TOP 3 REASONS TO GIVE VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION TO YOUR HORSE

Horses may  also benefit a vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) supplementation. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. A defeciency of this important vitamin can cause back pain and swelling in horse's joints. Vitamin D3 is also involved with calcium and phosphorus in bone formation.

In summertime vitamin D3 is synthesised by the action of sunlight on the horse's skin. Only 20 minutes in the bright sunshine is normally enough to provide the needed amount of vitamin D. However if your horse is rugged up also in summertime because of flyes or sweet itch you should take care of that he gets the required vitamin D. In fresh grass might be some vitamin D2, but it would be advisable to try to let your horse be at least 20 minutes in the sunshine without protective clothing.

Horses who spend the summertime on the grass without rugs get enough vitamin D from the sun. Because vitamin D is fat soluble it is stored in liver. This storage of vitamin D created in the sun lasts 2 - 4 months to the horses needs.

In Finland all horses need vitamin D supplement in the winter and in the spring. I used to use cod liver oil to supplement my horse's vitamin D levels but he really does not like the taste. Who would! So this year I have given him the same Healthy Origins Vitamin D3 as I use myself.

In Finland we have the following recommendations for vitamin D needs for horses:

 Horses at rest or doing light work: 3,000 - 4,000 IU per day
 Performance horses doing hard or intense work: 3,000 - 5,000 IU per day
 Mares during pregnancy and lactation: 6,000 - 9,000 IU per day
 Weanlings at 7 - 12 months of age: 4,000 - 6,000 IU per day

In normal mineral and vitamin supplements there is not usually very much vitamin D. In the one my horse gets there is vitamin D3 20,000 IU in 1 kilo (kg) and he gets the supplement approximately 100 grams. So this alone is not enough to ensure his vitamin D requirements are supplied during late winter time. Hay and grains do not provide the needed vitamin D. They have only little vitamin D2 which dimishes during storage.

Top 3 reasons to give a D3 supplement to your horse are:

1. Stabled horses and horses at grass who are rugged up by some reason
2. All horses in late winter time who live in "no sun during winter" countries.
3. Performance horses in hard work, breeding mares during pregnancy and lactation, and    weanlings.

Please leave a comment what is the practice of supplementing horses with vitamin D in your country.

You can buy this vitamin D3 me and my horse use at www.iHerb.com and with a gift code HUH943 you will get a discount on your first purchase.