Vitamin B12
What it does
Cobalamin — vitamin B12 — is needed wherever cells divide, above all in blood formation, and for healthy nerve function. It is the only vitamin with cobalt at its centre.
Why it matters
In the ration it is less the vitamin itself that counts than the cobalt the gut builds it from. Keep an eye on that raw material and the rest takes care of itself.
When it becomes critical
As long as the gut is working, an extra dose is superfluous — even low feed contents scarcely ever produced a deficiency. In severely emaciated horses a dose can support blood formation.
How much a horse needs
There is no fixed daily amount for the horse — the requirement calculation does not list the water-soluble B vitamins as a separate item. With usual feeding and sufficient cobalt, production in the gut carries the supply.
Cobalamin — vitamin B12 — is needed wherever cells divide, above all in blood formation, and for healthy nerve function. It is the only vitamin with cobalt at its centre. In the ration, what counts is less the vitamin itself than the cobalt from which the gut produces it.
Cited values
No requirement norm: There is no fixed daily amount for the horse — the requirement calculation does not list the water-soluble B vitamins as a separate item. With normal feeding and sufficient cobalt, production in the gut carries the supply.
Possible deficiency signs
- In severely emaciated horses a dose can support blood formation; as long as the gut is working, it is unnecessary.
Interactions
- Vitamin B12 ↔ Cobalt