Is it safe to give your horse Vitamin B-12 before a barrel race?

Question

I don't want to hurt him but I was told to give him Vitamin B-12 right before my events to help boost his energy will this hurt him???

Answer 1

It won't hurt him, but it also won't necessarily boost energy.  It is one of the "stress" vitamins necessary for immune function, or they also call them blood builders.  Cell metabolism and nervous system functions require B12 in sufficient amounts, but excessive supplementation won't improve their function.  Also, a deficiency in B12 can lead to a form of anemia....but that only occurs in long term deficiency.  The same for neurological functions.  If your horse is not deficient in B12 to begin with, then giving it before a performance will probably do more for you than for him.  Any excess is just excreted from the body. Some people feel it is helpful, so it's really your call.

Answer 2

it will hurt him if he is not properly prepared for what you are doing. But it all comes down to how much you want to win doesn't it? What lengths you will go to in order to win your competition. If he is in pain would you give him pain relief so you can carry on doing what you were planning on doing? No, then don't give him artificial energy for a task he is not properly prepared to perform. Giving a B-12 boost may increase his energy but is his body properly prepared for the after affects of the extra output this will create? Most quick fixes designed to get better results from a horse on a day are just that quick fixes. But mostly they create a bigger problem later on.

Edit: Well in that case give him the boost after the event when his body will need the extra vitamins for recovery and to recoup some of the vitamins he would have lost during the event.

Answer 3

No, it should be fine as long as you don't overdo it. B-12 is good for increasing energy in horses. B-1 is a calmer.