The Herbal Horse

Kelp - Friend or Foe to Animals?

2009-03-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

A lot has been written about the dangers of feeding kelp (seaweed) to animals (and humans). To quote Owens & Huntington in "What's in a Label", seaweed contains "lots of iodine and precious little of anything else". They warn of iodine toxicity, amongst other things.

Let me explain what nonsense that is. Firstly, kelp contains 46 minerals, 16 amino acids and 11 vitamins. Hardly” precious little of anything else”. Secondly, the level of iodine in a good batch of kelp is negligible. If fed correctly (15g per day) the level of iodine is way below toxic levels.

Juliette de Bairacli Levy was the first to recommend seaweed as a nutritional supplement for animals, in the 1930s. Veterinarians of the day mocked her suggestion, but today she has been proved to have been correct. Kelp is now widely used and accepted as a valuable and inexpensive feed supplement for all livestock including horses and dogs.

Kelp is: anti-inflammatory, demulcent, emollient, protective against radiation, anti-cancer, anti-tumour, antibiotic, immuno-stimulant, anti-viral and soothing to intestinal mucosa.
The alginates in kelp:
- assist in the prevention of absorption of toxic metals like mercury, cadmium, plutonium and cesium.
- protect the body against radiation.

In dogs, it is recommended by Martin Zucker (The Veterinarians’ Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs”) for cancer, heart disease, mange, old age, stool eating and thyroid gland regulation.

Hilary Page Self (A Modern Horse Herbal) says that kelp is “used extensively for underactive thyroid, and as an excellent source of minerals for the body and used externally for compresses to reduce inflammation and arthritic pain.”

All in all, kelp is an excellent all-round supplement. Just be sure to obtain from a reliable source (like The Herbal Horse or The Herbal Pet). Kelp grown in polluted water can contain unacceptable levels of contaminants.

5-HTP versus Tryptophan

2009-03-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

When your brain wants to send a message from one neuron to the next, it uses chemical substances called neurotransmitters. One of the major neurotransmitters in the brain is called serotonin. Studies in animals and humans have revealed that serotonin is responsible for feelings of well being, calmness, relaxation, confidence and concentration.

So, what happens if you don't have enough serotonin? Fear, aggression, anxiety. But serotonin deficiency is often simply due to dietary imbalances. Easy to fix.

This is how serotonin is made in the body:Tryptophan (an amino acid) is converted into 5-HTP (another amino acid) which in turn, is converted into serotonin (a neurotransmitter).

When we first started making herbal products, we formulated Calm mix using tryptophan. But we encountered a problem - the product seemed to become less effective with time.
A bit of research showed us where we were going wrong:
1. Tryptophan doesn't pass easily from the blood into the brain.
2. It is also used to make proteins - hence some of it is used elsewhere.
3. The liver breaks it down to a mildly toxic substance.
4. It feeds back on itself, and inhibits its own conversion to serotonin.

Because of these problems, we switched to using 5-HTP. 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5-HTP) is also a completely natural substance, derived from the seed pods of Griffonia, a West African plant. Side effects are very rare and 5-HTP has been shown to be VERY effective.

As far as I have seen, our Calm mix is the only product for horses which uses 5-HTP instead of tryptophan. This makes it a safer, more effective alternative.

It means that if you have a spooky, flighty horse or an overly aggressive dog, supplementation with Calm mix (for horses) or Serenity Formula (for dogs) might just help. Why don't you give it a try?

Protein and Making Muscles

2009-03-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

What is Protein?

Your horse's body is made up of more than 100 000 different proteins. There are proteins in hair, in eyes, in blood, in muscle, in every single cell of your horse's body. Protein actually makes up about ¾ of the dry weight of most living cells. They are involved in many of the essential functions of life as nutrient carriers, enzymes, antibodies, etc.

Proteins are made up of smaller "building blocks" called amino acids. There are two types of amino acids - essential and non essential. Non essential amino acids can be manufactured by the body if they are needed. Essential amino acids must be provided in the diet as they can't be made in the horse's body.

