At the beginning of this year one of my horses was losing her topline and the Vet recommended we check for Cushings and check her vitamin E levels. Luckily, she doesn’t have Cushings but she is deficient in vitamin E.

In talking with my Vet, she said vitamin E is commonly deficient in horses in the area I live in. It makes sense since the grasses can be too lush for horses to be on and that is where they obtain most of the vitamin.

My mares are easy keepers and being on grass is limited since I only turn them out on it when it is longer, during the safer months of the year and during certain hours in the morning when the sugar is lower. Other than that they are on a track system with low sugar hay in slow feed haynets hung around to keep them moving.

Vitamin E is a crucial antioxidant that supports muscle function, nerve health, and it boosts immune function.

Some symptoms of Vitamin E Deficiency in horses:

• Muscle Weakness or lethargy

• Muscle atrophy

• Muscle Stiffness or pain

• Dull coat

• Neurological Issues, such as, Equine Motor Neuron Disease (EMND), resulting in muscle tremors or coordination problems.

• Weight loss

• Poor Immune Response

Nutrition is the key to building her topline. Along her regular feed and hay, I supplement her diet with my Vet’s recommended amount of natural vitamin E. I also added an muscle building amino acids supplement to make sure she is receiving the building blocks of protein, essential for muscle growth and repair.

Along with the loss of her topline, my mare has been more sensitive in her back. Rather than riding her, I decided to focus on in hand exercises until her topline is built back up and she doesn’t display any pain. Some of the things we do are, walk and jog on the trails, go over cavalettis, perform stretches and anything else I come up with to have fun and keep her moving. Once I feel her back is stronger and she has no pain we will return to riding. Building muscle takes time and it is important not to rush the process. We will get back to riding and then we can continue to keep her topline strong by doing in the saddle exercises and riding the trails.

If you suspect your horse has a vitamin E deficiency, talk to your Vet. I’ve seen daily recommendations vary for horses not diagnosed with low vitamin E. Since they seem to vary from horse to horse, it is best to find out what your vet says is the right dose for your particular horse. I may have my other horse’s levels checked, also.

Ensuring your horse has an adequate daily intake of vitamin E, either through fresh forage or supplements, can be a key to keeping horse healthy and helping to avoid any of the symptoms listed in this blog post.