What actually are vitamins and minerals?

Minerals 

Organic sources of minerals are typically derived from plants. A plant takes up minerals from the soil through the root system, they are then combined with water and pushed through the plant for the plant to use in its photosynthetic and metabolic processes. When the plant is eaten by a horse it ingests the minerals that the plant has taken up. 

Inorganic sources of minerals are from eating dirt attached to plant material and also drinking from natural water courses with dissolved rock material. 

The horse evolved to be able to absorb minerals from both plant and water sources. 

Vitamins 

Vitamins are organic chemical compounds required by the body for vital metabolic and physiological functions. Some are produced in the body while others are obtained through food or the environment. 

They are necessary for growth, health, feed conversion, reproduction and physical performance. The requirements by the body for vitamins will be affected by age, work load, illness and injury and reproductive status. Vitamin levels in the body can be classified as minimal, optimal or suboptimal.

For more information on how to ensure your horse is reaching their optimal mineral and vitamin requirement, visit our free nutritional analysis, TruGuide