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PLEASE NOTE:
"Poisonous" does not mean deadly. Some manifestations of toxicity are subtle. The dose, as always, determines if a plant is safe source of nutrients or a toxic hazard.

Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions

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BRIEF: How to make sure your horse is getting enough Vitamin E and Selenium?


QUESTION:
I am interested in knowing if there are any good sources of selenium and vitamin E available. I live in an area that is possibly deficient in Selenium. I wonder if there is any way to add Selenium and vitamin E to an easily ingested substance such as corn oil. Would it be possible to add it in such a way that it would be mixed into an oil uniformly so that when the oil is added to the regular feed it would provide a regular dose? Would a dose of 1-2 mg/kg do any harm to a horse that is getting enough Selenium and vitamine E already?

ANSWER:

Trace mineral salt can be and often is formulated to provide Se. Check your horse's hay and salt supply to find out for sure if they complement each other. Vitamin E is usually not a problem if horses are getting green feed or nicely cured preserved feed, unless they are being loaded up with a lot of bogus supplements that include such oxidizers as iron or easily peroxidized compounds as highly unsaturated fatty acids in oils. Or both. Essential fatty acids and corn oil and the like can be good if they have vitamin E in them, but can set your horse back if they have suffered oxidative damage.