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My Best Horse, Mission Viejo, CA (2025)

08/04/2024

𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 - 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐭

Summer is well and truly here. And with it, plenty of time to ride. A nice gentle trail ride is always pleasant on a long summer day, but are you really exercising your horse to prevent muscle loss?

𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆:
» Lack of movement: The horse equivalent of a sedentary lifestyle.
» Calorie restriction: Where the horse loses muscle because it is metabolized to fuel life processes.
» Winter weight loss: The horse uses energy for heat production, resulting in weight loss, and potentially muscle loss.
» Aging: Where the horse’s hormones shift to muscle breakdown and not muscle building.

When we focus on horse health, it’s easy to overlook the status of the horse’s muscles. One of the reasons that we overlook the muscle status is because if the horse is overweight, we equate that with being fit. To our eye, the horse looks fit and healthy. In fact, the layers of fat could be hiding muscle loss.

► 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
As our society has changed, horses are rarely used as work horses. For the vast majority of the horses, they no longer have a physical job to do. This results in muscle loss from not being used. We may think that because they are turned out in pasture, they have plenty of movement, but the reality is that they may not be getting enough exercise to preserve their muscles.

► 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺:
Think about putting your horse on an exercise routine. When you go out for a trail ride, plan that a part of the trail ride is at a trot or canter. Aim to increase the amount of time at the trot to help your horse develop muscles. It’s important to have graded levels of activity. It would be unfair to the horse to go from being a pasture puff to trying to do too much. Just like a distance runner needs time to build up and acclimate, so do horses.

► 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
In our efforts to help our overweight horse lose weight, we cut back his food intake so that he can lose extra fat. Along with losing fat, he may also be burning muscle. Having a severe of calorie restriction, or wanting him to lose weight too quickly, may have the unintended consequence of muscle loss instead of just fat loss.

► 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺: Reduce the feed intake by no more than 2 lbs per day for slow weight loss. This will help the horse lose weight gradually, and also help prevent the metabolism from slowing to preserve energy.

► 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀:
To keep warm in the winter, horses frequently utilize energy consumed for heat production. This invariably will cause a weight loss. When the amount consumed doesn’t meet the increased daily requirements, the horse will use stored fat, but may also burn muscle to meet the energy needs.

► 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺: Closely monitor your horse’s intake in the winter and increase the amount of feed to account for the possible muscle loss that could result from inactivity and the need to create heat.

► 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴:
In a previous post, Accelerated aging on muscles, we discussed how muscle is replaced with fat during the aging process. Hormones shift with aging, resulting in less muscle mass with fewer mitochondria. Because of this, it’s important to monitor the horse’s protein intake. The Merck Veterinary Manual states, “Aged horses may require protein intakes equivalent to those for young, growing horses to maintain body condition”.

► 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲.
➡ Review your feeds to determine if you have sufficient protein in your horse’s diet, especially for the aged horse.

➡ Ensure that there are sufficient limiting amino acids in the diet. This will help the horse get the most out of their feed. This can be accomplished by supplementing the limiting amino acids, lysine, methionine, and threonine.

➡ Consider adding leucine to the diet. This is a signaling amino acid that supports muscle development.

➡ Support the aging mitochondria with the use of acetyl l-carnitine. This supplement may help increase the number of mitochondria in the muscle, as well as help the existing mitochondria be more robust.

➡ Take advantage of the summer weather to develop an exercise program for your horse. Start slow, with a half an hour of walking, then adding 5 minutes of trotting, gradually working up to longer periods of time. Exercise is critically important to preserving and developing muscle mass and strength.

We do the best that we can do to help our horse. It's important to be mindful of muscle loss.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
©Joan Kulifay 2024

07/29/2024

𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬

In the last two posts, we discussed reasons why free choice strategies don’t work for every horse and the hormonal instances that support this. Today’s postdiscusses some of the strategies to help maintain healthy weight control.

