VITA E GOLD / VITA E

INTENSIVE CARE

PLATINUM

VITA E GOLD and VITA E PLATINUM are liquid, 100% natural (non-synthetic) vitamin E supplements specifically developed to effectively meet the increased vitamin E requirements of horses.

What is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a collective name for eight isomers: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.
RRR-alpha-tocopherol (D-alpha-tocopherol) is the best known, but other forms such as gamma-tocopherol are also biologically important in horses.
Over-supplementation of a single form can hinder the absorption of the others.

What does Vitamin E do?

• Antioxidant: neutralizes free radicals that arise, among others, in muscle tissue—especially during exercise.

• Protects nerve and immune cells (energy-intensive cell types).

• Supports muscle development and recovery.

A deficiency may lead to muscle pain, slower recovery, loss of muscle mass, cramps, and neurological issues.
(For more information, click here.)

Application in Disorders

Muscle Disorders

There are five distinct muscular diseases that can be traced back to a deficiency of natural vitamin E, or in which vitamin E forms an essential part of treatment:

• EMND (Equine Motor Neuron Disease)

• EDM (Equine Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy)

• PSSM (Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy)

• Atypical myopathy (white muscle disease)

• Tying-up syndrome

Many of these conditions can have catastrophic consequences, so prevention is crucial.
Regularly check the vitamin E concentration in the blood.
If it is well within range, there is usually no issue—unless clinical symptoms are observed.

⚠️ Note: the analysis procedure does not differentiate between synthetic and natural vitamin E.
If the value is close to the lower limit and your horse receives concentrates (which typically contain synthetic vitamin E), there is likely still a deficiency of biologically active vitamin E.

Even when blood levels are near the lower threshold, it is therefore recommended to supplement with a high-quality, natural vitamin E—preferably in liquid form and within a fat matrix to ensure optimal absorption.

PPID (Cushing’s Disease)

PPID, also known as Cushing’s, affects around 20 % of older horses.
Medication options remain limited, making natural vitamin E the first choice—both preventively and curatively—to support overall health and immunity.

Sources and Requirements

Natural Sources of Vitamin E

Vitamin E occurs abundantly in fresh, green grass.
As grass matures and dies off, its vitamin E content decreases dramatically.
⚠️ Important: during hot and dry summers, the vitamin E level in grass can also drop sharply—even when pastures still seem plentiful.

During the production and storage of roughage such as hay or silage, 30 – 80 % of the original vitamin E content is lost.
In one study using alfalfa, 73 % of the vitamin E disappeared after only three months of storage.

In compound feeds, vitamin E is usually added in synthetic form because of its lower cost.
However, synthetic vitamin E has low bioavailability in horses.
Furthermore, much of it is already consumed within the feed itself to prevent oxidation of the fats it contains—leaving little available for the horse.

How Much Vitamin E Does Your Horse Receive from Feed?

Fresh green grass contains 5 – 15 IU of vitamin E per kg.
A 500 kg horse feeding exclusively on fresh grass during peak growth months would therefore consume approximately 225 – 1,000 IU per day.

⚠️ This is only valid if each horse has access to at least 0.3 ha of pasture and the grass is growing well.

If, for example, one-third of the roughage consists of hay, daily intake can drop to 150 – 850 IU or lower.
During the winter months—when horses receive only hay or silage—the intake decreases even further.
Once the body’s vitamin E reserves are depleted, deficiency develops quickly, even when considering only the basic requirement.

In all these situations, additional vitamin E supplementation is essential.
It is also clearly indicated in cases of increased need, such as during intense exercise, illness, recovery, or specific health issues.

Vitamin E Requirements for Horses

Over-supplementation (> 10,000 IU/day) can interfere with vitamin A absorption.

👉 In practice, horses typically obtain only 225 – 1,000 IU/day from grass, and much less during winter (hay/silage). Supplementation with a quality vitamin E supplement is therefore rarely a luxury.

You can easily determine whether your horse needs a vitamin E supplement using the test included in the accompanying table (PDF).

