Horse breeding from planning through foal care

Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot

Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses

Discussions about the welfare of our equine friends

Horse-heath-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment

How to care for the basic health needs of horses

All aspects of caring for performance horses

Design and maintain a healthy horse operation

Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness

News and issues for equine health professionals

Cover Story

The Many Faces of Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Unveiling what EMD and ID really look like.

Also in this Issue

Post-Foaling Red Flags
HERDA 20 Years Later
Strangles: An Old Disease in a Modern World
Before She Foals: Managing Broodmares
Beneath the Hoof Wall: Soft Tissues Injuries of the Equine Foot

Latest Q&A

4 Ways to Boost Soil Health on Horse Farms

April 22, 2024

Q&As

Equine Behavior

Our animal behavior experts field your questions about why your horse does XYZ.

Horse Nutrition

Equine nutritionists respond to queries about forage, grain, supplements, and other related topics.

Performance Horse Health

Veterinarians and researchers tackle questions about equine athletes.

Featured Podcasts

Navigating Skin Problems in Horses

Can PPID or EMS Affect My Horse’s Joints?

Podcasts

Ask 'TheHorse' Live

The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event.

Equine Innovators

Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky.

Fact Sheet: Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)

Fact Sheet: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in Horses

Free Reports:

View All Free Reports

Quick referenced of horse conditions, diseases and health topics

Forms

Checklists and identification forms for horse owners

Vitamin E Might Provide Support For Horses in Stressful Situations

September 17, 2020
Posted by Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc

Vitamin E serves as one of the body’s most potent antioxidants, protecting various cells—including those of the immune system—from the harmful effects of free radicals.

Topics: Farm and Barn, Horse Care, Immune System, Nutrition, Older Horse Care Concerns, Supplements, Vitamins & Minerals, Welfare and Industry

Favorite

No account yet? Register

Vitamin E Might Provide Support For Horses in Stressful Situations

Excess free radicals can also be produced by inhaling or ingesting various pollutants, such as those in smoky air and smog—conditions many horses in the Western United States are experiencing right now. | Photo: Tory Kelly/Equine Video Productions

Stress, be it emotional or physical, can negatively affect a horse’s overall health and quality of life. Another type of stress, oxidative stress, also wreaks havoc in horses. Oxidative stress occurs when free radical production and accumulation exceed an animal’s ability to detoxify these highly reactive, unstable molecules. In everyday life, normal metabolic reactions, such as the oxidation of sugar to produce energy, generate free radicals as byproducts.

Free radicals have unpaired electrons, which are what make them so reactive. Once generated, they bounce around the cell damaging fatty cellular membranes, proteins, and enzymes, as well as DNA

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Written by:

Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.