Vitamin C is a popular water-soluble vitamin known for its tremendous benefits in humans, including skin, hair, and nail health. Similarly, horses also require adequate vitamin C to maintain a robust immune system.
In horses, vitamin C works as a powerful antioxidant, just like in humans. When combined with selenium and vitamin E, it forms a strong defense against cellular damage caused by oxidative stress.
Read on to discover the vitamin C immune system benefits for horses and how to meet their specific requirements.
Role of Vitamin C for Horses
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant in horses, reducing oxidative stress caused by free radicals—unstable molecules released during cellular processes. These free radicals can harm cellular DNA, proteins, and fats. By neutralizing them, vitamin C promotes overall cellular health and supports your horse’s well-being.
Apart from its antioxidative role, vitamin C for the immune system contributes to the following:
- Joint health
- Immune system support
- Hormone synthesis
Additionally, it aids in:
- Collagen production: Essential for ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.
- Bone calcification: Strengthens and supports bone health.
- Iron absorption: Enhances nutrient uptake from the horse’s gut.
Unlike humans, your horse has the unique ability to produce vitamin C inside its liver. However, older horses with compromised liver functionality may need help making it in sufficient quantities.
Does Vitamin C Boost Immunity in Horses?
Similar to humans, vitamin C boosts the immunity of a horse in several ways:
1. High Antioxidative Power of Vitamin C
Free radicals are highly reactive molecules. Produced during cellular metabolism, these free radicals significantly result in oxidative damage to your horse’s cellular DNA. Their protein and fat cells are also impacted.
Vitamin C plays a major role in countering these damaging free radicals, keeping the immune system intact.
2. Microbe Elimination
This has been one of the age-old bonds for effectively trapping and killing the microbes entering your horse's body.
Vitamin C accumulates in immune cells, enhancing their ability to kill pathogens like bacteria and viruses. Research suggests that adequate levels of vitamin C can improve the immune response, particularly in older horses or those with compromised health.
3. Production of collagen
Vitamin C executes the role of a cofactor in producing collagen. This collagen is quite an essential protein in your horse's ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.
It also helps in tissue and joint repair after an injury.
4. Conversion of vitamin D
Vitamin D is obtained externally via the sun, as your horse's body cannot synthesize it naturally. Vitamin C becomes crucial for converting vitamin D3 to calcitriol, its active form.
5. Countering Illness
In horses specifically, low levels of vitamin C have been observed during respiratory illnesses like recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), suggesting that supplementation may be beneficial during such conditions.
How Much Vitamin C is Required for Your Horse
While there is no official recommendation for this daily supplement requirement for Vitamin C, prescribed supplemental consumption is necessary to benefit equine health. Research recommends the optimum vitamin C levels for supporting your horse's health as follows:
- Working horses - 1500 mg per day
- Growing foals - 400 mg per day
- Gestating mares - 600 mg per day
These regular vitamin C intake recommendations boost immunity, help support fertility, maintain optimal muscle health, and promote performance recovery post-exercising.
How to Determine Your Horse's Vitamin C Level
A blood test is essential in determining your horse's vitamin C levels. Research indicates average values of 5.9 mg/L of vitamin C in horses.
Further research in this direction states that vitamin C levels are higher in healthy foals during their birth's initial phase. As they age, this level drops.
Effects of Vitamin C Deficiency in Horses
The classical sign that your horse is deficient in vitamin C in the immune system is scurvy. This is a condition in which your horse deals with impaired collagen synthesis and weakening of his connective tissues.
Poor vitamin C in the immune system levels can manifest the following range of health conditions:
- Poor wound healing
- Weak or brittle coat
- Depressed immune system
- Nosebleeds (epistaxis)
- Respiratory issues like acute rhino-pneumonia
- Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)
- Strangles: A bacterial infection causing abscesses in the upper respiratory tract
Sources of Vitamin C for Horses
Here is a vitamin C source guide for you:
1. Endogenous Production
Like the other mammals, horses can generate their hub of vitamin C using their liver glucose. A healthy horse generates around 72 grams of this vitamin every day. Vitamin C levels in these reserves can significantly drop because of prolonged stress.
2. Dietary Sources
You can feed your horses with supplements rich in vitamin C for their antioxidative protection. Typically, no significant quantities of vitamin C are detected in forages. However, other plants may have 25 to 800 mg per 100 grams of vitamin C.
3. Commercial Options
- Ethyl-Cellulose Coated Ascorbic Acid: Stabilized vitamin C coated with cellulose for slow release.
- Ascorbyl Palmitate: It is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C for easier absorption.
- Ester-C: Combines ascorbic acid with calcium and other beneficial metabolites for enhanced efficacy.
- Ascorbyl Phosphates and Sulfates: Mineral-based forms like calcium ascorbyl monophosphate.
Administering 20 g of vitamin C for your horse's immune system has no adverse effects. Even with excess vitamin C, it can be easily excreted via urine.
Conclusion
Vitamin C is a vital nutrient that supports your horse’s immune system, joint health, and overall well-being. While horses can synthesize vitamin C, supplementation becomes crucial during stress, illness, or aging. Ready supplements are available to benefit your horse with their musculoskeletal health, chronic lung irritation, and wounds or infections. However, choosing the right source for these supplements is essential for the health of your equine friend.
Trust the MedVetPharm for Vitamin C Immune System Supplements for Horse
Med-Vet Pharmaceuticals is a brand that manufactures Vitamin C supplements exclusively for horses.
We offer a variety of vitamin C supplements, including Ester-C Pure, which is rich in vitamin C antioxidants. Our experts are here to assist you with essential vitamin C immune support supplement needs.
Explore our range of vitamin C supplements. Call us at 833-809-4848 or contact us today with any queries or guidance!