Archive for the ‘Equine Nutrition’ Category

Reference: HolisticHorse.com – Andrea Baldwin is an Herbalist and lifelong horse advocate. She is currently studying at David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies to expand her clinical knowledge. Andrea is also pursuing her practitioner certification in Equine Acupressure with Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute.

Small seed packed with big benefits

Chia, a cheerful upright plant that can grow to a height of about 3 feet, has a square shaped stem and oblong pointed bright green leaves.

Chia (Salvia Hispanica), a member of the mint (Lamiacea) family, prefers well drained soil and a sunny location. The small blue flowers bloom on a cylindrical spike-like head in random order. The seeds require a long summer to mature and have a cool and moist energy. This plant grows well in parts of South America and subtropical climates like Bolivia and Ecuador.

The tiny brown and white seeds of the Chia plant are packed with nutrition, antioxidants, fiber, amino acids, vitamins and essential fatty acids.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are vital for almost all body functions of a horse. Amazingly, chia seeds have 18 of the 22 amino acids required by a horse, including 9 essential amino acids and the complementary nonessential amino acids in proper proportions. Pretty impressive for such a small seed!

Essential Fatty Acids – High Omega 3

Chia seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acid, having a 3:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 essential fatty acids. This balance of EFAs makes chia seed a strong anti-inflammatory, as well as boosting immune function, supporting healthy skin, hooves, mucous membranes and shiny coats.

Fiber and Mucilage

When soaked in water, chia seeds form a polysaccharide rich, thick gel coating that can help your horse in a few ways. First, it is helpful for clearing sand, much like psyllium. Both soluble and insoluble fiber in chia seeds help sweep debris out of the intestines. This gel also helps to heal gut mucosa, reducing inflammation, which would be beneficial for a horse with ulcers. Another benefit of the gel is slowing down the absorption of sugar by the body, helping to keep blood sugar levels more balanced. A clinical animal study (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24120122) showed prevention and reversal of insulin resistance that had been caused by a high sucrose diet, suggesting chia seed could be helpful in the diet of metabolic horses.

Disclaimer: We always recommend consultation with your equine vet prior to using any of these natural products.  They are not meant to replace vet care.

See below for more thoughts from Madalyn Ward, DVM, on the topic of stress and how it affects a horse’s liver function.

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Solutions for Coping with Stress

High chlorophyll foods such and blue green algae have a protective and cleansing effect on liver tissue. Blue green algae and sprouted greens are also high in natural antioxidants which aid the liver in detoxifying the body.

Certain nutritional mushrooms such as Maitake, Poria, Reishi and Cordyceps aid the liver by helping to lower sugar levels in the blood. Green foods in combination with nutritional mushrooms and spouted greens support the liver and kidneys in their roles of removing toxins from the body. Exercise is also critical for helping the Liver to move Qi and to lower insulin levels in the blood.

Liver support:

• Homeopathic Nux vomica
• Milk thistle and dandelion root
• High chlorophyll foods such as blue green algae and sprouted greens
• Nutritional mushrooms
• Exercise

Stress is part of many horses’ lives but its damaging effects can be kept to a minimum with proper support for the digestive tract and liver. In addition to the stress lowering steps mentioned in last month’s newsletter you may also want to consider your horse’s temperament. Different type and temperament horses respond differently to stress and will need different support for best results.

Check out Horse Harmony to help you determine your horse’s temperament type and look at our Feeding Guide to help select the best products for your horse.

References: Dr. Greer GI seminar, Nov 2013

More from Madalyn Ward, DVM:

www.holistichorsekeeping.com
www.horseharmony.com
www.horseharmonytest.com
blog.horseharmony.com
http://www.facebook.com/HorseHarmony
Twitter: @madalynward

See below for more thoughts from Madalyn Ward, DVM, on the topic of stress and how it affects a horse’s liver function.

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Chronic Stress and the Liver

Chronic stress in horses not only causes excess fat to accumulate in the external tissues but also in the internal organs such as the liver. A fat filled liver can’t perform its critical functions. Signs of poor liver function include general fatigue and lack of focus. Poor digestion is related to lack of bile production. Edema can occur as toxins build up in the tissues and lymphatic system.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) the Liver is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi so general stiffness and chest pain are also signs of liver stress. TCM also looks at the liver as the organ that helps one adapt to one’s environment so poor liver function can be related to allergies.