Once a protein has been eaten, it is broken up by the body into these smaller molecules. Then the amino acids are dispatched to wherever they are needed in the body for protein synthesis.
Protein Synthesis Imagine a huge factory with DNA "workers" standing at a "conveyer belt" assembling protein molecules. (DNA, the molecule that forms genes, is coded with specific recipes for proteins - this determines what we look like, think like, what colour eyes we have, etc.) Along the "conveyer belt" come the amino acids that we have consumed. Each "worker" collects the amino acids he needs and puts them together according to the specific recipe encoded on the gene.

Limiting Amino Acids

What happens when a "worker" can't find the specific amino acid which he needs? Then protein synthesis simply stops. That protein can't be made. The amino acid which most often causes this problem is called lysine. It is known as the first limiting amino acid. The second limiting amino acid is usually threonine or tryptophan. This is why protein quality is of such utmost importance.

Protein Quality

When ordering your horse's feed from your supplier, you will probably ask for a 12% meal, or whichever version you feed. What exactly does this mean? The value refers to the total amount of protein in the food. The interesting thing is that it's not so much how much protein is in the feed that counts - it is the quality of that protein that is important.

In other words, some proteins are better than other proteins. The best protein, from a horse's point of view, is one in which the amino acid profile is exactly what the horse needs. So, the DNA "worker" described above has exactly what he needs to do his job - making a specific protein with none of the essential amino acids missing. Some proteins are of such low quality, they are totally useless and you might as well not feed them at all.

Supplementation

During hard training, the equine athlete will damage muscle tissue as a result of lactic acid production and over exertion. These damaged tissues need to be repaired as soon as possible. This, of course, is a process that requires protein synthesis. As does the building up of muscle tissue from scratch when training.

Growing horses also need much more protein and amino acids than average.

If your horse fits one of these categories - building muscle, growing or in hard work, it would be wise to supplement his diet with a source of amino acids and proteins. The Herbal Horse products which are suitable are: Sport Horse mix, Endurance mix.

Thiamine - a Contradiction in Terms

2009-03-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

Thiamine, otherwise known as Vitamin B1, is an interesting vitamin from the standpoint of horses. It is used in the horse world for two main reasons, which may appear at first glance to be contradictory: providing energy and calming.

Energy

During exercise, a compound called pyruvate is formed. Now, pyruvate can end up as lactic acid, which builds up in muscles and causes stiffness and muscle fatigue. Thiamine helps to stop pyruvate becoming lactic acid by converting it to Acetyl Co A. Studies by Topliff et al (1981) suggest that an exercising horse may need twice the thiamine that a non-working horse needs.

Calming

Another important function of thiamine is the transmission of impulses along nerves. So, a thiamine deficient horse will be irritable, nervous, jumpy, easily distracted and difficult to work with. Sometimes, supplementation with thiamine will help correct problems like these. Other times, it could be some other problem – genetic, training or other nutritional problems.

Deficiency

Often the thiamine deficient horse is not an undernourished horse. On the contrary, thiamine deficiency often occurs in horses on high carbohydrate rations with rigid work loads.

Safety

Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin, and so supplementation up to 1000mg per day is very safe. Excess is simply eliminated by the kidneys.

Herbs in Competition

2009-03-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

The new zero tolerance attitude to drug use in competition horses is both welcome and overdue. I'm sure that most of us agree that riding a horse that requires medication in order to be considered sound is both dangerous and cruel.

As a company which sells herbal products for horses, we are inundated with queries from people confused as to what is banned and what is not banned. Natural products are foremost in the confusion.

Let's start with what is not banned.

Vitamins, minerals, traditional feedstuff ingredients as well as anything traditionally grazed by a horse are not banned. Endogenous substances (substances produced by or present in the horse's own body, naturally) in normal concentrations are not banned. Certain drugs are legal up to specific threshold limits (for more details on this, contact SANEF or ERASA).

Herbal products enter a bit of a grey area. The FEI actually states that the use of herbal products in competition is not recommended. The reason for this statement is twofold:

1. Herbal products are not as regulated as pharmaceutical products. This has resulted in some unscrupulous manufacturers illegally including pharmaceuticals such as bute, anabolic steroids, caffeine, etc. into their formulations without listing them as ingredients on the label. So, innocent riders have fed their horses what they believe to be harmless and legal products and have ended up faced with positive test results!

