All the Good Bits

Equi Horse +Se mix (formerly known as Hoof Rescue +Se) is a nutritional supplement product for inclusion in horse’s feed. Product has no therapeutic effect and is designed to be administered in a feed for voluntary ingestion for horses. It’s a nutritional mineral supplement with copper and zinc plus iodine, magnesium and selenium to help maintain optimal hoof, coat, hair and immune system health. Formulated to provide the most commonly deficient minerals – copper and zinc based on thousands of pasture and hay laboratory tests. Equi Horse +Se is a highly bioavailable mineral mix containing proven premium mineral sources.

The Equi Horse +Se mineral mix is ideal for horses where the intake is lacking copper and zinc or a very high iron (or manganese) intake is preventing uptake.

Copper: Involved in enzymes required for aerobic metabolism in rapidly dividing cells including the process that forms the sulfur components that hold keratin strands together in hair and hooves.

Zinc: Essential for interactions between proteins and a variety of enzymes that all metabolically active cells require for cell multiplication and maturation. Zinc is a key component of ‘zinc finger proteins’ in the assembly of keratin, a hoof building material. A zinc deficiency can be expressed as slow hoof growth, thin walls and weak connections and horn.

When not deficient, copper and zinc prevent the fats and oils in the protective seal on the hoof from oxidising. Oxidative damage causes over drying and weakens the connections between cells. When the hoof is weak, it is more vulnerable to attack by organisms via microscopic cracks. In cattle, deficiencies in either copper or zinc have been linked to soft feet, cracks, abscesses, thrush and laminitis.

Iodine: Required for the production of thyroid hormones. Both high and low intakes of iodine result in goitre (thyroid gland enlargement) and hypothyroidism. Many horses are deficient in iodine.

Magnesium: The symptoms of a magnesium deficiency are the same as for excessive ionised calcium compared to magnesium. Symptoms include twitching, irritability, and hypersensitivity. Magnesium has many different jobs to do in the body and one of the most important is to control ‘excitable’ tissue activity, including the nervous system, heart, skeletal muscle and smooth muscle in the intestinal tract, uterus, urinary tract and blood vessels.

Selenium: Selenium is an important antioxidant for protecting cell structures and cell membranes from the effects of oxygen free radicals produced during energy generation and therefore most important for tissues with high aerobic metabolism activity like the brain/nervous system, heart, skeletal muscles and rapidly growing tissues. Acidic soils inhibit selenium uptake by plants. Alkaline soils are more likely to have adequate selenium levels though horses in work may need supplementation. A soil test will test pH, the lower the pH number the higher the acidity, 7 is neutral and the higher the number the more alkaline the soil.

The standard feeding rate contains 1 mg selenium. Dr Eleanor Kellon VMD recommends selenium. If you are concerned about overdoing selenium, this article may help: https://uckeleequine.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/selenium-paranoia/

This product is contraindicated for use when selenium intake from pasture is high or selenium is provided by other means (such as top dressing, vaccine, pellets or selenium drenches) if blood selenium levels at treatment are high. Users can determine selenium status by consulting their veterinarian.

Biotin isn’t part of the mix as studies show that where there is no deficiency, added biotin makes no difference to hoof quality or growth rate. It is suspected any excess is excreted. On a high forage diet, biotin is less likely to be deficient. Do not supplement sulfur or garlic.

Equi Horse +Se mix is a nutritional supplement product for inclusion in horse’s feed. Product has no therapeutic effect and is designed to be administered in a feed for voluntary ingestion for horses.

The standard feeding rate is 1 metric tablespoon. For horses under 300 kg, 1/2 metric tablespoon may be sufficient.

Safe for laminitic prone or insulin resistant (IR)/elevated insulin horses.
Equi Horse +Se mix can be fed with Mov-Ease, Diamond V XPC and Mycosorb A+.

Horse consumption only.

Instructions: Feeding rate per day is 17 grams, best to weigh though a level 20 ml volume metric tablespoon measure will work. Amount can be increased to 1.5 to 2 tablespoons for larger horses (>400 kg) or horses that need the higher amount due to excessive levels of iron (or manganese) in their intake. Iron can compete with zinc and copper.
For small ponies like miniatures and Shetlands, trial half the amount/½ tablespoon.
Best mixed thoroughly with wet feed. Start with 1 pinch to a teaspoon and build up slowly.