The Rise of Supplements in Equine Nutrition

The popularity of supplements in horse care has skyrocketed, with a vast array of products available from all over the world on the market. Particularly concerning is the multitudes of products aimed at supporting the gastrointestinal tract, joint support and calming agents, not to mention vitamins and minerals. Horse owners are increasingly influenced by expensive marketing campaigns that capitalise on our love for our horses.  But most people don’t read labels or if they do, don’t understand the effects of the ingredients, which means that they can inadvertently give horses double doses of some ingredients, and can sometimes cause more harm than good.

These supplements may look and sound harmless but anything we ingest has an impact on both short and long term health. This includes various ‘natural products’ that promise to help.What might work for one horse might not suit another, highlighting the importance of individualised care.

The Benefits of Supplements

There are scenarios where supplements can play a vital role in a horse’s diet. For instance, older horses may require joint support, while performance horses might need additional electrolytes after rigorous training. Certain supplements can address specific deficiencies—like vitamin E in horses with limited access to fresh forage. Research and expert opinions often support the judicious use of these products when warranted.

Potential Risks of Over-Supplementation

However, giving too many supplements can be detrimental. Over-supplementation may lead to nutrient imbalances or toxicity. For example, excess vitamin A can cause serious health issues, while high levels of certain minerals can interfere with absorption.  Additionally, many horses may not need supplements at all if their diet is already balanced and nutritious. It’s also essential to remember that the horse’s gut still has to absorb and metabolise everything in their feed, which can put added strain on their system.  Our good intentions can cause harm.

Recognising Nutritional Needs

To determine whether supplements are needed, it’s essential for horse owners to evaluate their horses’ individual nutritional needs. Regular veterinary check-ups and consultations with independent equine nutritionists can help identify any deficiencies or specific dietary requirements. Professional equine herbalists can also provide valuable insights into natural supplementation options, ensuring that any herbal products used are appropriate for the horse’s specific condition.

Practical Tips for Horse Owners

Here are some practical tips for evaluating the need for supplements:

• Assess Diet: Regularly review your horse’s diet to ensure it meets their nutritional needs.

• Monitor Health and Performance: Keep an eye on your horse’s condition, energy levels, and performance. Changes may indicate nutritional needs.

• Consult Professionals: Work with veterinarians, independent equine nutritionists, or professional equine herbalists before adding the latest ‘on trend’ product to your feeding regime.

• Choose Wisely: If supplementation is necessary, select high-quality products and adhere to recommended dosages.

In conclusion, while supplements can benefit some horses, moderation and informed choices are key. Understanding your horse’s individual needs and maintaining a balanced diet is paramount to their health. Before adding any supplements, consider their specific requirements, and consult professionals to make the best decisions for your equine companions.

Sophie

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So why are we feeding products and supplements which go against the Law of Nature?

Horses are pure herbivores – their bodies are designed to eat plant material only. The herbivore species have flat grinding teeth and a very long digestive system specifically designed to break down tough cellulose fibre in plants. Horses have jaws which move sideways enabling grinding of plant material in the oral cavity – digestion begins here. Once the food is reduced in size and thoroughly mixed with saliva it’s swallowed, travels down the oesophagus into the stomach.

Horses are ill equipped to cope with the large quantities of fat that are sometimes introduced to their diets by the well-meaning owner. Long term studies have shown this may cause duodenal reflux, this is where caustic bile in the small intestine back splashes into the stomach triggering ulcers.

Herbivores only eat things that need photosynthesis to live. This excludes fish, sharks, cows, shell fish and products made from them.

A study in the U.S on human dietary fish oil supplements containing beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids were found to contain more than 30 different fatty acids, including 10 – 14 different saturated fats. Oxidization in the leading fish oil dietary supplements exceeded maximum levels established by the International Standards of Quality. Little is known about the potential biological effects of these oxidized lipids.

These data indicate that the levels of saturated fats and oxidized Omega–3 fatty acids may interfere with their intended/potential biological effects.

Bear in mind this study is raising question marks for the human population whose gut is set up to be able to metabolise far more fat, be it saturated or unsaturated, than the horses’ system which isn’t equipped to deal with fats or animal products.

