Posted by Russell Gibbons on 18th May 2016

Does my horse need Iodine?

IODINE is an essential nutrient required in horses as it is in us humans which is necessary for the production of certain hormones which influence nearly every process in the body.

This ranges from proper brain development, heat regulation, essential bone growth and feed utilization and all basal metabolism.

So it is really safe to say that Iodine is super important in your horses' diet.

As a nutrient, it is classed as a trace mineral which means it is needed in really small amounts.

About 75% of Iodine in the body is held in the thyroid Gland. This gland produces the two major hormones which are important for the regulation of all the body processes.

In fact, iodine is needed for only one reason and that is for the synthesis of two hormones which are responsible for so much.

These hormones are called Thyroxine (T₄) and triiodothyronine(T₃).

The good thing about Iodine is that a horse doesn’t need a huge amount to satisfy its needs. Remember, it’s a trace mineral so a horse only needs approximately 1-2 mg per 500 kg horse per day. That's not much.

REMEMBER, this is a guide and I’m NOT a vet professional. I am simply someone who cares for animals health and hope to highlight certain issues to help you make informed decisions………

Make sure you do your own research and talk to the professionals!

The thing with Iodine though, is that too little will cause big problems……….but so does too much…….and the really difficult thing with too little or too much is that the symptoms are pretty much the same…..

So we have to really think about what you are, or are not, feeding your horse as it has some serious repercussions!

In many cases there is a visual swelling on the underside of the horses throat. This is know as a goiter.

The swelling is caused by both deficiency and toxicity and is basically caused by the thyroid gland not having enough fuel to produce the essential hormones. If there is deficiencies, the gland will work too hard trying to make the hormones. Due to the extra work, the gland then grows because it is working so hard……hence an enlarged Thyroid.

If there is too much iodine in the system, it inhibits the glands ability to actually make the hormones…….as such, it works harder to make these hormones and then enlarges……

So the signs of deficiency or toxicity include:

Swelling of the Thyroid Gland
- Known as a goiter
Dry, lusterless hair-coat.
Hair loss.
Decreased growth.
Decreased bone calcification in young horses.
Lethargy.
Drowsiness.
Cold intolerance and possible hypothermia (low body temperature).
Can suffer from various bone and joint abnormalities.

Further to this, it is most obvious in foals, which often pass away within a few days of birth because of deficiency or toxicity.

From a toxicity perspective, if your horse is fed too much Iodine and, as such, has iodine toxicity, it can increase a horse’s susceptibility to infectious diseases.

So with all this in mind, lets take another think about how we are supplementing our horses.

Feeding too much Iodine is really dangerous to the health of our horses.

As is too little.

There are a number of sources of Iodine out there. Most supplements will have an iodine component as does Iodized salt.

Another source of Iodine is Kelp, or Seaweed. However, there is a lot of information out there which you need to understand if you are using a seaweed based product. Make sure you do your research!!!

Although this article has nothing to do with Horse Treats, it is important to know that we include tiny amounts of Iodized Salt in all our Horse Treats.

So next time you need to think about horse supplements, make sure you do a bit of research first and speak to a professional for an opinion before believing any old hype.

These things can really affect your horses health.

Hope this helps.

All the best from the team @ Huds and Toke. #Hudsandtokefamily