How Well Is a Water-Dispersible Vitamin E Supplement Utilized by Horses?

A supplementation study was conducted in five vitamin E-deficient mature Quarter Horses to determine how well a water-dispersible vitamin E supplement is used by horses.

For four weeks prior to the study and during the six-week study period, horses were fed 1.5% of body weight in grass hay and 2 kg of sweet feed, and were exercised daily on a treadmill. The horses were supplemented with 5,000 IU of nanodispersed natural vitamin E (Nano-E^®) in the morning feed five days a week.

Serum and muscle samples were analyzed for alpha-tocopherol. Serum concentrations of vitamin E increased twofold and muscle concentrations increased by over threefold. This study showed that high doses of water-dispersible natural vitamin E can increase alpha-tocopherol levels in muscles of deficient horses.

This report of KER’s 2012 research was published in Proceedings of the Australasian Equine Science Symposium.

Read the entire research paper, titled Effect of Water Dispersible Natural Vitamin E on Serum and Muscle Alpha-Tocopherol in Vitamin E Deficient Quarter Horses.