Does My Horse Need Vitamin E? What Hay and Pasture Might Be Missing
Is Your Horse Getting Enough Vitamin E? What Every Owner Should in Summer & Beyond
As seasons shift and pastures dry out, one critical nutrient tends to disappear faster than most horse owners realize: vitamin E. Learn why blood testing and targeted supplementation could make all the difference.
Why Vitamin E Matters
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant essential for your horse’s nervous system, immune function, muscle health, and recovery. Unlike some nutrients, horses can’t synthesize vitamin E—they must get it through their diet.
Fresh green pasture is typically the best natural source. But the story changes as seasons shift, especially in hot, dry climates or during hay-only periods.
Seasonal Decline in Pasture Vitamin E
Vitamin E levels are highest in fresh, fast-growing spring grass. But during summer droughts, overgrazed fields, or heat-stressed forage, levels drop quickly. Mature, sun-scorched plants may look lush but contain far less bioavailable vitamin E.
If your horse is grazing dry pasture or living on a dry lot, they’re likely not getting adequate levels—no matter how long they graze.
Why Hay Can’t Fill the Gap
Vitamin E is extremely sensitive to drying and storage. Within weeks of harvest, most hay loses 30–80% of its natural vitamin E content. By the time it’s baled, transported, and fed, very little remains.
That means hay—even premium, green, soft hay—cannot reliably meet your horse’s needs for vitamin E.
Watch for These Signs of Deficiency
Vitamin E deficiencies are more common than most owners think, especially in performance horses, easy keepers on dry lots, and horses with metabolic issues. Common signs include:
- 🌱 Muscle stiffness or soreness after light work
- 🌱 Poor topline development
- 🌱 Compromised immune response or frequent illness
- 🌱 Neurological changes (shifting gait, ataxia, behavior changes)
Some horses show no symptoms at all—until performance or health begins to suffer. That’s why we recommend regular blood testing to track serum alpha-tocopherol levels, especially during seasonal transitions.
How to Test Your Horse’s Vitamin E Levels
A simple blood test for serum alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) can be ordered through your vet. We recommend sending the blood tests to accredited labs such as Cornell. Testing is especially valuable:
- ➡ During late summer and fall transitions
- ➡ When hay replaces pasture as the primary forage
- ➡ Before or during intense training programs
- ➡ In horses with immune challenges or metabolic conditions
When and How to Supplement
If your horse is on dry pasture, hay, received low blood level results, or showing signs of deficiency, supplementing with natural vitamin E can make a big difference. Natural (d-alpha-tocopherol) forms are better absorbed and retained compared to synthetic options.
We recommend feeding vitamin E:
- 📅 Daily throughout the year based on blood testing
- ⚖ At doses between 1,000–5,000 IU depending on diet, workload, and testing
- 🌿 Preferably in a natural form such d-alpha-tocopherol acetate & d-alpha-tocopherol succinate
Trusted Support from Equine Balanced Support
At Equine Balanced Support, we developed our Daily Natural Vitamin E to deliver the support your horse needs, especially when seasonal transitions put stress on their system. Our formula uses natural d-alpha-tocopherol with no sugars, or synthetic preservatives—just clean, effective support.
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