Signs of poor liver function include:

• General fatigue and lack of focusing ability
• Poor fat digestion
• Edema
• Stiffness and chest pain
• Allergies

Solutions for Coping with Stress

In our last newsletter we talked about what causes stress in horses and how to avoid stress when possible. For some horses chronic stress is part of their lives so steps must be taken to support good liver function in spite of it. Nux vomica is a classic homeopathic remedy that helps with liver stress from toxin build up or overeating. Nux is wonderful to help horses showing signs of stocking up or mild impaction colic. Nux is also helpful for horses showing irritability. Herbs that support liver function include milk thistle and dandelion root. Milk thistle can actually help damaged liver tissue regenerate and dandelion root will help with bile production.

More from Madalyn Ward, DVM:

www.holistichorsekeeping.com
www.horseharmony.com
www.horseharmonytest.com
blog.horseharmony.com
http://www.facebook.com/HorseHarmony
Twitter: @madalynward

See below for an educational and informative article from Madalyn Ward, DVM, on the topic of stress and how it affects a horse’s liver function. This is part 1, stay tuned for part 2.

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Last month we talked about how stress can cause ulcers in horses and this month I want to talk about how stress in horses can affect liver function. Liver health is essential for proper digestion, sugar metabolism, hormone production and detoxification. Stress and liver health are connected through the hormone, insulin. Occasional stress will strengthen the body’s defenses but chronic low grade stress will have the opposite effect. The liver is particularly damaged by chronic stress.

Critical liver functions in the body:

• Fat digestion
• Sugar metabolism
• Hormone production
• Detoxification

How Stress Affects the Liver

Stress in horses causes an increase in the hormone cortisol which causes the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream and if there is a real danger then the glucose activates the fight or flee response. If the danger is not real but more of a chronic trigger then the body must produce insulin to lower the glucose levels in the blood. One way that insulin lowers sugar levels is to convert the sugar into fat. When sugar and insulin levels drop back to normal, the fat can be broken back down for energy but when stress is ongoing, insulin levels never drop to normal and fat can’t be broken down even
with strict diets.

Normal stress reaction — increased cortisol — increased sugar released into bloodstream by liver — sugar used up by body energy output

Abnormal or chronic stress reaction — increased cortisol — increased sugar released into bloodstream by liver — insulin released by pancreas to lower sugar levels — sugar turned into fat which is deposited in tissues including the liver — weight gain, poor liver function, inability to breakdown fat stores.

More from Madalyn Ward, DVM:

www.holistichorsekeeping.com
www.horseharmony.com
www.horseharmonytest.com
blog.horseharmony.com
http://www.facebook.com/HorseHarmony
Twitter: @madalynward

The previous article, “The Do’s & Don’ts of Laminitis (Part 2),” by Marijke van de Water, Equine Health & Nutrition Specialist, Homeopathic Practitioner, and Medical Intuitive & Healer, explored a few “do’s and don’ts” for ensuring the optimal health of a laminitic horse. See below for part 3 of this article, which outlines a few more “do’s” when caring for a laminitic horse.

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The Do’s

Do treat horses for a leaky gut if present – hindgut bacteria, acids and toxins are a major cause of laminitis. Use Pro-Colon probiotics, Pro-Dygest, Para+Plus and/or Vitamin B12.

Do treat horses for parasites – parasitic toxins exacerbate hoof inflammation and/or laminitis.

Do ensure a proper barefoot trim with good hoof mechanism. Note: a pasture trim is not a barefoot trim. A pasture trim is done to nail a shoe on, a barefoot trim is done to maximize proper hoof growth and performance. Educate yourself on different trimming methods.

Do also educate yourself on sub-clinical laminitis – this is a type of laminitis that shows no clinical signs of separation, digital pulse or hoof tenderness. It is a common cause of hoof soreness and is absolutely under-diagnosed!

Do know that the most common hoof nutrient deficiencies are selenium, silica and sulphur – all minerals which strengthen hoof wall, lamina and joint capsules.

Do also know that rotated coffin bones will re-rotate back into position if the horse is fed an appropriate diet with the right supplements and is trimmed with a professional barefoot trim. Marijke has guided hundreds of laminitic horses in varying stages to 100% soundness – many of these horses were considered untreatable.

Do use boots and/or casts to relieve pain and encourage movement in the acute stages.

Do practice prevention – good food, good trims, good exercise!

Do read Healing Horses Their Way for an extensive resource of information on laminitis…and much more.

Happy Hooves, Happy Horses!


