“Oxidative stress” is a word almost every rider has probably heard of. But what exactly does it mean? What is happening in your horse’s body at that moment and more importantly, how can you support your horse in this? We are happy to answer your questions!

Oxidative stress is the phenomenon in which an excess of free radicals (=oxidants) occurs in the body. Free radicals are, as it were, a kind of toxins that are created during all kinds of metabolic processes. Free radicals are also produced during the combustion of carbohydrates and fats using oxygen to supply energy to the body. Especially in horses that perform heavy efforts and thus require a lot of energy, large amounts of free radicals are created. These free radicals can also arise as a result of stress, heat, pollution, disease,….

In the body, free radicals attack all kinds of tissues (muscles, joints, etc.) and can even attack DNA. However, the body is able to render these free radicals harmless with the help of antioxidants produced by the body itself.

During heavy efforts and other stress situations, the body cannot produce enough antioxidants itself, in these situations it is important to provide extra antioxidants through the diet. VitaMinalia EQUINE SPORT therefore contains a lot of antioxidants such as vitamin E, organic selenium and various polyphenols of plant origin to give the horse extra support is stressful situations.