.
 
I actually just chucked the capsules (the 1000iu ones from Holland and Barrett) in the feed and they got eaten. Feeds are wet speedibeet/copra/bran etc so by the time they come to eat they have softened.

But then I have spectacularly unfussy horses.

@lucypriory What is the issue with the powdered form?
 
I believe Dr K states the Vitamin E needs to be in liquid form in a carrier oil to be bio-available.

I would imagine (due to their adherence to Dr K's research) Pro Earth and ForagePlus' Vit E are OK to use though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top