Do horses need sulfur?

Do horses need sulfur?

Sulfur is definitely needed! It is needed to maintain the structural integrity of proteins, it is part of keratin – the main structural component of the skin, coat and hooves. Also, sulfur is part of the B vitamins – thiamine, which is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, and biotin – the regulator of intermediate metabolism, the insulin hormone that regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, the ancoagulant heparin, chondroitin sulfate, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the joints.

Sulfur enters the body of horses as part of sulfur-containing amino acids, primarily methionine (as well as cysteine, cystine, taurine). Methionine is one of the essential amino acids. It is present in all vegetable proteins, in the most adequate amount – in the grass and its derivatives. And this is practically the only source of sulfur that the horse is able to absorb and utilize.

Modern feeding guides set the sulfur rate at 15-18 g per day for different groups of horses (per 500 kg of weight), but this is a calculated value based on the sulfur content in the amount of protein that the horse needs. In veterinary medicine, not a single case of a critical lack of sulfur has been recorded in horses that receive enough protein for their age and loads. However, methionine is considered one of the limiting amino acids for horses (meaning that it may be less than optimal levels in the proteins the horse receives). Therefore, very often, especially in top dressing for hooves, you can see methionine in the composition.

As for the usual inorganic feed sulfur (yellow powder), it came into the rations from the practice of feeding cows. Cows can utilize feed sulfur because they have microflora in their rumen capable of producing methionine from this sulfur. Then methionine passes into the stomach and from there – into the small intestine, where it is absorbed into the blood. In horses, if such a microflora is present, it is only in the posterior sections of the intestine, from where any amino acid can no longer go anywhere except to the exit, since the small intestine has long been left behind. Therefore, buying fodder sulfur for horses is money, albeit small, but thrown to the wind.

Often referred to as a source of organic sulfur, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). This is also not true. Studies show that MSM is an effective anti-inflammatory agent, it is perfectly and quickly absorbed and distributed throughout the tissues, but it is also quickly eliminated from the body completely, including sulfur.

The only way to provide your horse with the required amount of sulfur in his diet is to make sure that the amount and quality of protein is sufficient! As a last resort, if you still think that the horse is lacking sulfur (for example, the horse has a poor quality hoof horn), add 5-10 grams of methionine!

Ekaterina Lomeiko (Sara).

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