In order to accurately develop a plan for healthy weight control, it’s important to understand how much the horse is consuming. All food that a horse consumes, grass, leaves, hay, grain, and treats contain energy for the horse. Excess energy is stored as body fat.

➡ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱:
» There is no such thing as “poor hay is just filler to keep the horse busy.” Even poor hay contains calories that need to be accounted for.
» Beet pulp has more calories than hay.
» Grains and beet pulp have similar caloric yields.
» Fat has more calories than grains or beet pulp.

➡ 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲.

► Exchange low calorie feeds instead of high calorie feeds. Review your horse’s diet to see what is easy to cut out or reduced. For instance, if you are feeding a cup of vegetable oil for a nice shiny coat, or feeding copra (about 10% fat), you can easily achieve a reduction in caloric intake, by exchanging low calorie foods instead of high calorie foods.
► A second method of reducing caloric intake is by feeding less.
» For horses on pasture, this may include limited turnout time and using a grazing muzzle during that time.
» For horses on hay, this can be achieved by using a hay net, and weighing the amount of hay that is consumed.

➡ 𝗛𝗮𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗹𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀:
Some people are under the impression that if their horse doesn’t have hay in front of them 24/7, their horse will develop ulcers. A 2015 study on calorie restriction showed weight loss, but did not find that gastic ulcers developed.

➡ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
Horses were designed to move a lot. In the constraints of our present-day lifestyle, it’s difficult to get a horse to move to optimal levels. This is especially difficult if your horse has mobility issues, such as laminitis, arthritis, or recovering from an injury or illness.

We have many challenges that we face. These include boarding constraints, lack of suitable pastures, and lack of time to ride or exercise our horses.

» One way that movement is encouraged is to have a pasture track system where the horses are encouraged to move through the track for food, water, and shelter.
» Other methods include riding, hand walking, lunging, or allowing your horse to be used as a lesson horse.

➡ 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

The key to successfully managing your horse's weight is to develop a system that works for you. Each person’s circumstances are unique and it’s important to have a system that can be maintained over time.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
©Joan Kulifay 2024

07/22/2024

𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

In the last post, we discussed some of the reasons why free choice strategies don’t work for every horse. This newsletter discusses some of the hormonal instances that support this.

Weight control is determined by a number of hormonal factors. Let’s explore some of the details.

➡ 𝗧𝗵𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹: Some horses have a sluggish thyroid. While hypothyroidism is rare in young horses, a condition called “euthyroid sick syndrome” occurs in conjunction with a number situations in horses, such as illnesses, stress, insulin resistance, obesity, or equine cushing’s disease. With lower thyroid hormone, the body conserves energy so that wasting is minimized. This lowered metabolism means that your horse is more likely to gain weight on regular rations of food.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼: While some veterinarians will recommend supplemental thyroid medication to kick start the weight loss process, the best scenario is to treat any underlying medical conditions. Then, if your horse is still overweight, use diet and exercise to help normalize the body’s response to innate thyroid hormone.

➡ 𝗟𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹: Leptin is known as the hormone that signals the body that it has eaten enough and to stop eating. Two different scenarios regarding leptin are important in the overweight horse.

» The first is that some horses have innately low leptin levels. In these horses the switch that says, “I’m full”, is rarely flipped.

» The second scenario is that some horses may have leptin resistance. In this instance, the body has produced plenty of leptin, but the signal isn’t registered by the cells. As a result, the switch still isn’t activated because the cells are resistant to the signal. Although this has not been specifically proven in the horse, it is widely known that insulin resistance in horses (characterized by high insulin levels), also is associated with high levels of leptin – but these horses still have a ravenous appetite.

➡ 𝗚𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿: Ghrelin is the hormone that tells a horse that it’s hungry. Although all the details of the mechanisms are not yet worked out, it’s been shown that ghrelin is reduced, which means that the horse has less of an appetite. More research is necessary to see how this can be utilized for horse’s health.

There are other hormones that form the complex landscape of hunger, satiety, and weight control that need additional research to fill in the gaps in the puzzle of weight control.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲:

➡ For horses like these, one important solution is to review your horse’s diet.