2. Some herbs themselves contain banned substances. An excellent example of this is the Chinese herb, Ephedra. Sold as an energy tonic, Ephedra actually contains ephedrine, a potent and potentially harmful stimulant. Another example of this is when a trainer, several years ago had a stable yard full of horses testing positive for caffeine. An investigation revealed that the feed manufacturer had switched to using cocoa husks in his feed. Cocoa, of course, contains caffeine, hence the positive result.

The moral of this story is to always choose a reputable brand of herbal products. The Herbal Horse products are safe and do NOT contain any added undeclared drugs. For specific queries, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Sweet Itch

2009-03-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

Sweet Itch is an allergic reaction by horses to the saliva of the biting midge Culicoides. Previously prevalent in ponies in the northern hemisphere, Sweet Itch is becoming more and more widespread.

Culicoides is a blood-sucking midge found in wet, marshy areas or in dew or raindrops during the summer months. Once the horse is bitten, small intensely itchy lumps appear on the skin, usually along the horse's back, belly, mane and tail. Because they are so itchy, the horse will often develop secondary skin eruptions and infections after vigorously rubbing or biting the itchy lumps.

The important thing to remember when dealing with Sweet Itch is, if your horse is prone, try to use preventative measures such as:

- Keep the horse stabled during dawn, dusk and hot, humid days
- Use an effective fly repellent
- Feed herbs which strengthen the immune system and cleanse the blood - eg. Garlic, Kelp, Echinacea (Immune mix from The Herbal Horse contains these herbs)
- If your horse already has Sweet Itch, the following may help (always remember to check any alternative remedies with your vet):
- Garlic, Kelp and Echinacea will help speed recovery
- Apple Cider Vinegar can be given internally (30 ml per day) as well as used as a rinse externally (2 tablespoons in a litre of water). Do not use the rinse if the lesions are rubbed open, as the vinegar will sting.
- On open lesions, apply an ointment containing calendula or propolis.

A homeopathic remedy called Culicoides midge, made from the midge itself be helpful. Consult a homeopath to prescribe this.

No Foot, No Horse - Calling Biotin

2009-03-29T02:35:00.000-07:00

Biotin is part of a group of vitamins called "water-soluble vitamins". These vitamins are exactly that - soluble in water. Biotin is the only water-soluble vitamin that has brought about obvious visible changes in horses thought to be perfectly healthy.

The problem with biotin is twofold:
1. It occurs in natural feedstuffs in very small amounts
2. Sometimes, even when present in the feed, it is unavailable for digestion by the horse. For example, the biotin in wheat, barley and oats is not digestible. But the biotin contained in maize, soya and fresh grass is digestible.

The visible changes that biotin brought about occurred mostly in the feet of the experimental horses. Bad hooves are extremely common in domesticated horses. One survey reported that 28% of horses investigated had some type of hoof problem.

Hooves were found to be:
- weak,
- misshapen,
- cracked,
- crumbly,
- or separating from the sole.

Most of the owners of these horses didn't know the reason for these problems.

Many of these cases responded extremely well to supplementation of 15mg of biotin per day. This is much more than was considered the recommended daily allowance.

The horn of the hoof is composed primarily of protein, which is made up of amino acids. This is why a lot of hoof supplements also contain methionine, an amino acid necessary for hoof growth. It is also a source of bioavailable sulphur. Calcium deficiency should also be avoided for optimum hoof growth.

It is also essential that the hooves are properly shaped and trimmed on a regular basis (every six weeks). Long, unpared hooves exert excessive pressure on the heels. This restricts blood flow, impeding adequate nutrition of the foot, leading to poor quality and crumbly unsatisfactory growth of walls, sole and frog.

MSM Magic

2009-03-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

MSM has become extremely popular amongst horse owners. Amongst other claims, MSM is believed to:

- moderate allergic reactions,
- calm upset stomachs,
- correct mineral imbalances,
- kill some parasites,
- relieve pain and inflammation, and lastly,
- be a natural antimicrobial and antioxidant.

