Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information.
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All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hi Patti,
Many people like the convenience of feeding a commercially fortified feed, thereby eliminating the need to add a vitamin/mineral supplement. As long as you feed it according to directions, you can assume that your horse is getting enough vitamins and minerals to meet his needs.
However, I have two caveats to suggest to you. First, make sure that your horse is getting enough vitamin E. Most commercial feeds contain approximately 120 IU of Vitamin E per lb. Performance horses require extra vitamin E -- approximately 2 to 5 IU per pound of body weight. So most commercial feeds will not meet this need and an additional vitamin E supplement should be considered. Be sure to get one that contains only vitamin E, and not one that also contains selenium since selenium is supplied by the commercial feed and you do not want to risk overdosing this mineral. Something like SuPer E Natural or E8000 are worth considering.
The second thing is flaxseed meal to provide omega 3 fatty acids. Check the label on the commercial feed for flaxseed meal. Omega 3 fatty acids are important for all horses but especially those that work and perform. They protect joints, hooves, blood vessels, immune function, skin, hair, and a variety of other systems. You can easily add flaxseed meal by choosing a product that is stabilized and has a small amount of calcium added to correct the high phosphorus content naturally found in flax. I recommend Nutra Flax.
Thank you for writing.
All the best,
Dr. Getty 
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO