Mad Barn Natural E/Organic Se - 5 kg
A pelleted source of supplemental Natural Vitamin E and Organic Selenium to ensure optimal antioxidant status in your horse. Used to support muscles and reduce inflammation.
- Antioxidant Defenses
- Overall Well-Being
- Immune Function
- Reduced Inflammation
- Muscle Function
- Recovery from Exercise
- Metabolic Health
- Allergies
- Joint Health
- Digestive Support
Mad Barns Natural E/Organic Se is a pelleted source of supplemental Natural Vitamin E and Organic Selenium that ensures optimal antioxidant status in your horse.
Natural E/Organic Se contains potent antioxidants that are locked inside a palatable, mint-flavoured pellet.
Vitamin E and selenium functions are interrelated. Inadequate amounts of either nutrient can result in increased oxidative damage to cells.
Natural E/Organic Se contains optimal levels of both vitamin E and selenium to minimize oxidative tissue damage, provided in a highly bioavailable natural form that your horses body can better absorb and utilize.
Does my horse need extra Vitamin E & Selenium?
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in protecting cells from oxidative damage. Vitamin E is rapidly degraded when hay is harvested, dried & stored, making supplementation necessary when fresh pasture is not available.
Selenium, a trace mineral that works together with vitamin E to enhance antioxidant defense, is much more than just an antioxidant. Selenocysteine, the 21st essential amino acid, is unique in that it is not directly coded for in the genetic code, but instead uses other mechanisms for assembly.
There are at least 32 unique selenoproteins that we are aware of. The function of a few of these selenoproteins, like glutathione peroxidase, is well understood, however many are not and research is ongoing.
Selenoproteins are more than just antioxidants- they are responsible for many other biological functions, like the conversion of thyroid hormones to their active form.
If selenium is inadequate in the diet, then selenoprotein production must be prioritized to produce the most important selenoproteins and selectively other selenoproteins will not be manufactured, due to lack of selenium. This will ultimately lead to poor health and eventually manifest itself in clinical disease.
The majority of soils in North America are deficient, to completely devoid, of selenium, therefore supplementation is absolutely essential. The resultant hay and feedstuffs from selenium-deficient soils will be low in selenium. See below for a selenium map of North America. If you are feeding feedstuffs from a selenium-rich area, it is important to test feedstuffs to assess total selenium intake.
Equine Athletes
Consistent, high-intensity exercise, coupled with the stresses of competition, can impact your horses antioxidant status. Deficiencies in vitamin E and selenium can further hinder your horse from performing at its peak potential.
Natural E/Organic Se may reduce tissue damage arising from competition and will keep your horse feeling and performing at its very best.
Horses with Neuromuscular Conditions
Equine neuromuscular conditions such as Equine Motor Neuron Disease (EMND) and Equine Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy (EDM) can arise from a dietary deficiency of vitamin E.
By supplementing the diet of these horses with the highly bioavailable sources of vitamin E and selenium found in Natural E/Organic Se, they can make a full recovery and go on to live healthy, happy lives.
Full Antioxidant Power
Vitamin E and selenium are both powerful antioxidants that work together to rid cells of reactive oxygen species, protecting tissues from damage that arises from high-intensity exercise and disease.
When choosing a vitamin and mineral supplement for your horse, it is important to keep in mind that not all vitamins and minerals are created equal.
Natural E/Organic Se only contains the most bio-available form of vitamin E and selenium available on the market.
- Natural Vitamin E
- D-alpha-tocopherol, also known as natural vitamin E, is highly bioavailable and is most efficiently absorbed and utilized in tissues.
- Organic Selenium
- Selenium-enriched yeast is better absorbed in the body than inorganic sources of selenium.
- Organic selenium is considerably safer than inorganic sources of selenium
Worried about too much selenium? Calculate your horses selenium intake.
Too often horse owners are concerned with selenium toxicity, when in fact, deficiency is a much more prevalent issue in the horse population.
Calculating your horses selenium intake can be difficult because different products and feeds label the concentration of selenium differently. Below are some common units and calculations to help determine selenium intake.
How much Selenium is in your Horses Diet?
In order to supplement selenium properly, it is important to determine the actual weight of this mineral your horse consumes daily. To calculate this, you will need the concentration of selenium provided in your feeds as well as the amount consumed per day.
Most feeds and supplements express selenium concentration as ppm (parts per million) or mg/kg (milligrams per kilogram). There are one million milligrams in a kilogram, so both of these measurements are the same. A feed that provides 10 ppm selenium is the same concentration as one that contains 10 mg/kg.
