MINERALS IN HORSES: INFLUENCE OF BREED AND EXERCISE

Horses, as part of a proper nutrition, need in their diet certain trace minerals like selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) besides the major ones (calcium, phosphorus, iron etc..). In fact, the above minerals are involved in numerous biochemical pathways: for example, they act as cofactors of antioxidant enzymes (Zn-, Cu- and Mn- dependent superoxide dismutase) to protect the body from free radicals (Leung, 1998) or Zn exerts a regulatory role and is involved in the mineralization of cartilagine, whereas Se is required for muscle and immune system integrity and for the biosynthesis of gluthatione peroxidase (GpX) (Li Li, 1995). Finally serving these elements as structural or catalytic components of enzymes and regulators of many physiologic functions, they have the potential to affect physical performance. In different species (rats, horses and humans) and/or in their different breeds (horses) the acute and chronic exercise has been shown to alter the metabolism of several trace elements (Li Li, 1995; Lewis et al., 1993; Stubley et al., 1983; Yur et al., 2008) but it is quite difficult to compare the results because the experimental conditions (species, breed or type of exercise) or the laboratory procedures were always different. Aim of this study was to define some trace mineral ranges in different horse breeds and to evaluate the effect of endurance exercise (90 km) on their blood serum levels in Arabian horses