Selenium For Horses
What It Is & Who It’s For: Selenium is a trace mineral that plays critical roles in the horse’s antioxidant defense system, immune response, and thyroid function. Selenium deficiency has been reported in 46 states as low levels in the soil can lead to low levels in grass and hay. Deficiency in horses is best described as a “nutritional myopathy” meaning: muscle disorder caused by the diet.
Source and Bioavailability: The best source of selenium for horses is controversial, as some studies (but not all) show selenium-enriched yeast is better absorbed than either sodium selenite or selenate, which have equal bioavailabilities.
Serving Size: According to the NRC Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 1 mg/day total for an 1100 pound horse is required to prevent selenium deficiency in the adult horse in no work, light exercise, or used as a breeding stallion. Horses in moderate, heavy, or very heavy exercise and lactating mares require slightly more, 1.25 mg/day. However, one study found higher levels of antibodies in foals when the mares received 3 mg/day during pregnancy.
Complementary Ingredients: Selenium partners with vitamin E to protect the horse’s body from the damaging effects of free radicals. To some extent, each can compensate for a deficiency in the other. That is, selenium can step in and partially correct things when dietary vitamin E levels are low, such as when pasture is not available. Likewise, vitamin E has a limited ability to temporarily offset a deficiency in selenium when the horse’s diet does not contain enough.
Toxicity/Side Effects: The NRC estimates the maximum tolerable concentration of selenium for horses at 50 mg/day. However, it was felt that 20mg/day was a more reasonable upper safe limit and even discourages feeding more than 5mg/day. Selenium toxicity – evidenced by hair loss and hoof abnormalities – can be caused by an acute overdose of injectable selenium or chronic overfeeding of selenium by not taking into account all sources: hay, pasture, grain, supplements, water.
Selenium works in concert with vitamin E to help defend the body’s cells from damaging oxidative byproducts known as free radicals. Free radicals are released during normal energy production. Selenium is a component of glutathione peroxidase, a beneficial enzyme that prevents free radicals from forming and destroys lipid peroxidases (non-beneficial enzymes), which damage cell membranes. Once damaged, cells no longer function properly, leaving horses susceptible to multiple health problems.
Horses use energy to fuel bodily functions and movement. The greater the demand for energy, the greater the number of free radicals produced. Your horse’s body is equipped to deal with small amounts of these oxidative byproducts, but as the demand for energy increases, so does your horse’s need for additional antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium. Hard-working horses, breeding stock, horses consuming feedstuffs low in selenium, or horses with certain muscle issues may require supplemental vitamin E and selenium.
This formula provides a highly bioavailable source of natural vitamin E and organic selenium to horses living in selenium-deficient areas of the country or to those that need additional antioxidant support. The organic selenium yeast found in Elevate Se is similar to that which horses would consume in a natural grazing situation. Because of its more natural form, horses absorb and retain more organic selenium in their tissues, ensuring it is readily available when needed.
Each Syringe contains 2 (30cc) Doses