More from Marijke van de Water:
Website: http://www.rivasremedies.com
Twitter: @rivasremedies
Facebook: facebook.com/rivasremedies1

The previous article, “The Do’s & Don’ts of Laminitis (Part 1),” by Marijke van de Water, Equine Health & Nutrition Specialist, Homeopathic Practitioner, and Medical Intuitive & Healer, explored a few “don’ts” for ensuring the optimal health of a laminitic horse. See below for part 2 of this article, which outlines a few more “do’s and don’ts” when caring for a laminitic horse.

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The Don’ts

Don’t confine a laminitic horse no matter how sore they are – horses need movement and exercise to improve circulation and deliver nutrients to toxic and damaged hoof tissues. Let the sore horse decide how much movement he/she needs. Metabolic horses with laminitis need exercise to regulate blood sugar levels and to reverse their condition.

Don’t use glucosamine long-term, if at all – glucosamine is a type of sugar that strains the liver and depresses insulin production in sugar sensitive, overweight and/or metabolic horses.

Don’t accept hoof pathologies as normal (no matter what breed): flaring walls, bell-shaped hooves, cracking, splitting, soft soles, flat soles, long toes, high heels, contracted heels and/or under-run heels are all abnormal and can be fixed with a professional barefoot trim, exercise and a good diet.

Don’t always accept the label of “navicular” – this is an over-used diagnosis to explain unexplained symptoms. Many cases of so-called navicular are actually sub-clinical laminitis.

Don’t listen to well-meaning people who tell you that your horse won’t recover – they are misinformed.

The Do’s

Do feed horses a high fibre diet (e.g. hay, beet pulp, soybean hulls, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, wheat bran, wheat germ) – fibre detoxifies the liver and hindgut, regulates appetite, lowers the glycemic index of all feeds and encourages weight loss.

Do use slow feeders to lower stress levels, ease digestion and provide forage 24/7.

Stay Tuned for Part 3
In Part 3, we will share Marijke’s words on a few more “do’s” to ensure the optimal health of a laminitic horse.

More from Marijke van de Water:
Website: http://www.rivasremedies.com
Twitter: @rivasremedies
Facebook: facebook.com/rivasremedies1

This is a very interesting and informative article by Marijke van de Water, Equine Health & Nutrition Specialist, Homeopathic Practitioner, and Medical Intuitive & Healer, which outlines a few “do’s and don’ts” for ensuring the optimal health of a laminitic horse. This is Part 1 – stay tuned for Part 2!

First, let’s start with the “don’ts”:

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The Don’ts

Don’t put a laminitic horse on pasture – fresh grass is very high in sugar, especially in the spring, summer and the hottest part of the day.

Don’t feed oats, barley, corn, COB, grains or any other commercial grain feeds including extruded feeds – these (as well as grass) are all high in sugar and non-structural carbohydrates which increase blood sugar, insulin levels and cecal acids and toxins – all major causes of lamina inflammation.

Don’t feed high fat feeds or added oils. While current popular opinion promotes feeding horses poor quality fats for “cool” energy and for lowering the glycemic index of forage and grain, fats and oils congest the liver and lymph system, slow down digestive transit time, impede nutrient absorption, contribute to leaky gut, have no nutritional value and increase cortisol levels which elevates blood sugar.

Don’t feed alfalfa. While the high protein levels in alfalfa will lower the glycemic index and stabilize blood sugar in SOME horses, excess alfalfa will exacerbate laminitic symptoms in most horses by contributing to a leaky gut and/or by increasing the deposition of acids into the hoof joints.

Don’t soak your hay for longer than two to three weeks – any longer than that could increase hunger and stress levels as the sugar and/or protein levels may become deficient. Any hay that needs to be soaked long-term to maintain weight or soundness is not the right hay.

Don’t starve the overweight laminitic/metabolic horse – this creates stress causing unbalanced insulin levels, increased cortisol production, poor immunity and an increase in hoof inflammation. Feed small amounts of forage frequently by using slow feeders.

Stay Tuned for Part 2
In Part 2, we will share Marijke’s words on a few more “do’s and don’ts” to ensure the optimal health of a laminitic horse.

More from Marijke van de Water:
Website: http://www.rivasremedies.com
Twitter: @rivasremedies
Facebook: facebook.com/rivasremedies1

 Here is Part 2 of Dr. Getty’s article on horse nutrition and health:

When a horse does lose weight through severe restriction, his metabolic rate slows down so dramatically that he can’t process a larger amount of food without gaining back all the lost weight and more when he returns to eating normally. The most likely next outcome is a laminitis attack.

