Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
Welcome to my forum.
Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information.
Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you.
Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought.
I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.
And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Dear Dr. Getty,
Thank you for replying. I'm happy to know that the beet pulp in Ultium will not add any toxins into my mare's diet. She was pretty unhealthy; bad hooves, splotchy balding coat, sore back, ulcers and very bad breath; when I got her and it has taken me three years to get her into the glowing picture of health that she is today.
I ordered vitamin E from you last week, along with Quissence. My equine chiro thought that vit E, coupled with the magnesium would help her with the chronic tight muscles in her back. Now I'm wondering if I should have ordered the vit. E with selenium. I'm always worried about too much selenium, so I tend to avoid any supplements with it added.
Looking at your math I can see that she is a bit shy of the recomended daily intake of this mineral. How important is this for her and is there any other way to incorperate it into her diet? What exactly is selenium?
Yes, I do live in western Oregon and the timothy hay that my mare eats is grown locally and is low in selenium.
Thank you,
Kelly 
Where are you from? Oregon
How did you locate this forum? friend
Hi Kelly,
Congratulations on doing such a wonderful job with your horse! 
Yes, in your area, you do need to be concerned about getting enough selenium. Selenium is a mineral that works with vitamin E to promote vitamin E's antioxidant potential. It is part of a very important enzyme called glutathione peroxidase.
You could add some selenium to the diet by feeding 2 scoops of Accel or another way, which I prefer, would be to discontinue Accel and switch to Glanzen-SE (with Selenium added). You could then continue using the Vitamin E you have, and you'd also be providing omega 3 fatty acids (Glanzen is flaxseed meal based).
Hope this is helpful,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Dear Dr. Getty,
Again, thank you for your prompt reply! I think that switching from Accel to Glanzen-SE for the added selenium sounds like good advice. But I'm wondering if Reitsport SE, might be a better choice since there doesn't seem to be any probiotics added in the Glanzen. That is one of the reasons I liked Accel. I see that Reitsport has probiotics, B-Plex, plus glucosamine, all of which I would need to add if I put her on the Glanzen SE. Am I looking at this correctly? It would be nice to have everything in one easy package!
Thank you,
Kelly
Where are you from? Oregon
How did you locate this forum? friend
Hi Kelly,
The Reitsport and the Reitsport-HA100 are both excellent, complete products. They have the joint support that Glanzen doesn't have. Glanzen does have probiotics, just like Reitsport, but go with the Reitsport (or the HA-100 version that has hyaluronic acid for more joint healing) to provide the extra joint assistance. And, choose the one with Selenium added.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Thank you, Dr. Getty. You have been a tremendous help! I really appreciate this forum and the time you take to answer our questions.
Kelly
Where are you from? Oregon
How did you locate this forum? friend
