Types of Nutritional Deficiencies in Horses
“The history of mankind is carried on the back of a horse.”
Horses have been a source of transportation for humans as long as humans started traveling, and that’s why horses are the traveler buddies of humans. Just like a car or a bike needs fuel to take us to places, the same way horses need the energy to survive our loads.
Their energy source is somewhat similar to humans as all of it can be derived from nature. We must take care of their nutritional needs for their long, healthy, vigorous life. It is important to note that nutritional needs don’t mean regular dietary requirements; it also includes tailoring their diet when they are not in their best form.
Taking help in case of diseases or deficiencies is always a good step. Experts ensure your horse’s nutrient intake is balanced, and if it’s not, they customize diets as per your horse’s needs.
Experts like Fox Equine Nutrition develop nutrition solutions for horses after rigorous research and cover all the deficiencies with their specialized diet plans for your horse.
Following are the types of nutritional deficiencies and their symptoms that you can prevent your horse from:
Fat Deficiency
Horses are muscular and sporty creatures. To meet their need for energy and strength, they require an ample amount of calories in their diet, mainly fat. The lack of fat content in their diet may lead to energy deficiency, which is the root cause of other shortcomings.
One of the most common drawbacks of this deficiency is the loss of muscles and the body’s overall weight. The loss will be gradual, so it might be hard to recognize it in the first few months, but at the end of the year, it will be prominent enough to ring the bells.
A word of caution; energy deficiency doesn’t mean you start giving your horse an excessive amount of fat in their diet. Consult your Vet and understand what ratio of fat your horse needs in his diet. An excessive amount of fat can lead to orthopedic issues.
Symptoms:
- Weight loss
- Low stamina
- Affected reproduction
- Weak immune system
- Slow growth
Salt Deficiency
This deficiency is the gift of summer, and horses go through this deficiency in hot, humid weather. The count of electrolytes in a horse’s body goes down due to excessive sweating and loss of water. It can also happen in winter if the salt ratio in its diet is more petite.
Electrolyte intake allows a horse to maintain its homeostasis and regulate its performance. While handling the salt in a horse’s diet, it is also essential to provide enough hydration as it can become a toxin for the horse’s body due to less water.
Salt deprivation in a horse’s diet can result in cardiovascular and neuromuscular problems. In the long run, ignoring it will result in organ damage, dental and orthopedic diseases, and death.
Symptoms:
- Excessive sweating
- Lactation issues
- Excessive urination
- Loss of Appetite
Potassium Deficiency
Potassium deficiency is the most common deficiency among horses, and it can result from less potassium content in the diet or excessive exercise. This deficiency can result in severe health conditions. Hypokalemia, cardiac arrest, and in some rare cases, muscle spasm.
How to prevent this? The simple solution is to include potassium supplements in your diet and water. To prevent this deficiency, try to give your horse proper hydration.
Symptoms:
- Restlessness
- Growth decrement
- Shaking
- Irregular heartbeat
- Exercise intolerance
Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency can occur due to the Hay dominant diet, and it can occur due to the old and low-quality hay in excessive amounts. The best way to prevent this deficiency is to include pasture in the horse’s diet.
An excessive Vit A is also unsuitable for the horse and can lead to orthopedic and skin issues. Ignoring this deficiency for a prolonged time may result in night blindness, salivary gland infection, and excessive tears secretion.
Symptoms:
- Muscle defects
- Impaired reproduction
- Bone defects
- Decrement in hooves growth
Selenium Deficiency
Selenium deficiency results from a low amount of this antioxidant mineral in forages. This mineral is vital in strengthening the immune system by fighting against free radicals.
Se deficiency is less likely to occur as the need for Se in the horse’s body is significantly less. The best way to recover your horse from this deficiency is easy; horse feeds, and salt blocks come with a suitable amount of Se, making the shortage easily manageable.
As the amount of Se required is less, its excess can cause shredding of the heel area of hooves and tail hair.
Symptoms:
- White muscle disease
- Secretion of protein in the bloodstream
Copper Deficiency
Low copper level in hoses is due to the less absorption of copper in the blood. Copper deficiency can happen with the growing age and during pregnancy in mares. This deficiency results in a dull and faded coat, aortic bulge, and improper growth of foals.
A large number of dietary supplements for horses contain an appropriate ratio of copper in them, so they are easy to manage.
Symptoms:
- Improper ligaments
- Abnormal Cartilage formation
- Dull and faded coat
- Lethargy
Conclusion:
Like humans, most of the deficiencies in the horse are due to the diet, environment, and extreme weather conditions. All of the weaknesses are manageable if diagnosed correctly and on time.
Observing their behavior and physiological changes is the easiest way to understand that something is lacking in your horse’s diet. Excessive to a particular nutrient is also fatal for horses; it is essential to consult the vet and diet experts.
Feeding dietary supplements and packaged feed is also an excellent way to provide your horse with all the necessary nutrition.
After being diagnosed with a deficiency, horses require care and good maintenance. No one can not deny the importance of experts for this purpose, and hence advise you to consult Fox Equine Nutrition to invest in your horse’s health.
A healthy horse requires less maintenance and provides you with all the strength and speed you expect from this lovely animal.