If you are feeding 500 grams (0.5 kg) of a supplement that yields 10 mg/kg selenium, your horse is consuming 5 mg per day:
Concentration vs. Absolute Amounts
Knowing the difference between concentration and absolute amounts is essential when calculating the intake of any nutrient. Concentrations are given in (x) units per (y) units e.g. mg/kg.
Absolute amounts only have the weight in units such as kilograms (kg), grams (g), milligrams (mg), or micrograms (ug).
Example: Calculating Intake of Selenium from Label Concentrations
The following is an example of how to calculate total selenium intake in a mixed diet. The selenium concentration of each feed is given in brackets:
- 120 grams of Omneity Equine Mineral and Vitamin Premix (20 mg/kg)
- 20 grams of Natural E/Organic Se (75 mg/kg)
- 2 kg oats or complete feed (0.3 mg/kg)
- 10 kg of hay (0.05 mg/kg)
To convert everything into common units, we convert the intake into kilograms. This is currently given in grams of Omneity and Natural E/Organic selenium supplement.
120 grams (Omneity) x 1 kg/1000 grams = 0.120 kg
20 grams (Natural E/Organic Se) x 1 kg/1000 grams = 0.020 kg
Now we want to figure out how much selenium the horse is consuming in absolute amounts:
= (0.120 kg x 20 mg/kg) + (0.020 kg x 75 mg/kg) + (2 kg x 0.3 mg/kg) + (10 kg x 0.05 mg/kg)
= 2.4 mg (Omneity) + 1.5 mg (Natural E/Se) + 0.6 mg (oats) + 0.5 mg (hay)
5 mg is well in excess of the defined requirement for an average horse (500 kg/1,100 lbs) at maintenance, which is 1 mg per day.
Is it too much though? Absolutely not. The maximum tolerable intake is 20 mg/day and that is for inorganic selenium. Organic sources can be consumed at a higher rate before any deleterious effects are observed.
Of course, we do not want to approach any level that would be detrimental to the horse, but this level of intake would be highly recommended for an exercising horse and would not be cause for alarm for a maintenance horse.
You should always consult a qualified nutritionist before altering your feed program.
Body Weight | Scoops | Dose |
< 200 kg | 1/3 scoop | 7 g |
200 500 kg | 1.6 scoops | 33 g |
> 500 kg | 3 scoops | 60 g |
1 scoop = 29.6 cc = 20 grams |
1 scoop = 1,500 IU vitamin E, 1.5 mg Se
2 scoops = 3,000 IU vitamin E, 3 mg Se
3 scoops = 4,500 IU vitamin E, 4.5 mg Se
DO NOT EXCEED 0.6 SCOOPS PER 100 KG OF BODY WEIGHT
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS: Per 33 gram serving | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nutrients | Concentration | Units | Per 33 G | |
Selenium | 75 | mg/kg | 2.5 | mg |
Vitamin E | 75,000 | IU/kg | 2,500 | IU |
Ingredients: Oat hulls, Yea-Sacc 1026, Natural E, magnesium oxide, Sel-Plex, peppermint, flax oil.
Flax Oil
Flax oil is a plant oil that is extracted from flaxseed and has the highest concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids of all of the plant oils. Because of its high Omega-3 concentration, palatable taste and wide availability, flax oil is one of the most common Omega-3 fatty acid and energy supplements in horse nutrition.
In addition to Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-6 fatty acids are also found in flax oil. The combination of Omega-3 and Omega-6 is of particular interest in horse nutrition because of the positive effects they have on inflammation, immunity and cardiovascular health.
Horses are not able to produce Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids themselves, so they must be consumed in the diet, and flax oil is a great choice. Horses may require the addition of fat to their diet to increase dietary calorie density and assist in fighting inflammation, but it can also be used to add a healthy gloss to the hair coat. This might require as little as 80-120 mL of oil per day, up to 500 mL. As with all dietary changes, the addition of supplemental fats in the form of plant oils should be done slowly to allow the horses gastrointestinal tract to acclimatize.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a macro-mineral that plays an important role in regulating nerve impulse transmission, protein synthesis, energy metabolism and enzyme activity. It is involved in over 300 different enzyme reactions in the horses body.
60% of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones and 40% is found in extracellular fluids and soft tissues. If a horse is deficient in magnesium, it can lead to abnormal behaviour and mood problems, jumpiness, excitability, growth failure, muscle weakness, intermittent muscle spasms (tetany), sensitive skin and back pain. It may also be involved in equine metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in horses.
