The main natural source of vitamin D is the ultra-violate rays of the sun and sometimes we run a little short of sun here in the northwest, so that makes it more important than ever to supply adequate vitamin D. Sun cured hay does supply some, but the best source is fish oils and irradiated yeast. Shortage of D can cause rickets, weak bones, teeth, and retarded growth. If pregnant mares are short of the vitamin, the foals may be born weak, possibly with rickets or malformed.
Vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous are essential to each other. Vitamin D is necessary to assimulate calcium and phosphorous. It's kind of like calcium and phosphorous being a pancake mix and vitamin D being the water, it has to have the water (D) to activate the ingredients (calcium and phosphorous) in the mix.
The most important in a horse's diet is his intake of phosphorous in comparison to calcium. It should be no more than two parts calcium to one and a half parts phosphorous. Excess phosphorous can cause many problems like binding up calcium, causing a deficiency, and can also upset the metabolism of the animal. An imbalance of calcium and phosphorous can be responsible for ringbone, splints, spavin, lameness, abnormal bone growth, especially in growing animals and also enlargement of the jaw and face bones known as bighead disease.
This is a reproduction of an article written by Bud Wrona as it was published for the local Redmond (WA) paper, in a column titled "Off the Hoof," which was created to help educate the community on, mainly, the proper care and feeding of horses. Some of the information might be outdated (unfortunately, we don't have the original publish dates) so please leave a comment if you happen to notice something that is.
The most important in a horse's diet is his intake of phosphorous in comparison to calcium. It should be no more than two parts calcium to one and a half parts phosphorous. Excess phosphorous can cause many problems like binding up calcium, causing a deficiency, and can also upset the metabolism of the animal. An imbalance of calcium and phosphorous can be responsible for ringbone, splints, spavin, lameness, abnormal bone growth, especially in growing animals and also enlargement of the jaw and face bones known as bighead disease.
This is a reproduction of an article written by Bud Wrona as it was published for the local Redmond (WA) paper, in a column titled "Off the Hoof," which was created to help educate the community on, mainly, the proper care and feeding of horses. Some of the information might be outdated (unfortunately, we don't have the original publish dates) so please leave a comment if you happen to notice something that is.
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