Lysine is regarded as the number one limiting amino acid, an essential building block for protein in the body. Balanced Equine Lysine is an economical way to provide this essential amino acid.
Lysine plays a major role:
- Calcium absorption
- Building muscle including topline
- Production of hormones, enzymes and antibodies
- Production of collagens, elastins in bone matrix, skin, tendons and articular cartilage
- Keratin protein in hooves, coat, mane and tail
It’s not uncommon for lysine to be too low in hay, including all the types of grass hay, meadow hay, Teff hay, Rhodes grass hay and oaten/wheaten hay. Essential amino acids like lysine can be too low in grass that is not actively growing.
According to the National Research Council (NRC), the higher the horse’s bodyweight and/or workload, the higher the requirement. Supplementation can be important for all horses, especially in moderate to heavy work and breeding mares and actively growing youngsters.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, of which there are two types; essential and non essential. Essential means the horse can only obtain it from the diet while non essential means the horse can manufacture these amino acids. Lysine is the number one limiting essential amino acid.
If you need a supplement to support muscle building/topline as well as healthy hooves, Equine Amino may be the better choice. Equine Amino contains lysine, methionine and threonine.
Dr Kellon VMD recommends:
10 – 20 g lysine, mix with feed.
The NRC (National Research Council) estimates that a 500 kg horse in no work (maintenance) requires 18 to 27 grams of lysine per day.
If in work (exercising), the requirement is 29 to 35 g depending on the exercise intensity.
Growing horses may require between 29 g per day for a 170 kg weanling (4-10 months).
For a yearling (11-17 months), the requirement is 48 to 50 g per day.
Graham-Thiers PM and Kronfield DS (2005) Amino acid supplementation improves muscle mass in aged and young horses
https://academic.oup.com/jas/article-abstract/83/12/2783/4829990
Tome D et al (2019) Impact of low protein and lysine-deficient diets on bone metabolism (P08-072-19)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6818847/
https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2023/04/17/amino-acid-supplements-for-horses/
Understanding Amino Acids by Dr Kellon
https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2020/08/12/understanding-amino-acids/
Matching Feeding to Activity Level
https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2017/10/15/matching-feeding-to-activity-level/
Living with Old Soft Tissue Injuries
https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2017/07/09/living-with-old-soft-tissue-injuries/
Nutrition for the Lactating Mare by Dr Kellon
https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/nutrition-for-the-lactating-mare/
Nutritional Support for Shedding by Dr Kellon
https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2020/03/21/nutritional-support-for-shedding/
Methionine Supplementation May Be Crucial by Dr Kellon
https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2020/06/11/methionine-supplementation-may-be-crucial/
Sulfate and Your Horse by Dr Kellon
https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2024/03/02/sulfate-and-your-horse/
The amino acid L-Lysine HCL is a nutritional supplement product for inclusion in horse’s feed. Product has no therapeutic effect and is designed to be administered in a feed for voluntary ingestion for horses.
Animal consumption only.
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