The Role of Cobalt in a Horses Diet - Horse Supplements

Cobalt has not been added to horse feed or supplements made by reputable manufacturers since 2010 when cobalt carbonate (the salt added to premixes) was declared potentially carcinogenic for the people working in the premix plant because of its small particle size. The inability to use cobalt is not as much of a concern as it might seem because cobalt’s main role is in the synthesis of vitamin B12, so TopSpec simply added an extra, exactly compensating amount of B12 to all the products that previously contained cobalt. In addition, dietary sources of B12 are more available to the horse than that synthesised in the hindgut.

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) is well known for its role in red blood cell maturation in bone marrow. And for successfully stimulating appetite. B12 is also needed for DNA synthesis and cell metabolism, and is important for a healthy central nervous system as it aids in the synthesis of myelin.

Any other minor role that cobalt may play in equine metabolism appears to be amply covered by the amount of cobalt that can be derived from background feed and forage.

Neither deficiency nor toxicity has ever been recorded in the horse. Like all other B vitamins, any excess vitamin B12 would merely be excreted in the urine.