Double Blind Trials

Now, being a natural sceptic myself, this looks to me like some supplier of MSM claiming to have discovered a "wonder drug". So, I did some research to see whether any of these claims could be scientifically substantiated. To my surprise, I found that all of these claims were actually substantiated and had been tested to work.

Double blind studies have been done on horses and humans which prove this.This is where two groups of patients are given either a placebo (no MSM) or MSM and their responses are measured. Neither the scientists conducting the trial nor the patients taking the medicine know who is taking placebo and who is taking the drug.

At the end of the trial, it is made known which group is which and responses are compared. In the trials that I looked at, an 80% improvement was shown in the group taking MSM, compared to the group taking placebos.

History

The history of MSM is interesting. It dates back to a chemist called Herschler who worked for a paper- processing company. His boss asked him to investigate possible uses for one of the company's by-products, DMSO.

Herschler found that DMSO decreased inflammation and pain when applied to horse's swollen legs. Although it became quite popular, there were some disadvantages to using DMSO:
- It's effect is transient, as it leaves the tissue very fast
- There are possible toxicity problems
- It causes bad breath
- It causes dry, itchy skin
- It stinks!

Herschler then decided to experiment with a molecule called MSM, which had a stabilising oxygen atom bound to the sulphur of the DMSO. This small change in molecular structure resulted in many positive advantages:
- It had long-term therapeutic values
- It is very untoxic (similar toxicity levels to water!!!)
- No bad breath, itchy skin or stink

Biochemistry

Although it is not known exactly how MSM works, it is assumed to be because it is a source of sulphur. Animals can't use sulphur on its own, and MSM (which contains a sulphur molecule) can be easily used in the body. Sulphur is a very fragile element and, although it is present in big quantities in fresh foods, (eg. fresh hay), even minimal processing (eg. cutting and drying of hay) or storage causes the suplhur to be lost. This means that most horses (and humans) are deficient in sulphur. MSM can correct this imbalance by supplying sulphur in a form which is easy to use.

Case-Studies

Together with his veterinarian friend, Dr Metcalf, Herschler continued to experiment. This is what he found:
1. Both men suffered from respiratory allergies. When they dosed themselves with MSM, the allergy disappeared. When they stopped taking it, the allergy returned.
2. Dr Metcalf's labrador was able to stop her daily dose of four bute tablets per day when given MSM.
3. Dr Metcalf's daughter's jumper became a different horse (no tail swishing, ears back or refusing) when put on MSM. He since had a lot of success with MSM in treating back pain in jumpers and race horses, especially with sacroiliac problems.

Fast-growing foals often develop epiphysitis, especially when their diet is too protein rich. This is a painful inflammatory condition when the foal's body grows faster than his bones can develop to support the weight. A small amount of MSM fed daily can prevent this.

Further problems that were cured were: severe diarrhea in a valuable Arab stallion, gastric ulcers in foals, lameness, internal parasite (worm) infestations.

Caution

Dr Metcalf is quick to point out that MSM must not be regarded as a cure-all. "We must determine the cause of discomfort and make sure the cause no longer exists. Obviously, if there are joint chips in a horse's knee, you might get temporary relief from MSM, but it isn't going to make him sound."

He also cautions people to always consult their doctor or vet before starting to use MSM.

Fenugreek for Fatter Horses

2009-03-29T02:24:00.000-07:00

Fenugreek, with its aromatic dour and strong flavour is more commonly used in curry powders than as a medicinal herb. Looking back in history, however, it was usd by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians to:

- prevent fevers,
- comfort the stomach,
- be a poultice for abscesses, boils and carbuncles,
- soothe sore throats and treat colds,
- cure baldness in men, and
- "fatten" harem women (in those days, buxom women were very prized!).

