>Selenium deficiency also causes birth defects
in cattle, so I would assume it may have similar effects on horses. My father
had a calf born from a SE deficient cow. He couldn't straighten his front legs,
or bend the fetlocks of his hind legs. Cute little guy, though. Dad kept him
pampered in a padded stall until he was big enough to eat. Sold the cow to a
dairy.
Angular limb deformities and contracture are indeed
symptoms of selenium deficiency in newborn foals. And while foals are less
prone to white muscle disease than are calves, they can also succumb to
that. Pneumonias and diarrheas are more prevalent in selenium-deficient
foals, just as they are in selenium-deficient calves, due to the inability of
white blood cells to phagocytize bacteria. It plays a part
in fertility, likely also due to uterine clearance relative to the ability
of WBC's to function. Both mares and cows that are deficient also have a
much higher incidence of retained placentas following foaling or calving.
In addition to the effects on white cells, selenium also serves as an
antioxidant, which is an important issue in recovering from disease or
injury. It plays a role in muscle recovery as well (although not well
defined to date) which is the main issue to our endurance horses.
