Trace Mineral Basics: Selenium
- December 2, 2019
- Posted by Nettie Liburt, MS, PhD, PAS

Additionally, Se is a component of an enzyme that helps produce the active form of the thyroid hormone that regulates metabolism.
Dietary Requirements of Se
Too little or too much Se can lead to serious health consequences, but there’s still some debate about the horse’s actual dietary requirement of Se. The National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Horses (NRC 2007) recommends a minimum of 1-1.25 milligrams (mg) of Se per day for a 500-kilogram (kg) (1,100-pound) horse. To put that in perspective, a paper clip or a dollar bill each weigh approximately 1 gram, and 1 mg is 1/1000 of a gram!
Research suggests slightly more, about 2.5 mg of Se per day, might be beneficial for optimum immune function and prevention of
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Written by:
Nettie Liburt, MS, PhD, PAS
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