Horse Guard Implements Organically Bound Selenium
FDA Approves Organically Bound Selenium, a Major Advance in Equine Nutrition
by Horse Guard Leading the Way in nutrition for horse health.

Selenium the most important nutrient to supplement in most parts of the United States. Organic selenium has big advantages over inorganic selenium (Selenite and Selenate). In August 2004, the FDA approved the use of organic selenium in horses.
Del Johnson MS PAS, the nutritionist at Equine Nutrition Inc. has been a horseman all his life. He and his family have made their love of equines and concern for their health and welfare a full time job as makers of HORSE GUARD health and nutritional products. They constantly study cutting edge research to find new ways of bringing horse owners solutions to their equine problems through a foundation of solid nutrition. Horse Guard was the first over the counter product containing selenium.  Selenium is the most important nutrient to supplement in deficient areas. 
 
Just recently, the FDA approved "Organically Bound Selenium". Del was one of the first to recognize the impact of this decision and its impact on the equine health. Immediately,
Organically Bound Selenium became the source of selenium in HORSE GUARD products.  When you read this article you will find that changing the source of selenium is incredibly important in breeding programs, disease resistance, recovery from stressful exercise and
immunity. Inorganic selenium is a byproduct of copper mining.  It is taken from the ground and refined to sodium selenite or selenate.  It cannot be fully metabolized or stored in the body. Consequently, selenium deficiencies still arise in some horses that are supplemented with inorganic selenium. Animals would not normally ingest inorganic selenium.  Although they can use inorganic it is less effective. Research shows that inorganic selenium is less available in times of stress.  For example: the stress of performance, disease, injury, birth, etc.  In addition, there is a significant loss of selenium after periods of stress, making selenium levels in the blood less stable.  Inorganic selenium does not naturally fit into storage mechanisms.  

For example: it cannot be stored efficiently in muscles, colostrums, and milk protein. The antioxidant defense system and immunity is compromised when inorganic selenium is used.  Organic selenium is selenium that has been taken from the soil into plants.  The plants convert selenium into selenomethionine (selenium - amino acid complex)   Organic selenium is the type that animals would normally ingest.  In commercial production, selenium is provided to cultures of growing yeast (one -celled plants). The mineral is taken into the yeast cell and incorporated in the amino acid complex, selenomethionine. This form of selenium is natural and rapidly metabolized within the body.  It is more available and has higher retention which improves its function in the body.

Comparison of Inorganic to Organic Selenium

	Inorganic Selenium	Organic Selenium
Origin	By-product of Copper Mining	Produced in Yeast Culture
Natural	Not normally occurring in diet	Natural source of selenium
Absorption	40%	51%
Retained	20%	30%
Effectiveness in the body	Moderate	Highly Effective
Placental Expulsion	60 minutes	30 minutes
Colostrum Selenium	.1 ppm	.18 ppm
Milk Selenium	.015 ppm	.025 ppm
Toxicity	High	Low

What does this mean to your horse?
Selenium is basic to energy metabolism.  It affects all bodily functions.  When selenium is provided in its natural form it is most effective.  Birth, growth, immunity, and performance are all negatively affected when selenium is not in the natural organic form.
 
Advantages of Organic Selenium
1.  Maintenance horse 
   Improved immunity and disease resistance

2.  Performance horse
   Faster recovery from stressful events 
   Less damage from the stress of performance
   Less chance of disease (higher immunity and quicker recovery from disease)

3.  Breeding Stock
    Higher Immunity (important considering increased disease risk of breeding)
    Quicker recovery from stress
    Higher Selenium Balance between mares and foals
    Quicker Placental expulsion
    Higher selenium in milk
    Higher selenium levels in foals blood after birth.
    Healthier stallions, mares and foals.
The effects on an equine breeding program are tremendous.  The mare is better able to handle the stress of birthing.  She will have less damage from the muscular stresses and expel the placenta more quickly.  This means a stronger mother with less chance of infection.  She provides colostrums with higher antibody levels.  In addition she has more usable selenium at higher levels in her colostrums and milk.  This allows the foal to build quicker immunity and helps the foal to handle the stress of birth. 
The benefits last a life time.
 Foals are supplied superior selenium in milk and develop healthier blood and tissues.  They experience less oxidative damage from stresses of the environment.  At maturity, they have superior immunity and recover better from stresses of performance or injury.  In short, they have an advantage for all the challenges they experience in the course of life.
Equine Nutrition Inc. has added organic selenium to all of our products which provide selenium. Since  the cost of organic selenium is 100 greater than the cost of inorganic many companies will not choose to include the organic form.  We feel that the benefits out weigh the cost by a huge margin.  We are pleased to offer organic selenium in Horse Guard, Mega-Dose, Super Gain and
Vitamin E and Organic Selenium.

Contact: Horse Guard Staff
69400 N.W. 91st Street
Redmond, Oregon 97756
Phone: 1-800-553-4246
Email: del@horseguard.com
Website: www.horseguard.com

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