Horses may eat animal products occasionally due to nutritional stress or lack of any other feed. However, most supplements on the commercial market containing animal material are well disguised to ensure horses find them palatable. They can be inadvertently disguised on the ingredients label also. After all, how many people could be expected to know that chondroitin and glucosamine are natural compounds found in the cartilage, trachea or tails of animals such as cows, pigs, sharks or shellfish. Plant based glucosamine is not so readily available.

If your horse sifts out some of these products or won’t eat their feed, then take the hint – don’t feed it.

It seems that even reputable companies look at the science behind a particular nutritional constituent and the way it may work within the body (usually data from human trials) whilst completely disregarding the Laws of Nature pertinent to the horse. Is this wise?

Are we looking at short term gain with possible long term pain from other areas of the body which may only show up over time. Some data suggests that herbivores fed animal products may develop organ disease, growth abnormalities, tumours or digestive disorders.

However, if you have an old horse who is joint sore then use any of these supplements to relieve inflammation and pain, quality of life is premium, possible long-term negative effects don’t apply to the oldies.

It’s undoubtably a difficult situation as some of the animal-based supplements can really improve arthritic horses as they do in humans and dogs. Short term trials have reinforced this.

The author cannot find any scientific data which supports that any of these animal based supplements act as a preventative for arthritic disease.

Authors note:

With my unique hair assessment system I get the horses I assess to rate all feeds and nutritional supplements because (just like humans), what suits one horse may not suit another. Rating is done on a scale of 0 – 10. 10 = perfect, 5 = average or not required, 0 = poison. 3 and below is damaging to the horse’s system.

I have rated over 10 thousand horses over 27 years. ALL horses have rated anything containing animal products 3 or below. I have had many client’s horses who have been diagnosed with unusual tumours, particularly in the gastro-intestinal tract. This led my investigation into common feed additives and their potential side effects in our beloved equine companions.

Sophie

The post Horses are Herbivores (what’s in your feed?) appeared first on The Horse Herbalist.

This plant, a native of Mexico, loves conditions in Australia and like the cane toad it has no natural predators here. Biological controls have had limited success to date and funding for research is minimal.

Crofton weed is an erect, multi stemmed perennial plant which grows to 150cm in height. It’s extremely hardly, it layers itself and will sprout from any tiny piece of root left in the ground. It relishes poor soil conditions.

It has maroon smooth stems, the broad leaves are green and have slightly dog toothed edges, it develops dense clusters of white flowers in spring.

UNTRUE

It’s untrue that horses who are being hard fed or on good pasture will not eat Crofton Weed.

It’s untrue that Crofton Weed only harms horses when it’s in flower.

TRUE

It’s true that some horses will seek out Crofton Weed even when on otherwise good pasture or hard feed.

It’s true that Crofton Weed contains an addictive alkaloid. Crush a few leaves, stem and root to smell the carrot like odour.

It’s true that Crofton Weed is harmful to horses who ingest it at all stages of the plant growth though it is thought to be at its most toxic immediately after flowering.

It’s true that every mouthful causes internal damage.

Crofton weed should not be accessible to horses. It can be addictive, it is insidious as every mouthful causes damage to the bronchioles and lung walls.

By the time physical symptoms manifest, such as cough or breathlessness, much damage has already taken place. Crofton hardens damaged cells and lung walls ulcerate and crumble so basically the horse is asphyxiated – they stand with their neck stretched and hind legs camped out, all to try and get some oxygen as the lungs start to flood. They can run blind, collapse and die. It’s a truly horrible death.

Do not work horses who are coughing or breathless, get them thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian.Any exertion increases the possibility of blowing the lungs or the bronchial tubes.

There are some useful lung/respiratory herbs for those who may be slightly affected.  But if you have spotted Crofton Weed where your horses live or feed, and suspect they have or are eating, get them checked by your vet and take immediate steps to remove all plants.

Elecampane (Inula helenium) is my favourite  expectorant (lung dredger), it is also bronchial-spasmolytic, it’s specific to treat bronchial asthma and cough.

