Vitamin C
What it does
Ascorbic acid — vitamin C — protects cells against oxidative wear. In the horse the liver takes over production, so the feed does not have to fulfil that task.
Why it matters
This is precisely where equine and human nutrition part ways: what we need on the plate daily, the horse generates itself. Supplementation is the exception, not the rule.
When it becomes critical
In a healthy horse the question of a gap does not arise. In particular strain situations a dose can make sense.
How much a horse needs
Because the liver produces vitamin C itself, the requirement table gives no daily amount via the feed — it only lists a maximum amount, and that is for use as an antioxidant, not as a nutrient.
Ascorbic acid — vitamin C — protects cells from oxidative wear. In the horse the liver takes care of producing it, so the feed does not have to do that job. That is exactly the difference from human nutrition: what has to be on our plate every day, the horse makes itself.
Cited values
No requirement norm: Because the liver produces this substance itself, the requirement table gives no daily amount of vitamin C through the feed. A supplement is the exception, not the rule.
Possible deficiency signs
- In a healthy horse the question of a gap does not arise. In situations of particular strain a dose can be useful.