Iron participates in many vital functions, e.g. oxygen and electron transport, and DNA synthesis. Iron metabolism imbalances can be related to deficiency or overload; however, the deficiency is rare in adult horses. Despite this, breeders and veterinarians usually supplement horses with iron, aiming to improve athletic performance. Until now, no study proved that exercise induces iron deficiency in this species or that iron supplementation improves its performance. Diagnosis of iron deficiency or overload depends on a comprehensive laboratorial evaluation. Supplementation in horses without disabilities can induce excessive iron storage, with serious consequences for the animal. This study reviews the iron metabolism alterations in equine submitted to exercise, laboratorial methods for the evaluation of iron storage, and consequences of improper supplementation.
iron; horse; exercise; supplementation