Liquorice (glycyrrhiza glabra) root – not to be confused with the commercial candy (made mainly from aniseed). Liquorice extract is a bronchial vasodilator giving more expandability to airways. It works synergistically with elecampane to treat bronchial asthma and cough.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) – one of the best antibacterial, anti-microbial, antifungal herbs for the upper respiratory tract. Cough, sore throat, asthma.

Ask your qualified herbal practitioner to combine all three concentrated high-grade extracts only, this is the medicinal form to give best results.  

Any airways dis-ease will be improved by dosing with ginger and thyme tea.

Ginger Tea – Good for upset or underactive gut, bloat and travel sickness, plus its scientifically proven to be effective against the common cold. Use the fresh root only (source from greengrocers or supermarket). Finely chop 2-3cm – add 2 cups of boiling water – let cool then pour entire contents over feed. Once daily for a time, or a few times a week dependent on condition.

Thyme Tea – brilliant herb for the entire upper respiratory tract. Coughs, colds and sore throats. Ideally use 5-10 sprigs of the fresh herb or 2 teaspoons of dried. Add to 2 cups of boiling water – let cool then pour entire contents over feed. Can give 2-3 times daily reducing dose as symptoms improve.

You can combine the ginger root and the thyme in the same tea. Great for humans too!

Author’s note:
I learnt about Crofton weed the hard way. Over 30 years ago my partner and I purchased a bush block in northern New South Wales. This was before information was readily available at your fingertips via computers. On checking out the varying herbage I was told by several local horse people that horses only ate this weed if they hadn’t any other source of fodder. Wrong. We lost a wonderful, spunky mare with an enormous will to live. She searched for Crofton having become addicted to the alkaloid. Our two other horses didn’t touch it. I was horrified at how little was known and the dis-information I was given plus the veterinary treatment of antibiotics was inappropriate. Naturally my research into this insidious weed started then.

Sophie

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When Karen contacted me she had owned Frankie, a 9 year old Quarterhorse gelding, for 2 years.  She bought him from a woman who had owned him for 3 years, who in turn had bought him from a stock station for her daughter to ride. The daughter quickly lost interest so Frankie had been turned out onto large scrubby, drought affected land with some cattle.

Karen was interested in Frankie as he was quite well bred and she wanted to campdraft him.

Karen told me that Frankie was in a poor state when she got him, so she set about cleaning him up; feeding, worming, teeth done, chiropractic check and then introduced some light work. He seemed pretty quiet, and all was going OK.

As time went on he seemed to be more and more resentful, he didn’t want to go forward, his ears were often pinned back. Karen took him to a trainer who had him for 4 weeks, and then advised her to sell him. Over time Karen had her vet check him out and do the usual diagnostics, nothing showed up but the vet gave him a course of ulcer treatment. Even though she noticed very little difference in Frankie, Karen wasn’t ready to give up on him.

It did seem to Karen that he was getting worse.

Frankie was napping, pig rooting, kicking, hard to girth up and rug, he was starting to scare her a little.  Karen sent him to another trainer who had a good name, particularly with stock horses. This trainer sent him home after a week and referred Karen to me for a hair assessment.  The trainer felt that clearly the horse had problems that no-one had been able to detect.

“Get him assessed, get him treated, then bring him back, “ he said.

Frankie’s story unfolded, becoming clear through the assessment process.

He’d had a good start up until 1-2 years of age then he had been affected by some sort of chemical spray which had left him with liver insufficiency. This was probably why he didn’t measure up to the hard work on the station.

During the hair assessment I found that his gut was underactive for approximately 2 years – this was when he was out on the scrubby pasture – then his gut became acidic in the 2 years prior to that. His gut wasn’t comfortable and periods of pain were increasing. Hence the girthiness, not wanting to be touched, not wanting to go forward, ears pinned, nippy.

Mentally/emotionally he had been switched off since he was 2yrs old, but he was doing the best he could. The ulcer meds would have helped on some level but they were just scratching the surface of Frankie’s imbalances.

Frankie’s nutritional ratings showed he was wheat intolerant – this is always significant. Wheat is an acidic grain, it can cause intestinal inflammation, damage to the gut membrane, behavioural issues and much more. Click here to read an indepth blog post on this topic.