Now, consider the free choice scenario: First, make sure what the horse is eating is low in NSC and low in calories. Once you know that it’s safe, then give your horse all he wants to eat 24/7, and never, ever let him run out—not even for 10 minutes. Very soon, your horse will eat only what he needs. Yes, at first he may overeat because he’s so excited, but once he realizes he can walk away and come back and figure out it’s no big deal—saying to himself the equivalent of “Yeah, yeah, it’s still there”—he will relax. Perceived starvation is no longer a threat and so his hormones start to calm down. His insulin level starts to drop. His body fat starts to be burned for energy rather than being held onto; his body also responds to the hormone, leptin, which tells him he is no longer hungry. He starts to lose weight, and lo and behold, he actually eats less than he did originally because when he has all that he wants, he knows how much he actually needs. Give him a chance to self regulate. A horse whose system is in healthy balance will not naturally overeat. Give him a chance to tell you what he needs.

Forget the dry lot with no hay. Forget the drastically reduced diet. I have seen this horrible damaging protocol again and again. I understand—it is difficult for horse owners to accept anything else. I am not arguing against restricting calories. Of course you have to do that, but you need to do it by giving a low calorie, low sugar/starch hay.

And you need to increase exercise. Exercise decreases insulin resistance. It also builds or helps protect muscle mass (which is metabolically more active) and certainly it directly burns calories which helps your horse lose weight.

Here’s an analogy: If I told you that you could lose weight by eating all the chocolate cake and ice cream you wanted and lolling around in a lounge chair all day, you would say that’s impossible—even ridiculous—and you’d be right. But if I said that you could lose weight if you chose to eat a lot of low calorie food—if you ate your fill of a variety of vegetables, for example—and got a reasonable amount of exercise, you would think that made sense. That’s what I’m telling you to do with your horse. Let him eat low calorie foods, all he wants, because that’s what he needs. Help him move around. You get the picture—I hope it makes sense now.

This article is an excerpt from the book, Equine Cushing’s Disease – Nutritional Management

For the growing community of horse owners and managers who allow their horses free choice feeding, there is a special forum for you to share your experiences with each other and to let me and others know how you’re doing. It is a place for support, celebrations, congratulations, and idea sharing. Go to jmgetty.blogspot.com.

Please share this article with your fellow horsemen and women. Permission to reprint commercially is granted, provided that full credit is given to Dr. Getty and publisher informs Dr. Getty about the use of the article. She may be reached at gettyequinenutrition@gmail.com. No editorial changes may be made without her approval.

This is a very interesting article from Dr. Juliet Getty about how when we restrict food from our horses, their reactions manifest in different ways. This is Part 1 – stay tuned for Part 2!

Restricting Forage is Incredibly Stressful

Choose a different method to help your horse lose weight

By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Stress = Obesity. That’s right. Stress is keeping your horse fat. And the main source of stress for most horses? Restricting forage. The very thing most people do to try to help their horse lose weight actually causes the same stress reaction that brings about body fat retention, and all its attendant problems.

I cannot emphasize this enough. Here are the physiological facts—they are indisputable: The horse is a trickle feeder. He’s a grazing animal designed to chew all day long. His chewing produces saliva, which neutralizes the acid that’s continually flowing in his stomach. Your stomach produces acid only when you eat; your horse’s stomach produces acid constantly, even when the stomach is empty (you see where I am going with this—his stomach should never be empty!). He also needs forage flowing through his digestive tract to exercise those muscles; otherwise the muscles get flabby, which can bring on colic from a weak intestinal tract that torques and intussuscepts. Furthermore, the cecum (hindgut) contains the bacteria responsible for digesting fiber from forage. But its exit and entrance are both at the top! In order for digested material to be pushed to the top, the cecum must be full. Otherwise colic can result from material left at the bottom.

A horse that doesn’t have anything to eat will chew on whatever he can—fences, trees, even his own manure. It’s pitiful to see. Chewing on non-feedstuffs makes a horse mentally acutely uncomfortable because it goes against his instincts, but physically he is in pain and attempting to resolve it. Discomfort? Pain? Stress! And he’s stoic about it. You might look at him and say, “Well, he’s calm.” Sure, he may look that way but it’s an ingrained survival mechanism for horses that are in pain to hide it. In the wild, a horse that shows that he’s uncomfortable often gets left behind by the herd to fend for himself against predators. So anatomically and psychologically, the horse has evolved to deal with pain by simply bearing it. Even the pain of an empty stomach.