» Reducing sugars and starches in your horse’s diet is important.
» Weighing your horse’s hay to provide 1.5% of your horse’s current weight or 2% of your horse’s ideal weight in feed, whichever is greater. It’s important to remember that each horse is unique and to adjust the feeding accordingly.
» Supplementing your horse with acetyl l-carnitine may aid in fat burning, mitochondrial development (for nutritional support of muscling), and improved energy.
» Feeding supplements that may support muscling, may help with exercise issues.

➡ Exercise is important to help the horse lose weight and achieve a better sense of well-being, if the horse is able. However, always work with your veterinarian for a suitable exercise program, especially if your horse is laminitic, recovering from surgery, or has other medical issues of concern.

Next week: We'll discuss some of the dietary strategies that could be helpful for weight loss, as well as some comments regarding the topic.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
©Joan Kulifay 2024

07/14/2024

𝐅𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞?

You’ve read all the articles about having food in front of your horse at all times. You’ve read about allowing the horse to eat as much as they want and that eventually they will self-regulate. Yet, your horse gains massive amounts of weight when you don’t tightly control his intake. Are you a failure? No. This article and the subsequent one will discuss 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚.

► 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬
To understand dietary needs and intake, it’s important to reflect on the dietary habits of feral horses. Feral horses eat a large portion of the day because that’s what is necessary to consume sufficient calories for existence. A large portion of the horse’s energy comes from fermentation in the hindgut. This takes time and is not “instant energy”. Additionally, the horse is walking and moving all day, expending energy, while they are grazing.

➡ 𝗠𝗼𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: Pastures have a moisture content of approximately 90%. Hay, in comparison, is rarely above 15% moisture. A horse that usually eats 18 lbs of hay would need to consume about 90 lbs of grass to eat the same number of calories.

➡ 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: Horses have not evolved to eat the enriched pastures that we have today. The pastures that we currently have are more caloric and nutrient dense than pastures the horses have had through the last centuries. We use fertilizers and irrigation to stimulate growth, reseeding pastures for greater uniformity, and selective breeding of plant cultivars to obtain higher yields.

The vegetation that we feed our horses is of a higher quality, more caloric and nutrient dense, than the vegetation that the horses evolved with.

➡ 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 (𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦)
Horses have also adapted to have annual rhythms. Examples include growing a heavy coat for winter or mares turning off their hormonal cycles for breeding in the winter time.

In many areas of the country and world, vegetation is sparse in the winter, at the same time that energy requirements for heat production are increased. Many species, including deer and elk, are known for eating enough in the summertime to add a significant layer of body fat prior to winter.

Similarly, horses may lose weight in the wintertime. Their energy requirements are increased in winter. This is due to the increased amount of energy necessary for heat production. Body stores may suffer due to this increase in energy requirements. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙮. The loss of topline frequently is a reduction in the size of the fat layer that runs along the spine and not really loss of muscle.

In the summertime, when food sources are more available, horses may gain weight to replenish what they lost the previous winter. This is an example of a survival mechanism, not necessarily a homeostasis of the amount consumed.

➡ 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞:
Some horses are “𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀”. This refers to the horse that seemingly gains weight on little feed. Inherited body metabolism makes a difference in how efficiently a horse stores energy (think “gains weight”). Hormonal switches exist to regulate food intake.

➡ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨:
Knowing that horse husbandry in today’s day and age is not like it was centuries ago, we can still help our horses maintain a healthy weight by monitoring and controlling the food intake. A common rule of thumb on the amount of feed is 1.5% of the current weight or 2% of the horse’s ideal body weight, whichever is greater. However, each horse is unique and it’s important to monitor a horse’s weight and feed accordingly. An important caveat to weight loss in the horse is that if you restrict calories too severely, the horse will actually slow their metabolism to expend less energy. By doing this, you may not see the desired results.