NB: 99% of processed horse feeds contain some wheat or by product, this is often not listed on the ingredients label as unfortunately wheat intolerance in horses is still not a commonly accepted condition.

Karen had sought advice from the nutrionalist from one of the big feed companies what to feed Frankie when she first got him, and that advice would have been fine if his system hadn’t already been negatively affected by wheat.

What we did next was to start by removing all wheat and wheat by-products from Frankie’s feed.

The first half of his Herb/Flower Remedy extracts treatment which he tested out for indicated that his liver would be toning, doing a mild level of detoxing, reduce inflammation, soothe and heal the gut membrane. The Flower Remedies he chose let us know that he doubted himself, he felt gloomy much of the time, he felt ‘stuck’ as nothing was changing for him and he worried about himself.

I checked his progress in week 5 of the first 7 week treatment. He was already looking like a different horse, his coat was softer and starting to shine, his eye was brighter and he was calling to Karen when she approached with his mixture.

After the second half of his treatment he was moving like a different horse. The trainer was rapt, and Karen finally had the horse she could work with, who wanted to work with her.

Cranky Frankie became Fancy Frankie!   A smashing story of the changes top quality, tailor made, herbal products can make in a horse.

This case demonstrates the value of accessing and then treating at core level, rather than putting a repetitive band-aid on the symptom – get to the root of the problem and heal the horse. 

If you have a niggling feeling that something is not quite right, or you haven’t gotten to the root cause of particular problem, a Hair Assessment may give you the answers you’re looking for.  Click here for information on our process.

Angela Davison

The post Cranky Frankie – the Horse that Wouldn’t Go appeared first on The Horse Herbalist.

Most readers will know someone who is ‘coeliac’ or wheat intolerant. Many may even have noticed increased gluten or wheat sensitivity in themselves -fuzzy brain, lethargy, bloating, skin problems etc. and wonder why such a staple food from the human and animal diet is now causing such problems. The answer may be in the breeds of wheat grown today.

Until the mid 1950’s the wheat grain that was grown had remained the same since biblical times. The original Emmer and Einkorn wheat varieties (triticum turgidum) were tall 14-chromosone grasses, which grew readily in the wild. Then man started manipulating wheat with the aim of making a shorter crop with yields higher than eight times the original grain and decreased production cost. These 48-chromosome hybridised (crossbred) wheat breeds were more commercially viable – easier to irrigate, spray for pests, and harvest. Scientists and Agronomists alike were excited about the potential for feeding the ever increasing global population.

Modern wheat

Over the last 50 years hybridisation (the process of combining different varieties to create a hybrid or crossbreed) has created thousands of strains of wheat, which are used in both human and animal commercial food production. Genetic modification and hybridisation of food crop plants is fraught with unintended negative health effects on both the humans and animals consuming them.

Dough from the original and ancient wheat varieties (including Spelt and Khorosan) had none of the ‘stretch and workability’ qualities of modern dough. Modern wheat is very high in the gluten that makes modern bread and baked goods light and springy. Traditional wheat varieties make heavy breads and pastries as they have much lower levels of gluten.

GLUTEN SENSITIVITY

Gluten is made up of two proteins – gliadin and glutenin. Gluten sensitivity causes intestinal inflammation and damage to the gut membrane, resulting in malabsorption of all foods and symptoms of irritation including bloating, diarrhoea and cramping. With horses, the ‘no hoof, no horse’ motto has been long understood, but it is only quite recently that mainstream health professionals are beginning to understand that the health of the gut in all animals, dictates the health of the whole body.
Coeliac disease is caused by gluten intolerance; however, human studies have shown that many people are now displaying symptoms caused by intolerance to wheat itself. So-called Non-Coeliac Wheat Sensitivity (NCWS) is characterised by symptoms involving the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, skin etc. Symptoms disappear on exclusion of wheat from the diet and reappear on consumption.

