Horse Minerals

What vitamin and mineral supplements are available for horses?

• Pellet form
• Powder
• Briquettes
• With or without molasses
• Mixes containing minerals

The choice of mineral supplements for horses is justifiably large. Because every horse has its own mineral requirements. The reason is the individual, partly breed-related metabolism, the stress, the age, the husbandry, the state of health and the basic feed given. As a result, every horse needs its own combination of feed and feed quantities. This means that there is a suitable vits and mins supplement for almost every need.
Vits and mins supplements for horses is usually produced in cube form, as it is easy to dose and has a longer shelf life. For field-kept or group-housed horses, where separate feeding is difficult, mineral feed in treat form or as briquettes is recommended. Keep in mind, however, that these must not be fed in the quantities as treats, otherwise overdosing may occur.
The most important aspect of vits and mins supplements, however, is the ingredients. These should be readily available to the horse so that they get to where they are needed. Vits and mins supplements are composed of less readily available inorganic substances and effectively usable organic compounds. Some manufacturers rely on vits and mins supplements with pure organic compounds, which are usually higher in price. When buying vits and mins supplements, you should therefore make sure that the ingredients are easily usable by the horse. What exactly is behind the terms organic and inorganic and how you can distinguish between them, you can read in our guide on vitamin and mineral supplements.

When should I feed my horse vits and mins supplements?

The horse's main source of energy is forage, which it consumes in the form of hay, haylage or grass. But intensive farming has largely washed out the land and with it the forage growing on it. Important minerals such as zinc, copper and selenium are rarely found in the basic feed and must be supplied to the horse through a high-quality vits and mins supplement. Especially good-doers in no work are usually undersupplied with minerals, as they receive little or no vitaminised and mineralised hard feed. Therefore, it makes sense to supplement a vits and mins supplement in coordination with the basic feed.
The vits and mins supplement should primarily compensate for the nutrient deficiencies of the basic feed and have a very high bioavailability. This means that minerals present in organic compounds can be quickly and easily utilised by the horse. In some phases of life, such as growth, breeding or change of coat, the need for certain bulk and trace elements increases. Then the vits and mins supplement has to be adapted in quantity and composition accordingly.
In order to meet the individual needs of the horses, we have various vits and mins supplements in our range. Whether it is the classic vits and mins supplement that supplies the horse with the most important elements, vits and mins for horses with metabolic problems or a vits and mins supplement for senior horses, you can find the right mineral supplement for your horse.

What alternatives are there to conventional vits and mins supplements?

Conventional or classic vits and mins supplements cover the basic micronutrients and are available in cube form. For field-kept or group-housed horses or for horses that are only fed straights but do not receive mineralised hard feed, a vits and mins supplement in treat form can make sense. But be careful: vits and mins supplements in a handy size must not be fed excessively, as this will lead to an over-supply of minerals. As with any feed or supplement, the manufacturer's recommendations should be followed.
Many horse mixes are usually enriched with nutrients and vital substances, so that no additional vits and mins supplements needs to be given at the recommended feeding rate. However, since in most cases horses receive less than the recommended daily ration, the mineral deficiency must be compensated by a vits and mins supplement.
Even better than a conventional vits and mins supplement, which scatters nutrients widely, is a vits and mins supplement that is tailored to the horse's needs. To find out if the horse is deficient, a thorough examination of the blood, the exterior and the rest of the feed ration is crucial. In consultation with the veterinarian, a vits and mins supplement can finally be found that balances out the minerals that are not covered by the basic feed. In our assortment you will therefore find a wide selection of targeted vits and mins supplements for horses.

Which minerals does my horse need?

Since horses cannot produce minerals themselves, they have to be supplied through the feed. The basic and hard feed determines how high the requirement for individual minerals is. These are subdivided into macro and trace elements and are responsible for various functions in the horse's body:

• Calcium ensures strong horse bones
• Magnesium keeps muscles healthy
• Potassium supports the nervous system
• Phosphorus for stable cells
• Sodium for a functioning nervous system and a balanced acid-base balance
• Iron for the formation of blood
• Chlorine regulates the water balance
• Copper for a good immune system
• Zinc ensures healthy skin, coat and hooves. The mucous membranes also benefit from zinc
• Manganese regulates the fat balance

If the horse suffers a permanent deficiency of one of these elements, deficiency symptoms become externally visible or noticeable. In most cases, the deficient supply only becomes apparent when it has been present for a longer period of time. Therefore, it is important that horses are constantly supplied with the right minerals in sufficient quantities.
You can find more detailed information on the subject of mineral supply in our guide.