► 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞?
➡ For grazing, you can use a grazing muzzle.
➡ And for hay amounts, you can use an inexpensive luggage scale and a hay net or garbage bag, to weight your horse’s hay.

Of course, if your horse is able, and not foot sore nor lame, the 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚 to the routine is helpful to maintain good body weight.

Next week: We’ll continue to explore this topic, focusing on some of the hormonal mediators of appetite, as well as some of the best practices for horse husbandry.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
©Joan Kulifay 2024

06/30/2024

𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐱?

The liver’s main functions are detoxification and to filter pathogens from the bloodstream. From time to time, the liver is overwhelmed, resulting in elevated liver enzymes and/or liver failure. This letter reviews some of the situations that affect the liver.

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀:

Toxins: The liver detoxifies consumed substances to minimize the damage to other organ systems.

➡ Toxic minerals, such as arsenic are present in the soils. The horse eats the plant that may have dirt on it, thus eating the toxic minerals. Excess iron is also sequestered in the liver, as well as other tissues.

➡ Toxic plants. From time to time, horses will also consume plants that are toxic. Examples of this are mugwort, ragwort, switch grass, and Klein grass. Other toxic plants include oleander and avocado leaves. Additionally, plants may also contain mycotoxins, even if mold is not visually present. The liver helps protect the body from the substances in the plant, as well as the molds that may be present on the plant.

➡ Drug-induced liver damage.
Since the liver detoxifies consumed substances, it also detoxifies drugs. Common causes of drug induced elevated liver enzymes include phenylbutazone and acetaminophen.

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
Infections are another common cause of elevated liver enzymes. Common infections include equine herpesvirus, large strongyles, ascarids, or rhodococcus. Veterinary care is important to determine the cause of the elevated liver enzymes, as well as the treatment.

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀.
Liver failure may be seen with very high liver enzyme values. Moderate increases in liver enzyme values may not be associated with clinical pathology. Jaundice is a serious medical condition, with veterinary care being prudent. The symptoms of jaundice is yellowing of the mucus membranes and the whites of the eyes.

𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲𝘀:
Veterinary care: First and foremost, it’s important to identify and treat the underlying cause of the elevated liver enzymes. Your veterinarian can diagnose and treat the underlying disease or cause.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀:
➡ Minimize toxins when possible
➡ Feed a supplement, such as Integral A+, which helps bind mycotoxins in feeds
➡ Minimize the use of phenylbutazone and/or acetaminophen
➡ Be sure that your horse is eating regularly
➡ Regularly do f***l counts, and treat for worms when necessary
➡ Add milk thistle to nutritionally support liver function. Use a product that has a known amount of silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle, such as My Best Horse Milk Thistle – 63S.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡-𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

06/17/2024

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲

The flies are out again and it seems to be a bad fly season. Even worse, your horse’s reaction is worse than you’ve ever seen it. Instead of little bumps from fly bites, your poor boy has good-sized welts. You’ve tried fly sprays, fly sheets, and fly traps, but the problem persists.

What are some of the options?

➡ Identify the offenders and minimize their effect on your horse

In order to best help your horse, it’s important to identify the offender. Usually, it’s flies, but it could also be bites from other insects, such as fire ants, chiggers, mosquitos, or bees. If you find that the offender is from ant bites, eradicating them is the quickest way to resolve the issue.

Continued use of fly sheets, fly masks, and fly leg protection is prudent. Although it won’t help the existing welts, it can reduce the number of new ones that occur.

Hives can also occur when horses have an issue with some ingredients in their feed or supplements. It's important not to confuse the reaction to fly bites with a reaction that may look similar, but is due to ingredients in their feed. Verify that the feed is not the problem by doing an elimination test.

➡ Treat topically

Welts can be painful, or they may be itchy. It’s important to wash your horse thoroughly to remove any allergens that can cause contact dermatitis. Washing is also useful to remove sweat, which can attract biting insects. It’s important to use a hypo-allergenic shampoo when washing.