Gluten also affects the adrenal glands (fight/flight response) and the liver. As it raises acidity in the whole body, there is increased prevalence of arthritis and inflammation. Modern wheat has increased blood sugar more profoundly than table sugar; in fact, few foods have as high GI as wheat-based products

Agriculture

At the same time as the wheat grains were modified, agricultural practices were changing from smaller family farms to broad acre production, and the introduction of so-called ‘safe’ glyphosate chemicals to replace dangerous DDT. Where once crops and animals were rotated through paddocks to plough, improve and sweeten the soil with manure or natural soil improvement (pigs ploughing, chooks scratching etc.), in the fast-paced, low price food production model, chemicals were used instead.

With the rising incidence of gut disease, allergies or sensitivities, auto-immune disease, weakened structures, and arthritis to name a few, research shows wheat is potentially the source of many known or odd health phenomena experienced by humans and horses alike.

Wheat fields can be sprayed with glyphosate (Roundup etc.) during the entire growth cycle to kill weeds, and seven days before the combine harvester works through fields. This removes most of the moisture (desiccates) from green foliage and stems, which reduces or eliminates drying costs. Glyphosate doesn’t wash off, it stays in the grain. Desiccation is a rare practice in Australia because of the naturally dry conditions, however, there is no way of knowing from which country the wheat in either human or animal feeds is sourced.

A review article published by De Gruyter Open –Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers states ‘gluten or wheat intolerance is a growing problem worldwide. It is a multifactorial disease associated with numerous nutritional deficiencies as well as reproductive issues and increased risk to thyroid disease, kidney failure and cancer. Here we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic.’ It should be noted that early recommendations for glyphosates were that they should be used as a last line effort.

On Friday 20th March 2015 the World Health Organisation stated that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic to humans.

WHAT ABOUT HORSES?

Horses are designed to eat a variety of grasses. To browse across wide ranging pastures as they forage for food. Increased domestication has led to confined quarters and the need for supplementation, or provision of a complete diet. While horses are not usually grazed on wheat fields nor fed whole wheat as a grain, much of the chaff that is used is wheaten, as is some of the hay. Most horse owners and trainers supplement their horses with a pellet or ‘nut’, most of which contain wheat or wheat by-products.

Older horsemen and women remember horses that worked hard in varying disciplines and didn’t need much help from supplements and additives, bodywork, chiropractic, herbs acupuncture, physiotherapy…

The Gut

Wheat contains the highest gluten of any grain and gluten is highly resistant to digestion. Wheat is an acidic grain that can change the sensitive pH of the horse’s gut, leading to an acidic gut, ulcers, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, hindgut acidosis, colic or founder (laminitis). In some horses it can cause chronic inflammation of the intestinal lining, which over time may lead to systemic inflammation and impaired absorption of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Researchers from both the Free University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University in the Netherlands have identified gluten as a potential cause of equine chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal tract disease. Horses suffering from gut pain can show any, all, or none of the following symptoms:

Cranky, ears back, girthy, unwilling to move forward, lips held tightly, ‘worry’ lines around the eyes. Fine to work one day, unwilling the next. Bloat, stress lines. Not forgetting the obvious signs of pain, pawing the ground, rolling or groaning.

In the now fast paced, low price food production model, chemicals are now used instead of animals that improved and sweetened the soil. Too many carbohydrates from any source may cause this, wheat being the worst. Heal the gut and the brain will function better, which leads to:

Behavioural issues – nervous system imbalance

Wheat stands almost alone as a food with central nervous system (CNS) effects. It is one of the few foods that can alter behaviour or temperament.

In practice it has been found that once wheat and all by-products are totally removed from the diet of wheat intolerant horses and humans, the behaviour can moderate in as quickly as two weeks. If there are no improvements in 2-3 months then the horses’ problem lies elsewhere.

Horses with behavioural problems may be labelled as mad, nervous, fearful, bad attitude or hot, whilst others will internalise and stew on things.

Allergies/Sensitivities

Small changes in wheat protein structures can have a devastating effect on immune response. Trials in humans have shown when wheat was removed from the diet asthma symptoms improved or resolved completely. In practice removing wheat and by-products from susceptible horses has helped to resolve skin conditions such as itch, rashes, urticaria (large plaques on the skin), hives and dermatitis as well as respiratory problems.

