B-Vitamin Pak

Biotin (vitamin B7) is a water-soluble vitamin that functions as a coenzyme for carboxylase enzymes involved in carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism. It also plays a structural role in keratin synthesis, contributing to the integrity of hooves, skin, and coat.

Biotin is not synthesized by the horse in sufficient quantities and must be obtained from dietary sources such as fresh pasture, alfalfa, oats, barley, and soybean meal. Supplementation with biotin has been shown to support normal hoof growth rate, hardness, and horn quality, especially in horses with brittle or weak hoof walls.

Clinical studies in horses demonstrate that daily biotin intake of approximately 20 mg supports the development of strong, resilient hoof horn when provided consistently over several months. Biotin also contributes to normal cellular metabolism and energy production through its role in enzymatic reactions within mitochondria.

Calcium-D-pantothenate is the stable, supplemental form of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), a water-soluble vitamin essential for cellular energy metabolism. It is a structural component of coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl-carrier proteins, which are required for carbohydrate oxidation, fatty acid synthesis, and amino acid metabolism.

Pantothenic acid supports the synthesis of steroid hormones, neurotransmitters, and acetylcholine, and contributes to maintaining healthy skin, coat, and hoof tissue. In horses, adequate B5 levels help sustain normal metabolic activity and recovery during periods of stress or high workload.

Deficiency is uncommon, as pantothenic acid is supplied by forages, grains, and microbial synthesis in the hindgut. However, horses with digestive disturbances, high-grain diets, or antibiotic use may benefit from additional supplementation to maintain optimal nutrient utilization.

Choline is an essential nutrient that functions as a structural component of cell membranes, a methyl group donor in metabolic reactions, and a precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It plays critical roles in liver function, lipid transport, and nervous system communication.

In equine nutrition, choline is considered a vitamin-like compound closely associated with the B-vitamin group. It contributes to normal fat metabolism and supports hepatic and muscular energy balance. Although horses can synthesize some choline endogenously, requirements may increase under metabolic stress, high performance demands, or when diets are low in methyl donors such as methionine or folate.

Choline also influences intestinal and hepatic lipid metabolism and may contribute to maintaining normal gut function through its effects on phospholipid synthesis and membrane integrity. Supplementation with bioavailable forms such as choline chloride or phosphatidylcholine supports these physiological roles in horses.

Folic acid (folate, Vitamin B9) is a water-soluble B-vitamin that functions as a one-carbon donor in DNA synthesis, methionine regeneration, and amino acid metabolism. It supports normal cell proliferation, tissue repair, and red blood cell maturation, processes that are particularly important during periods of growth, training, or recovery.

In horses, folate status reflects both dietary intake and microbial synthesis in the hindgut. Levels may be lower in animals maintained primarily on hay compared with those on fresh forage. Medications that interfere with folate metabolism, such as sulfadiazine or pyrimethamine used in EPM treatment, can also reduce availability, making supplementation beneficial in some cases.

Folic acid helps maintain normal hematologic and mucosal function, contributing to overall metabolic efficiency and recovery from exercise or illness.

Niacin (Vitamin B3) is a water-soluble vitamin essential for maintaining normal energy metabolism, circulatory function, and cellular health. It serves as a precursor for the coenzymes NAD⁺ and NADP⁺, which are critical to oxidation–reduction reactions involved in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.

In horses, niacin supports efficient energy release from feed, healthy skin and nerve function, and normal vascular tone. It also contributes to gastrointestinal function by promoting tissue metabolism and maintaining mucosal integrity. Horses can synthesize niacin from the amino acid tryptophan and via microbial production in the hindgut, though dietary sources such as alfalfa and soybean meal can also contribute to intake.

Niacin requirements increase with exercise and higher protein intake. Supplemental niacin is included in performance and comprehensive vitamin–mineral formulations to help support energy utilization, metabolic resilience, and circulatory health in working horses.

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) is a water-soluble vitamin that serves as a coenzyme in more than 150 enzymatic reactions involved in amino acid metabolism, gluconeogenesis, glycogen utilization, and neurotransmitter synthesis. It supports normal energy metabolism, immune competence, and red blood cell formation.

In horses, Vitamin B6 is synthesized to some extent by hindgut microbes but may require dietary support under conditions of high metabolic demand, such as intense training, growth, or recovery. It also plays roles in maintaining normal homocysteine metabolism and supporting muscle and nervous system function.

Supplementation may be beneficial for horses on high-grain or hay-only diets, under prolonged stress, or with impaired hindgut function that could limit microbial synthesis or nutrient absorption.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is a water-soluble vitamin that serves as a precursor for the coenzymes flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN), which are essential for oxidative metabolism and ATP generation. These coenzymes participate in numerous redox reactions, supporting carbohydrate, protein, and lipid catabolism.

Riboflavin also contributes to antioxidant defense by maintaining glutathione in its reduced, active form through FAD-dependent glutathione reductase activity. Adequate riboflavin status supports energy metabolism, muscle performance, and recovery in exercising horses.

Horses obtain riboflavin primarily from forage, particularly legumes such as alfalfa and clover, and from microbial synthesis in the hindgut. Deficiency and toxicity have not been documented in horses, though supplementation may support animals on low-quality forage, under high workload, or during periods of digestive disturbance.

Thiamine (vitamin B1) functions as a coenzyme for key enzymes in carbohydrate metabolism, including pyruvate dehydrogenase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and transketolase. Through these reactions, it facilitates ATP generation and supports normal neuromuscular function.

Most horses obtain sufficient thiamine from forage and microbial synthesis in the hindgut, but additional supplementation may be useful in animals under heavy training, stress, or antibiotic therapy that may impair gut microbial activity. Thiamine status influences energy utilization, coordination, and glucose metabolism, making it relevant for performance and recovery in athletic horses.

Rich dietary sources include brewer’s yeast, rice bran, and whole grains, while content in hay declines with age and storage. Thiamine hydrochloride is the most common supplemental form, with documented safety and bioavailability in horses.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a water-soluble cofactor for methionine synthase and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. Through these pathways it supports one-carbon metabolism, red blood cell maturation, myelin maintenance, and mitochondrial energy production from propionate.

In horses, most B12 is synthesized by hindgut microbes from dietary cobalt. Status may be influenced by cobalt intake, forage-only rations with low fresh pasture, or disruptions to hindgut function. Supplementation is used to help maintain normal energy metabolism, appetite, and hematologic parameters when intake or endogenous synthesis may be insufficient.