Providing a minimum amount of a given nutrient to prevent deficiency does not always equal an optimal diet to support your horse’s performance and wellness. However, there is the possibility that additional chromium added to the diet could be beneficial to your horse. This suggests that there is enough chromium in the horse’s base diet, coming naturally from the ingredients, to support their basic needs. ![]() ![]() Chromium in the Horse’s DietĬhromium is a nutrient that has been identified by the Nutrient Requirement of Horses (NRC, 2007) as being dietarily essential however, the authors determined that there was not enough data at the time of publication to determine a minimum daily requirement and that no evidence of a chromium deficiency had been identified in horses. Laminitis is inflammation inside the hoof, which is a very painful and potentially life-threatening condition. High levels of insulin in the blood is a problem because it significantly increases the likelihood that a horse will experience laminitis. This is a normal and needed function however, sometimes this process doesn’t work correctly and insulin builds up in the blood. When blood glucose is elevated, like after your horse eats, the pancreas secretes insulin to move glucose into muscle or fat storage. Insulin helps maintain a horse’s blood glucose levels within in a tight range. More simply put, chromium makes insulin more effective at moving glucose from the blood into tissues, like muscle or fat storage. ![]() Recently, the primary interest in chromium as it relates to horses is in its role as a potentiator of insulin to facilitate glucose clearance. Chromium is a trace mineral that assists in the body’s utilization of carbohydrates and fats, which are important sources of energy (calories).
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