Biochemistry

The chemical composition of fenugreek is, surprisingly, extremely similar to that of cod liver oil. It contains (among other things):
lecithin
nucleoalbumin
iron (in an easily digestible form)
several alkaloids
diosgenin (a precursor to several hormones)
vitamins

Horses

In the past eighty years or so, fenugreek seeds have been extremely widely used by horse people to:
- promote and maintain good condition.
- encourage fussy eaters.
- increase milk production in lactating mares.
- soothe inflamed intestines.
- reduce complications induced by gastric ulcers.

It has also been found to be useful for:
- allergies,
- bruises,
- anemia,
- lung problems, and
- sinus congestion.

Although some people dismiss some of these claims as "quackery", eighty years of popular use does seem to speak for itself, in my opinion.

Garlic - 'As Good as Ten Mothers'

2009-03-29T02:19:00.000-07:00

History

Garlic is one of the oldest herbs used medicinally by man. As early as 3000 BC Chinese scholars wrote of garlic.

Ancient Egyptians worshipped it as a god. Garlic was of such value to them, that 15 pounds of it would purchase a healthy male slave. It was also reported that the pyramid builders went on strike when deprived of their daily garlic ration!

At the beginning of the twentieth century, garlic's popularity suffered a decline and became to be regarded as slightly improper by bourgeois households in England and America. However, a comeback has been made and today garlic is widely used both medicinally and in food.

Horses

Horse owners throughout the world feed garlic to their horses in order to:

Repel flies and ticks
Loosen coughs
Fight off infection
Improve peripheral circulation
Aid digestion
Research

Garlic extract was found by Singh et al in 1984 to be more potent than several conventional antibiotics in inhibiting 8 out of 9 strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

The Equine Research Centre in Canada has recently completed an investigation into the antibacterial activity of garlic against common equine bacteria. They found that the ideal dosage for horses was about 65 g of fresh garlic.

The main active ingredient of garlic is thought to be allyl mercapton, the same compound that gives you "garlic breath".

Danger?

A recent magazine article (Hayes 2001) stated that garlic is toxic to horses, giving rise to anaemic conditions. This has given rise to great concern in the horse industry, causing a lot of people to stop feeding garlic. But the research to which this article refers was actually done on the onion, not on garlic itself. Also, the dosages involved were enormous - way more than it would be possible to feed. After many years of feeding garlic to horses, no similar reactions have been recorded, so it is unlikely that this extrapolation is accurate. Nevertheless, further research is clearly needed and this is presently taking place at the Equine Research Centre.

Ecinacea - Does it Actually Work?

2009-03-29T02:15:00.000-07:00

History

Echinacea has a colourful history. It was first used by American Indian tribes. Only the medicine man knew the secrets of the various plants which he would use to heal diseases. And he would only pass on these secrets to his successor when he felt himself to be near to death. So it was a very unusual yet lucky occurrence when a white doctor befriended a medicine man and learnt of the immense medicinal value of Echinacea, a plant belonging to the daisy family.

This doctor was named Meyer and he introduced western doctors to Echinacea. His long list of medicinal claims for Echinacea was met with derision. But this scorn soon turned into admiration, when the plant was shown to be effective.

Since then, the herb has been included in recognised formularies and pharmacopeias, and over 400 scientific papers have been published on its chemistry and clinical uses. It has become one of the most popular herbal medicines in the world.

How it works

Echinacea increases the disease fighting capability of the body by increasing the response that naturally occurs when the body fights off disease. It can be used as a preventative medicine to ward off disease or as a treatment for diseases.

The Equine Research Centre in Canada has recently done extensive testing of Echinacea in horses. Their trial used eight horses. Each horse was fed Echinacea for 42 days then fed no Echinacea for a further 42 days. Blood samples were taken and subjected to a complete screen every seven days.

The results were dramatic. The Echinacea increased the level of red blood cells, lymphocytes (involved with the immune response) and haemoglobin (oxygen carrier). It increased the activity of the neutrophils (cells which consume foreign particles in the blood).

Another study treated horses with strangles using Echinacea. Within 24 hours, there was a noticeable improvement in symptoms and general condition and the horse's appetites returned to normal.

In humans, a mixture of Echinacea and vitamin C was shown to reduce the average number of days of a common cold and reduce the severity of the symptoms.

