Preliminary research suggests that increasing dietary Cobalt (Co) concentrations above NRC (2007) requirements appears to increase fiber digestion in horses, but the effects of its supplementation have not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to determine if the addition of varying concentrations of Co held implications for increasing fiber digestion. The study utilized four standardbred geldings and followed a 4x4 Latin square design; four 5-wk periods, each containing a 2-wk washout phase followed by a 3-wk treatment phase. Two feedings a day were accompanied by 5 treatment tablets, which were formulated to deliver 0.0 mg, 2.8 mg, 8.4 mg, or 14.0 mg of Co to the horses. Feces and urine were to evaluate fiber digestion and mineral digestibility. Although there was a trend showing a linear increase in dry matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (P=0.06), there was no effect of Co supplementation on the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, or lignin. There was an inverse linear relationship between supplemental Co concentration and serum cobalamin levels (P=0.003), while folate levels were unaffected. Treatment differences wee seen in Co digestibility with a trends in Co apparent absorption and retention. Additionally, serum Co showed differences between treatments (P <0.0001), as the high treatment (4.7 μg/mL) was greater than the control treatment (0.8 μg/mL).
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