Why do horses need selenium?
Did you know most horses are being raised and trained in areas that are selenium deficient? Selenium is an essential nutrient and it is very important to take a look at the way we feed and supplement this to our animals. Selenium has several important functions, including the production of antibodies for better immunity, production of thyroid hormone (thyroxine) that can affect growth rates, Vitamin E retention as well as protection against oxidative damage to cell membranes. Some key benefits of selenium for horses are: • Its function as a natural antioxidant • Role in resistance to viral infections • Reproduction • Growth • Protects integrity of muscle tissues • Involvement in immune response About Selenium deficiencies Selenium deficiencies can show as clinical symptoms or sub-clinical. This simply means that in the first case you can see physical problems. With sub-clinical deficiencies you dont see the problems; they are expressed as poor fertility, poor disease resistance, longer
