500 IUs. For an athlete, Dr. Getty recommends 2500 to 3000 IUs because exercise increases the formation of free radicals. Though there is no evidence of vitamin E toxicity, the safe upper limits for an average 1100- pound horse is 10,000 IUs per day. Some horses on higher doses have shown bone mineralization, bleed- ing disorder, and declining beta-carotene absorption, according to Dr. Valberg. Supplemental pills, pellets, liquids and powders
are available in two forms: natural (d-alpha-tocoph- erol) and synthetic (dl-alpha-tocopherol). Natural is more biologically active, is transported more quickly and stays in the tissues twice as long compared to the synthetic version. “Generally, about two-thirds of the amount of synthetic is active. So, if you have 1,000 IUs of synthetic vitamin E, it’s equivalent to at the most 600 IUs of natural vitamin E,” says Dr. Getty.
AMAZING RESULTS Beltane is now on 7500 IUs daily and likely will be on vitamin E supplements all his life. With the changes in his muscling and his movement, Karen has no plans to take him back to UC Davis for further diagnosis. The mystery is solved.
When Karen brought Beltane to dressage trainer
Erika Jansson, she recalls that he could barely trot a half a circle. Today, 18 months later, he is learning canter pirouettes and has an extended trot that brings spectators to the rail. Karen says her formerly “checked out” horse now squeals when he’s working. “When he’s excited and happy, he doesn’t change his tempo or his carriage. He just squeals. He was such a hard keeper, getting seven flakes a day and skinny. Now he’s an easy keeper. The farrier commented on how much better his feet are. We no longer use the sheep skin to pad up the withers area and I’ll need to have the saddle redone.” While his background is still a mystery, Karen is
at last seeing evidence of the good training he was reputed to have. “When we were bringing him back, Erika asked if he had flying changes. I said sort of, but they were flat. She tried one and said ‘there is nothing flat about that!’” “We have unearthed this horse who had good
training and loves his work,” she adds. “Now I have the horse I thought I bought,” Karen says happily.
32 November/December 2018
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