Antioxidant Supplementation in Horses

Most performance feeds will be formulated to meet the demands of most competition horses, but there are certain situations where additional antioxidant supplementation is required.

The horses listed below could all do with additional antioxidant supplementation:

• Horses with restricted pasture access
• Horses that travel often
• Horses competing in hot humid environments
• Older horses
• Horses working in poor air quality

Antioxidants, putting it simply, help mop up the waste products of exercise and help restore and rebuild damaged tissue and cells after work. They basically help the body recover and to work more efficiently. If your horse has poor antioxidant status this will be reflected in his performance and recovery, and you will find that he is lacking in energy, is listless, loses power during a workout and flattens out towards the end of a showing week. Always make sure that you are meeting your horse’s antioxidant requirements and supplement if necessary. Antioxidants include vitamin E, selenium, vitamin C, and ubiquinol CoQ10.

If you would like more information on supplementing your horses with antioxidants, please Ask Our Experts.