Dosage depends on factors such as:

• Confirmed deficiency or preventive supplementation.

• Duration and severity of the deficiency.

• Disorders such as EMND, EDM, PSSM, atypical myopathy (white muscle disease), PPID/Cushing’s, or tying-up.

• Quantity and type of vitamin E in the diet (synthetic or natural).

• The horse’s workload and exercise level.

⚠️ Important: blood values do not reliably reflect the actual amount of biologically active vitamin E.
Laboratories measure both natural (active) and synthetic (barely active) forms, meaning a horse can show clinical signs of deficiency while still appearing “normal” on paper.

👉 Free professional advice is available via info@goldmedics.com.

Natural vs Synthetic

• Synthetic: all-rac-tocopherol (DL-alpha-tocopherol, code 3a700) — inexpensive, but only a small fraction biologically active.

• Natural: has much higher bioavailability. In horse plasma, levels of synthetic vitamin E are 60 – 70 % lower, and at the cellular level the difference reaches 70 – 85 %.

Vitamin E is fat-soluble and stored in the liver and adipose tissue.
Unused amounts can be retained for later, when dietary intake temporarily falls short.

Liquid vs Powder

Because vitamin E is fat-soluble, its physical form greatly affects absorption:

• Powdered supplements dissolve poorly and are poorly absorbed.

• VITA E GOLD and VITA E PLATINUM are liquid in a fat matrix, ensuring optimal bioavailability.

VITA E GOLD  (Regular Needs)

Dosage: 20 – 40 ml.
For an exact calculation for your horse, contact us at info@goldmedics.com.

2 ml = 480 IU of natural vitamin E and 800 mg tocopherols.
Suitable for regular supplementation and prevention.

Available in 1 L and in a 250 ml “annual pack” for one horse.

VITA E PLATINUM (Acute Needs / Intensive care)

VITA E PLATINUM contains all ingredients of VITA E GOLD, plus additional boosters and synergistic components that significantly enhance the effect of vitamin E.

Boosters and Their Function

• Vitamin C ester

• Water- and fat-soluble grape polyphenols

Thanks to this combination, the natural vitamin E content is boosted to an equivalent of 9,500 IU per 25 ml.
The function of these boosters is well-documented in scientific literature: they are capable of regenerating vitamin E that has fulfilled its antioxidant role and become inactive, restoring it to its active form.
This provides a prolonged and amplified effect in the body.

⚠️ Note: some manufacturers add such boosters to cheap supplements that contain only synthetic vitamin E.
They then claim higher potency—but this is comparable to fitting new tires on an old East-German Trabant and expecting Formula 1 performance. Without a premium natural base, the effect remains limited.

Additional Synergistic Ingredients

• Rice phytosteryl ferulates: shown to act synergistically with vitamin E, further enhancing antioxidant and cell-protective effects.

• Tocotrienols: VITA E PLATINUM contains ten times more tocotrienols than VITA E GOLD. Tocotrienols, like tocopherols, belong to the natural vitamin E group and possess unique biological functions, including strong antioxidant activity.

VITA E GOLD

Dosage: 2 – 40 ml.
For an exact calculation for your horse, contact info@goldmedics.com.

Packaging: available in 1 L and 250 ml economy pack.

250 ml Economy Pack (Annual Supply)

A yearly supply of natural vitamin E, starting in September, provided that:

• For one horse only.

• Unlimited pasture access in spring.

• No or only light exercise.

• No clinical deficiency symptoms.

• No use of POWER GOLD or COMBI GOLD/PLATINUM (already contain sufficient vitamin E).

Dosage schedule:

• Starting in September: 10 ml per week.

• Starting in January: 10 ml every 2 days for 2 weeks, then 10 ml per week.

• Starting in March: 10 ml every 2 days for 4 weeks, then 10 ml per week.

VITA E PLATINUM

Dosage: 25 ml = 9,500 IU natural vitamin E (thanks to boosters).
Packaging: available in 1 L and 5 L economy pack.

⚠️ Avoid over-supplementation (> 10,000 IU/day) to prevent interference with vitamin A absorption.