Is Your Horse Getting All Its Nutritional Needs Met?
As horse owners, we work tirelessly to keep our horses healthy and thriving. From choosing high-quality hay to carefully balancing grain rations, we often believe we’ve got everything covered. But what if your horse’s diet is still falling short—even with a well-planned feeding program?
The answer could lie in bioavailability, a critical yet often overlooked factor in equine nutrition. Bioavailability determines how effectively your horse’s body can absorb and utilize the nutrients it consumes. Without it, even the best feeds and supplements can leave your horse with unmet nutritional needs.
What is Bioavailability?
In simple terms, bioavailability refers to how easily nutrients can be absorbed and used by the body. For any nutrient to be effective, it must reach the bloodstream in a form that the body can recognize and utilize.
Unfortunately, many equine supplements and processed feeds provide vitamins and minerals in forms that are difficult for the horse’s digestive system to process. This can lead to:
- Nutrient Loss: A significant portion of the nutrients may be excreted rather than absorbed.
- Digestive Strain: The digestive system has to work harder to break down and convert less bioavailable nutrients, which can be especially challenging for horses with compromised gut health.
Studies show that supplements containing bioavailable ingredients, such as chelated minerals, are far more effective. These nutrients are delivered in forms that are ready for absorption, reducing digestive strain and ensuring your horse gets the most out of its diet.
The Limitations of Processed Feeds
While processed feeds are convenient and often marketed as “complete nutrition,” the manufacturing process can degrade or destroy essential nutrients:
- Heat Sensitivity: Nutrients like L-lysine, an amino acid crucial for muscle repair and growth, are sensitive to heat. During processing, these nutrients can be partially or fully destroyed.
- Synthetic Additives: To make up for nutrient loss, many feeds add synthetic vitamins and minerals, which are often less bioavailable than natural forms.
- Inadequate Fiber: Processed feeds typically lack the fiber necessary for optimal gut health, which forage naturally provides.
As a result, even the most convenient processed feeds might not fully meet your horse’s nutritional needs.
A Natural Approach to Nutrition
For horse owners seeking a more effective way to meet their horse’s nutritional requirements, a focus on combining whole foods, forage, and bioavailable supplements can make all the difference.
Whole Oats
- Nutritional Foundation: Oats provide digestible energy and essential amino acids, like L-lysine. They offer steady energy without the sugar spikes associated with some processed feeds.
- Limitations: While oats are nutritionally rich, they don’t supply all the vitamins and minerals a horse needs.
Forage (Hay or Grass)
- Fiber for Gut Health: Forage delivers the fiber essential for maintaining gut health and digestive function. Horses are natural grazers, and consistent access to forage mirrors their natural eating habits.
- Limitations: Depending on its type and quality, forage may lack specific vitamins and minerals.
ViVet Supplement
- Filling the Gaps: ViVet supplies the bioavailable vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that oats and forage alone cannot provide. Using chelated minerals, natural vitamins, and nutrient-dense herbs, ViVet ensures every nutrient is readily absorbed and utilized.
- What Processed Feeds Can’t Offer: Unlike processed feeds, ViVet’s nutrients are not degraded by heat or chemical processing. Ingredients like alfalfa, oat sprouts, and horsetail offer phytonutrients that enhance digestion, immunity, and overall health.
Why Bioavailability Matters
Horses, as natural grazers, have digestive systems designed to process fibrous plant material. They are less equipped to handle synthetic or heavily processed ingredients, which is why bioavailability is so important. Supplements like ViVet provide nutrients in forms that align with the horse’s natural biology:
- Chelated Minerals: Minerals like zinc, copper, and manganese in ViVet are chelated (bound to organic molecules like amino acids), making them easier to absorb compared to inorganic forms in many supplements.
- Natural Vitamins: ViVet includes plant-based vitamins, proven to be more bioavailable than synthetic alternatives.
- Phytonutrients: Herbs such as astragalus, burdock, and horsetail provide bioactive compounds that enhance digestion and overall health—benefits processed feeds simply cannot match.
The Expertise Behind ViVet
ViVet isn’t just another supplement; it’s the culmination of scientific expertise and a deep understanding of animal nutrition. Developed by Rebekka Gadeberg, MSc, whose background includes genetics research and nutritional therapy, ViVet is crafted to align with the natural biology of animals. This ensures that every nutrient is delivered in the most effective form possible.
Creating a Balanced Diet with ViVet
A holistic feeding program that includes whole oats, forage, and ViVet can provide your horse with complete nutrition:
- Whole Oats: A strong nutritional foundation, supplying digestible energy and amino acids.
- Forage: Essential fiber for gut health and digestion.
- ViVet: Complements oats and forage by filling in nutritional gaps with bioavailable vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
This approach offers the best of both worlds: the natural benefits of whole foods and the comprehensive nutrition of a scientifically developed supplement.
Investing in Your Horse’s Health
Feeding your horse isn’t just about filling their belly—it’s about fueling their health and vitality. By prioritizing bioavailability and choosing supplements like ViVet, you’re ensuring your horse gets the nutrients it needs to thrive.
Pair ViVet with whole oats, forage, and hay pellets to create a feeding program that meets your horse’s natural dietary needs while avoiding the shortcomings of processed feeds. With this science-backed, nature-inspired approach, you’ll see the difference in your horse’s overall health and performance.
When nutrition is guided by nature and grounded in science, the results speak for themselves.