After washing, some people have found it helpful to dab the skin with witch hazel, which is available at your local pharmacy, Walmart, or Amazon. Witch hazel has been shown to reduce inflammation and also helps soothe itchiness.

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➡ Support your horse with supplements

Once the hives occur, it’s very difficult to get the immune response under control. However, there are supplements which can help support the horse. Of course, these are more effective prior to a full-blown immune and inflammatory response. But it’s important to remember that they are one additional tool to help support your horse.

Spirulina: Once your horse is accustomed to the smell and taste, the recommended serving size is 1/8 cup, twice a day. Or if you only go to the barn once per day, ¼ cup once a day.

Chondroitin sulfate: Recommended serving size is 5-10 grams, twice per day.

Quercetin: Recommended serving size is 5 grams, twice per day.

Turmeric: Recommended serving size is 2 grams, twice per day.

MSM: Recommended serving size is 10 grams, twice per day.
You may use these in combination with each other.

➡ Veterinary Care

Work with your veterinarian to discover any illness that may make your horse more susceptible to a disproportionate immune response. Treat underlying diseases, such as Lyme disease, filariasis, Cushing’s disease, or insulin resistance. Untreated or undertreated underlying conditions will make it more difficult to control the hives.

Your veterinarian may determine that prescription drugs are the most prudent course of action. This could include anti-histamines, such as hydroxyzine, or your vet may determine that steroids, such as prednisolone or dexamethasone is warranted. Your vet will know the risks associated with steroids.

➡ Be persistent

Knowing that hives is already a runaway train, it’s important to be persistent in your efforts to help your horse. Treating hives is like trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose. Results are not likely to occur quickly.

We do the best we can for our horses. Take a deep breath with treating hives.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

06/10/2024

𝟕 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞'𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

Summer’s finally here. You’ve turned your horse out in the spring, hoping that the winter barn cough would subside. It hasn’t. First, there were spring blossoms. Now, there’s oppressive heat. Your horse still has labored breathing, coughs while trotting, and rapid breathing.

What can you supplement to help? This newsletter gives seven suggestions for supplements that may help support your horse.

➡ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮: This is one of the mainstays of being able to help your horse’s breathing, due to its anti-inflammatory action. While it helps breathing, it can also be useful for skin allergies due to fly bites. Recommended serving size: 1/8 cup twice a day.

➡ 𝗠𝗦𝗠: Another anti-inflammatory to reduce the body’s response to allergens. Recommended serving size: 1 tablespoon twice a day.

➡ 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻: This is a powerful bioflavonoid that may useful to help reduce the histamine response in the horse’s lungs. Recommended serving size: 5 grams twice a day.

➡ 𝗠𝗼𝘃-𝗘𝗮𝘀𝗲: This proprietary bioflavonoid may also help reduce the histamine response in the horse's lungs. Recommended serving size: 3 grams twice a day.

➡ 𝗡-𝗔𝗰𝗲𝘁𝘆𝗹 𝗖𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲: NAC has the dual role of being an anti-oxidant plus thinning mucus. Because it can thin mucus, the horse can better cough up airborne particles. Recommended serving size: 10 grams per day, which is about 1 tablespoon.

➡ 𝗩𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗖: While horses can make their own vitamin C, this can still be a helpful vitamin as an anti-oxidant. It also supports the immune system – both the innate and adaptive immunity arms. Recommended serving size: 10 grams per day.

➡ 𝗝𝗶𝗮𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗻: J herb stimulates the production of nitric oxide, which can provide a beneficial support to the linings of the lungs. Recommended serving size: 2 tablespoons.

➡ Other considerations:
It’s important to address other considerations in the management of your horse’s airway status:

➡ Allow your horse to be outdoors as much as possible. This reduces the barn dust, molds and particles that may build up in the barn.

➡ Wet hay when possible, to reduce the dust levels. This could be soaking, steaming, or just dampening the hay and the area on the ground to reduce the dust.

➡ Water down the arena, if possible, to reduce dust.