As a supplement, it is best given in the form of inorganic magnesium oxide which has an absorption rate of approximately 50% and does not cause the same gastrointestinal side effects as magnesium sulfate (epsom salt).
Oat Hulls
Oats hulls are the outer envelope of the oat grain and are a co-product of oat processing. The hulls are high in fibre and low in protein and energy. It is used in horse supplements as a source of beta-glucan, which is a type of soluble fiber.
Nutritional studies involving horses have shown that the inclusion of feeds naturally high in soluble fiber can slow feed intake and may be useful for prolonged feeding time in horses that are meal-fed. This can help to prevent blood glucose spikes following a meal by slowing down the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream.
Beta-glucan also has prebiotic effects in the hindgut where it can promote growth of beneficial probiotic bacteria and support the immune system.
Peppermint
Peppermint has been used as a digestive tonic for hundreds of years. The plant extract contains small amounts of volatile oils like menthol which can help to relax the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, support peristalsis and reduce symptoms of digestive upset.
The supplement can have a calming, soothing effect on a horses stomach which is why it is commonly given to horses suffering from gastric or duodenal ulcers, gas, digestive cramping, lack of appetite or colic.
Peppermint is also a safe, natural flavour that improves the palatability of Visceral+ and that most horses love. It can stimulate the appetite and may support healthy bowel movements. When given in low doses, it does not cause adverse reactions.
Selenium
Selenium is a micromineral that is important for immune function, cardiovascular health, thyroid function and muscle development. Horses also require this mineral to prevent white muscle disease. More recently, its been shown to be a key component of antioxidants that are present in all cells of the body and help protect from oxidative stress.
Selenium is a unique mineral as it is a part of two amino acids, seleno-methionine and seleno-cysteine that are precisely incorporated into antioxidant proteins. These seleno-amino acids are stored in the liver and transported to other cells as needed. Selenium is required to synthesize 30-35 different selenoproteins with a wide range of functions in cellular reactions.
Concentrations of this mineral in the soil vary significantly throughout different regions of the world. Selenium supplementation of your horses diet is particularly important in areas where the soil Se content is low, including most coastal areas of North America.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is the shared name for eight different fat-soluble, naturally-occurring compounds: a, b, g, and d-tocopherol and a, b, g, and d-tocotrienol. These compounds all have vitamin E activity and are comprised of a chromanol ring with differing phytyl side chains. The compound most commonly referred to as vitamin E is a-tocopherol and is widely considered to be the most biologically active form of all the vitamin E constituents.
The most natural form of alpha-tocopherol is d-alpha-tocopherol, and is only synthesized in plants so it must be obtained through the diet. Fresh, grass pasture contains the highest concentrations of d-alpha-tocopherol, however, a large number of horses do not have year-round access to grass pasture and their diets consist mostly of hay, so alpha-tocopherol is often added to most commercial feed formulations or top-dressed as a supplement.
Vitamin E functions as a powerful antioxidant, meaning it protects the body tissue from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are produced during normal cellular metabolism and can harm cells, tissues, and organs if not kept in balance with proper antioxidant levels.
Other functions of Vitamin E:
- Immune function important for defense against viruses and bacteria
- Formation of red blood cells
- Helps widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting inside them
- Used in cellular communication, used to carry out many important functions.
Research confirms that the different forms of vitamin E available to be supplemented can have a significant impact on vitamin E levels in the blood. The most bioavailable forms of vitamin E should only be used in order to properly formulate balanced equine diets, to treat vitamin E deficiency and its associated conditions and aid in exercise recovery.
Yea-Sacc 1026
Yea-Sacc 1026 is a yeast culture developed by Alltech that is based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain 1026. This strain of yeast was specifically selected for its influence on digestibility in animals. Many years of research in multiple animal species have clarified Yea-Sacc 1026's efficacy as a probiotic for enhancing digestibility.
The addition of probiotic substances in the equine diet has a multitude of benefits to the horse. Yea-Sacc 1026 promotes greater digestion efficiency of feed and stabilizes hindgut pH, preventing digestive upset associated with stress, training, performance and transport. More efficient digestion means that energy uptake is also enhanced, along with other important nutrients.
Providing yeast in the horses diet also enhances phosphorus and calcium availability, contributing to greater bone strength. Yea-Sacc 1026 has also been proven to stimulate milk production and enhance milk quality in lactating mares, resulting in healthier foals.
Brand | MadBarn |
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