Manganese

Manganese is an essential trace element in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and an important source for synthesis of chondroitin sulfate as part of joint cartilage

Sources

The manganese content in forage is generally above 30 mg per kg of feed dry matter, so that the daily manganese requirement of an adult horse is ensured with sufficient forage intake (1.5-2 kg / kg BW). Only calcareous soils can be too low in manganese which makes supplementation necessary.

Daily requirements

The manganese requirement for horses is set at 40 mg per kg of feed dry matter.
The daily requirement of manganese of horses with 500kg body weight should be as follows:

Maintenance / Pregnancy / Lactation: 420mg
Low work intensity: 450mg
Middle work intensity: 460mg
Heavy work intensity: 476mg
Growth: 200mg

Deficiency

Although a deficiency in manganese seems to occur quite rarely, a decreased intake of manganese can be associated with lameness, abnormal cartilage development, and irregularity of oestrus cycle.

Excess

Huge amounts of manganese (> 800 mg per kg of dry feed substance) can suppress the intestinal absorption of iron which can lead to an anemia in long-term.

Important to know

  • The absorption of manganese in the small intestine can be impaired by phytic acid (grain) in the diet
  • Due to a lack of studies in horses, the manganese content in plasma provides little information about the actual content in the horse organism
  • The majority of manganese (80%) in the horse's organism is distributed between the skeleton (cartilage) and the muscles (connective tissue)

 

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