Description
Why Selenium and Vitamin E Work Together for Healthy Horses
Selenium and vitamin E are two essential nutrients that function as a team to protect your horse’s muscles, nerves, and cells from oxidative stress. Every horse naturally produces free radicals during normal metabolism, exercise, illness, and environmental stress. When free radicals build up faster than the body’s natural antioxidant defenses can neutralize them, oxidative damage can occur.
Vitamin E is one of the body’s most important antioxidants, helping protect cell membranes from damage. Selenium supports the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which works alongside vitamin E to neutralize harmful free radicals. Together, these nutrients help maintain healthy muscle tissue, support immune function, and promote normal cellular health.
Supplementing Vitamin E and Selenium is easy with Equine Challenge Selenium & Vitamin E. Each one 1/2 ounce serving will provide 1.0 mg of selenium from selenium yeast along with 1,250 IU of Premium Natural Vitamin E.
How Do Horses Naturally Get Vitamin E & Selenium?
Fresh pasture is naturally rich in vitamin E, but levels decline rapidly once forage is harvested and stored as hay. Selenium content also varies greatly depending on soil conditions, meaning horses in some geographic regions receive very little selenium from forage while horses in other regions may already receive adequate amounts. Because of this variation, supplementation should always be based on the horse’s complete diet and individual needs. Excess selenium can be harmful, so supplementation should be carefully managed.
Both selenium and vitamin E can be found in varying levels in the forages, pastures, grains and supplements that our horses eat. Some regions such as Western Pennsylvania, have selenium deficient soil which means that the hays and grains grown in that area can vary widely in selenium but are generally on the low side. Most commercial grains do contain a level of selenium but this varies widely and is dependent on the amount being fed to the horse daily.
What Horses can Benefit From Selenium supplementation?
Performance horses often have greater antioxidant demands because exercise increases normal production of free radicals. Horses in training, competition, breeding programs, recovery, or advanced age may also benefit from nutritional support that helps maintain healthy muscles and cellular function as part of a balanced feeding program.
Selenium & Vitamin E may be especially appropriate for:
- Performance horses
- Horses in regular training
- Senior horses
- Horses recovering from strenuous exercise
- Horses consuming primarily hay-based diets
- Horses living in selenium-deficient
- regions (when additional selenium is appropriate)
- Horses needing antioxidant nutritional support
Whether your horse is a performance athlete, a breeding animal, a senior companion, or simply needs additional antioxidant support, Selenium & Vitamin E helps maintain healthy muscles, normal cellular function, and overall wellness.
Nerve Function & Immune Health
These nutrients also play an important role in supporting normal nerve function and immune health. Healthy muscles depend on healthy cells, and healthy cells depend on protection from oxidative stress. By supplying selenium and vitamin E together, this formula supports the body’s natural antioxidant systems and promotes overall wellness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Products & Educational Articles
These nutrients work together as antioxidants to support healthy muscles, nerve function, immune health, and normal cellular protection from oxidative stress.
No. Selenium levels vary significantly by region, forage, and complete diet. Some horses receive enough selenium from their feed, while others may benefit from supplementation. Too much selenium can be harmful, so supplementation should be based on the overall diet.
Vitamin E helps protect muscle and nerve cells from oxidative damage and is especially important for horses eating primarily stored hay, since vitamin E declines as forage ages.
Performance horses, senior horses, breeding horses, horses in heavy training, and horses consuming hay-based diets may benefit from additional antioxidant support when appropriate.
Yes. It pairs well with your forage-specific vitamin and mineral supplements, Joint Support products, and Complete Ration Balancers as part of a comprehensive nutrition program.
Unlike some minerals and vitamin E, which are safe even in excess, selenium has a very narrow safety range in the horse. Either a deficiency or an excess of selenium can cause problems. Be careful about supplementation as there is a risk of selenium toxicity if too much is added to the horse’s diet.
Do All Horses Need Selenium Supplements?
As with every Equine Challenge supplement, Selenium & Vitamin E is designed to fit into a forage-first nutrition program. Rather than assuming every horse requires additional selenium, we encourage horse owners to evaluate forage, complete feed, and regional soil differences before supplementing. This science-based approach helps provide the right nutrition while avoiding unnecessary supplementation.
Whether your horse is a performance athlete, a breeding animal, a senior companion, or simply needs additional antioxidant support, Selenium & Vitamin E helps maintain healthy muscles, normal cellular function, and overall wellness.
Product Note
Selenium yeast has been approved for use in Equine Supplements.
Storage: Store in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight. Keep tightly sealed.