What happens when you bring this horse some hay? Against the fear of future deprivation and to relieve his stomach discomfort, he inhales it. Then he waits again for his next meal, even while the acid resumes bathing his empty stomach. And it’s not only the stomach that is affected. The acid can also damage the entire gastrointestinal tract, even making it all the way down to the hindgut. It can lead to colic and it can lead to laminitis.

I have seen hundreds of cases of horses suffering a laminitis relapse through being placed on a restrictive diet. Here’s the scenario: The horse is overweight (maybe even develops laminitis). The well-intentioned veterinarian tells the horse owner, “Put your horse in a dry lot and feed him only a little bit of hay, maybe about 1.5% of his body weight. Give several small hay meals a day, only.” And the rest of the time the horse stands there with an empty stomach. The well-intentioned veterinarian has just given the well-intentioned horse owner the worst possible advice because the stress of that leads to cortisol increase, which causes insulin to rise, and when insulin rises you have laminitis—new, recurrent or chronic. This happens over and over again; it is the unfortunate “conventional wisdom” of the horse industry.

I adamantly protest—this practice is not based on sound science.

For more from Dr. Getty – stay tuned for Part 2.

This article is an excerpt from the book, Equine Cushing’s Disease – Nutritional Management

For the growing community of horse owners and managers who allow their horses free choice feeding, there is a special forum for you to share your experiences with each other and to let me and others know how you’re doing. It is a place for support, celebrations, congratulations, and idea sharing. Go to jmgetty.blogspot.com.

Please share this article with your fellow horsemen and women. Permission to reprint commercially is granted, provided that full credit is given to Dr. Getty and publisher informs Dr. Getty about the use of the article. She may be reached at gettyequinenutrition@gmail.com. No editorial changes may be made without her approval.

We return with the second part of Madalyn Ward’s guide to kidney care:

Healthy Kidneys mean:

• Strong vitality
• Healthy bones and teeth
• A balanced nervous system
• Strong will power and focus
• Healthy metabolism

Weak Kidneys manifest as:

• Poor vitality
• Weak bones and teeth
• Weakness in the lower back and limbs
• Nervousness
• Fluid imbalances leading to stocking up or fluid in the lungs
• Weak metabolism, assimilation problems and insulin resistance

Kidney Weakness

Kidney weakness can occur with weak genetics, inadequate nutrition, old age, chronic blood loss, hot, dry weather or excessive work that depletes body fluids through sweating. Stress, chronic anxiety and worry will also deplete the Kidney Essence. Breeding young healthy horses is the best way to create foals with good Kidney Qi. Good nutrition throughout life will guarantee the Qi  is replenished on a regular basis. Alfalfa is one of the best horse feeds for kidney support. Barley is a excellent choice if grain is needed and kelp offered free choice is a good choice for a supplement.

Stresses for the Kidneys include:

• Poor genetics
• Inadequate nutrition
• Old age
• Chronic blood loss
• Hot, dry weather or excessive sweating
• Chronic stress, anxiety and worry

Support for healthy Kidneys include:

• Breeding young healthy horses to pass on good Kidney Qi to the foals
• Good nutrition including alfalfa hay, barley and free choice kelp

Supporting the Kidney

The most common kidney patterns I see are congestion which shows up as stocking up in the legs, bloating in the abdomen and soreness in the lower back. If the horse is not already getting horse feeds to support the kidney I will add those and add a mild diuretic herb such as dandelion leaf or uvi ursa. I look at acupressure points GV4 to strengthen the Gate of Vitality, BL 23 to support Kidney Yang, and SP 6 to clear dampness. If there are any signs of fluid buildup in the lungs, such as a moist cough, I will add BL 13 and LU 7.

The other kidney pattern which I have been seeing more since we are in a severe drought pattern is Kidney Yin deficiency leading to heat signs such as dark, scanty urine, lower back soreness, dry manure and restlessness. Some horses will even seem and bit feverish in the late afternoon. In addition to the horse feeds for kidney support I start aloe vera juice and marshmallow root to build Kidney Yin and sooth the kidneys. I treat acupressure points KI 3 to tonify the Kidneys, KI 6 to support Kidney Yin, and CV 4 to support Kidney Yin and calm the mind.

A horse can’t be healthy without healthy Kidneys. Since the Kidneys supply to Fire(Yang) and Water(Yin) for all the metabolism they must be treated along with any system that is not functioning up to par. A good holistic horse care program including whole foods and natural management will usually support healthy Kidneys, but be alert for symptoms of Kidney imbalance.

Find Madalyn Ward online:

http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com
http://www.facebook.com/HorseHarmony
Twitter: madalynward