Will Horses Eat Only the Minerals They Need? Presented by Kentucky Performance Products
True of false? When fed free-choice vitamins and minerals, horses will pick only what they need.
False!
Researchers learned that horses have some nutritional sense for salt, but not for other nutrients. Horses will seek out salt when they need it, but if you feed other minerals and vitamins “free choice” you are bound to end up with some excesses and deficiencies. Taste is the major driver of consumption, not nutritional wisdom. If it tastes good, they will eat it.
Take-home message: Your best bet when feeding vitamins and minerals is to provide your horse with a well-balanced commercial feed or supplement that has been formulated by a qualified equine nutritionist.
About Kentucky Performance Products, LLC:
Performance horses are susceptible to exercise-induced muscle damage. Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, limits the damage caused by everyday oxidative stress. It maintains healthy muscle and nerve functions, and supports a strong immune system in horses of all ages. Elevate was developed to provide a highly bioavailable source of natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) to horses.
Check out this KPP article: Vitamin E and the Performance Horse – A Winning Combination.
The horse that matters to you matters to us®. KPPusa.com