Insulin resistance/glucose intolerance

Wheat raises blood sugar and high blood sugar provokes high blood insulin. When the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin in response to blood sugar is exceeded, diabetes develops. The body may have high insulin and high blood sugar without having diabetes.

When visceral fat accumulates, the flood of inflammatory signals it produces, cause the liver and muscles to respond less to insulin, known as insulin resistance –often a precursor to diabetes. The pancreas pumps out more insulin to metabolise the sugars so more visceral fat is created and so it goes on, a vicious cycle. Visceral fat (large organ fat usually found in the abdomen) raises oestrogen in the body. This may be the reason some mares produce milk when not in foal.

Insulin resistance reduces entry of glucose into the hoof’s laminae cells, which have a high requirement for glucose.- the results being hoof pain and founder (laminitis). This may explain why so many performance horses, particularly racehorses that have never been in high fructan (sugars) pastures show signs of laminitis. These horses need a mix of highly digestible and indigestible fibres; low starch, low glycaemic diet such as beet pulp, soy hulls, forage pasture and fats. Wetting feed and soaking hay not only reduces sugars it also maintains saliva flow which naturally contains bicarbonate which is alkalizing.

Joint Pain – Arthritis

Wheat is acidic.

Removing wheat may reduce joint inflammation. In human trials arthritic pain reduced or disappeared when wheat was removed from the diet.

Athletes reported more consistent performance. Removing wheat reduces the blood sugar highs, which cause glycation (the stuff that stiffens) in cartilage and arteries. It allows the body to shift the blood pH balance back to slightly alkaline. Blood pH balance in both horses and humans should be around 7 ( 0-6.5 too acidic. 7.5 and higher too alkaline.) Gut pH in horses varies at different sections of the intestinal tract.

pH balance

Balanced pH in both gut and blood is essential in both humans and horses (and all other animals) for optimum health. Having too high acidity in gut leads to ulceration, chronic inflammation, leaky gut and hind gut acidosis. Hind gut acidosis is a health risk as the lower pH kills good bacteria allowing unhealthy pathogens to thrive, resulting in laminitis, colonic ulceration and colic. High lactic acid in the blood affects muscles ( tie up, poor performance,cramping, tearing, prone to injury). Plus headaches, confusion as well as emotional responses to all of the above.

Blood

Haemoglobin in red blood cells is subject to glycation, modification of the haemoglobin molecule by glucose.Haemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen . When haemoglobin is glycated then it loses oxygen carrying capacity and the horse loses performance. Therefore removal of wheat from the diet may improve performance in high energy disciplines such as racehorses, trotters, eventers and endurance horses, to mention a few.

The best way to see if a horse has a problem with wheat or wheat by-products is to remove from the diet completely for 3 months. Symptoms disappear on exclusion and will reappear on wheat consumption.

This article was by authored by Angela Davison, The Horse Herbalist.
It was published in Hoofbeats Magazine  June/July 2015  http://www.hoofbeats.com.au/
It has been shared with their kind permission.

Angela Davison

The post Wheat Intolerance – In Depth appeared first on The Horse Herbalist.

FYI

With each and every horse we have hair tested and treated over the last twenty odd years, who have presented with tying up problems, the one common factor they have all shared is their intolerance to wheat. That’s right folks, not oats, not corn but wheat.

OR

Does your horse have:

Behavioural problems, poor performance, failure to thrive, nervousness, grumpy, cranky or mad….

Any of the above problems may be caused by the wheat you are feeding your horse.

Australia is a huge wheat growing country, consequently wheat or wheat by products tend to be present in almost all premix feeds on the market.

If your horse is suffering from any of the above, try taking ALL wheat ( this includes bran, millrun, pollard and maltodextrin) out of the diet completely for three to six weeks.

If your horse is wheat intolerant you can expect to see positive changes, sometimes within days, definitely within four weeks, dependent on the individual.

NB: Horses who are wheat intolerant will be negatively affected by even a tiny amount.

Any PhD students doing a thesis on EPSM or Equine nutrition, please feel free to contact us. AD

Angela Davison

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