Lusitano horses in Portugal without access to pasture are at risk of having low serum levels of vitamin E: A pilot study

Abstract

The aim of this pilot study was to collect information regarding the serum levels of vitamin E in Lusitano horses bread and kept in Portugal. A group of 20 horses from different herds were sampled. Age, breed, sex and housing husbandry regime were recorded. Of these horses, 15/20 horses were found to have low levels of serum vitamin E, all of these were kept under stabled conditions and none of those kept at pasture were found to have levels bellow the normal reported value. Our study provides preliminary data regarding vitamin E status of horses in Portugal and indicates a potential problem in the feeding regime of stabled animals.