➡ Treat underlying diseases appropriately. Supplementation is not a substitute for appropriate veterinary care. Examples of disease states include viral infections, strangles, pleuropneumonia, and filariasis. These conditions could benefit from veterinary care.

We want to take care of our horses the best we can as they age. Supplements are available to help support our horse's breathing.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

06/03/2024

𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬

In our last newsletter, we discussed some of the causes of accelerated aging. In this newsletter, it will focus on the implications of accelerated aging on muscles.

Imagine this. You’ve been laid up after surgery. The doctors say that you will be back to your normal self in 90 days after surgery. But here it is, as the months drag on, you find that the road to recovery is not as quick as you had hoped. You find that you’re exhausted by seemingly small tasks. This isn’t exactly what you had bargained for. What happened?

When we have prolonged periods of challenge, or prolonged periods of inactivity, our muscles take a hit. As we age, we find that we lose strength and stamina. What happened?

Two things have simultaneously occurred. We have lost muscle mass and we have lost mitochondria to power the muscles.

The same thing happens to our horses.

𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺:
» Inactivity
» Recovery from an illness or surgery
» Environmental insults
» Weight loss
» Consequences of aging
Knowing that our horse has lost muscle, these are some strategies that we can use to help our horse.

➡ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀:
The first step to increasing muscle mass is to be sure that your horse is getting 𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻. After muscle loss, recent research indicates that it may be beneficial to increase the protein intake. It has been shown that older people need more protein than younger people because older people are not as efficient in building muscle as younger people. It’s also important to remember that protein is not stored during the day, like some nutrients.

One of the challenges of getting sufficient protein is that there are limiting amino acids. Your horse’s feed may have adequate protein overall, but still be deficient in lysine, threonine, and methionine. If those deficiencies exist, then your horse will not be able to utilize the full benefit of the protein.

Another important aspect to increasing muscle mass is the amino acid leucine. This amino acid can be incorporated into protein. However, it’s role as a signaling molecule is important. As a signaling molecule, it retards the breakdown of protein and stimulates protein synthesis.

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
To help build muscle mass for your horse, increase the amount of protein that your horse consumes. Also important is to increase the amount of the limiting amino acids with a product like Top 3 Aminos, which has lysine, methionine, and threonine. Also important is to incorporate additional leucine into the diet, either as Top 4 Aminos, or with the addition of leucine.

➡ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗮:
The mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell. When there is muscle loss, you lose mitochondria, as well as their efficiency. To regain healthy muscle, it’s important to address the number of mitochondria, as well as the muscle mass within the cell.

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
Supplements that support healthy and increased numbers of mitochondria include acetyl l-carnitine, quercetin, and CoQ10.

➡ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮:
To increase muscle strength and stamina, exercise is critical. It’s important to have graded exercises where you start an exercise program gradually, especially after muscle loss. This means to gradually increase the amount of work that your horse does. It is not beneficial to the horse to take the horse on an 8 hour ride after being out of work for the winter. Instead, start with 5 or 10 minutes a day, gradually working up to longer periods.

It’s important not to overestimate what is sufficient for your horse. You’re not looking for the maximum that your horse can do, you’re looking for a reasonable amount. Besides the muscles, the cartilage and ligaments need time to adjust to the increased work load.

➡ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
The neuromuscular junctions are where the nerves attach to the muscle. These specialized fibers can have diminished capacity when there is muscle loss. To effectively increase the muscle’s capabilities, it is important that the neuromuscular junctions are working optimally.

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
Supplements that help support the neuromuscular junctions include acetyl l-carnitine and quercetin.

➡ 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀:
It’s important to realize that effective strategies for regaining muscle should include a multi-pronged approach including adequate protein, exercise, and possibly supplementation. While those are excellent strategies, underlying causes for the muscle loss should be examined. If there are chronic diseases or endocrine issues, it’s important to address those issues. Otherwise, it may be difficult to achieve the desired outcome.

We want to take care of our horses the best we can as they age. It’s important to realize that horses have age-related declines, just like we do.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

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