Toxicity

Echinacea has been found to be "virtually non-toxic" with no side-effects. Massive doses (many times the human therapeutic dose) were given to mice with no ill effects.

If used continuously for a long time, Echinacea starts to lose its effect. So it is recommended to use for no longer than 8 weeks followed by a one week rest period. After the rest period, the Echinacea's effect should be optimal again.

Implications for horses

Our horses, especially competitive horses who are transported from event to event on a regular basis, are exposed to a wide variety of pathogens. Echinacea can help fight these pathogens off. This is why Echinacea is becoming one of the most widely used herbs in the equine industry.

Devil's Claw - better than Bute?

2009-03-29T02:05:00.000-07:00

Devil's Claw, otherwize known as Harpagophytum procumbens, grows only in the Kalahari desert in Namibia. The roots are collected in the wild and exported all over the world, where they are extremely widely used in human as well as animal medicines. Although a great deal of controversy exists among researchers as to whether it works or not.

Painkiller

Devil's Claw is reputed to have two main effects - analgesic (painkilling) and anti-inflammatory. It's analgesic properties are not controversial. A laboratory in France has obtained results that show a 78% reduction in pain using Devil's Claw.

Anti-inflammatory

It is the anti-inflammatory effect of Devil's Claw that is controversial. Some studies show a marked effect, while others report little effect at the same dose. The main difference between the two extremes is the way in which it is administered. When injected into the site of swelling, the effect is greatest. Also, when it was injected into the small intestine (and therefore bypasses the stomach), the effect was greater than when fed by mouth. Scientists put two and two together and suspected that the stomach acid partially broke down the active ingredients of the root. To prove this, they injected an extract of Devil's Claw that they had previously mixed with acid in the lab. Confirming their suspicions, the acid hydrolysed root had a lesser effect than the same root which had not been mixed with acid. The main consequence of this is that, when fed by mouth, a higher dose is needed than when injected. This is true of a lot of drugs.

How does it work?

Another aspect of this plant has got scientists flummoxed. That is - how does it work and which are the active ingredients? Initially, a molecule called harpagoside was proposed to be the active ingredient in Devil's Claw. However, this theory was disproven when harpagoside injected on its own had none of the anti-inflammatry effects of the whole plant extract.

An alternative to bute?

Lameness is the number one cause of racehorses ending their careers. It also affects all other horse sports. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's), such as phenybutazone (bute), are very widely used in the horse industry, with, many would argue, great success. However, long term use of NSAID's has unpleasant side-effects, such as gastric ulcers and cartilage damage.

Devil's Claw could well be substituted for Bute in a lot of cases. The FEI have recently listed it as a testable substance, so can't be used during competition. Stop feeding the Devil's Claw supplement to your horse at least three days before the event.

Endurance: What to Feed

2009-03-29T01:58:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered how your endurance horse converts last night's dinner into today's performance? This is how he does it.

The horse's body converts feed into energy storage molecules (glycogen, glucose and free fatty acids). During exercise, a horse's muscles need ATP (adenosine triphosphate), in order to contract . There are two processes in the horse's body, which produce ATP from these storage molecules:

Aerobic metabolism
Anaerobic metabolism

When the horse is working at a moderate pace (usually up to trotting speed in a fit endurance horse), the aerobic pathway produces ATP for muscle contraction from glycogen, glucose and fatty acids. It uses oxygen which has been carried to the site of action by the blood. Harmless by-products are produced, which are excreted as the horse sweats.

When the horse needs to expend more energy than this by, for example, climbing a hill or producing a burst of speed, anaerobic metabolism takes over. Anaerobic metabolism doesn't need oxygen and produces energy very fast, but in small amounts. The big disadvantage of the anaerobic pathway is the production of a by-product called lactic acid, which builds up in the muscle, causing the pH of the muscle to drop producing fatigue and possibly contributing to the "tying up" syndrome. When a certain level of lactic acid in the muscle is reached, the pathway shuts down. Then, the fast muscle action cannot be maintained.

Most of the time, the endurance horse travels at speeds which can be fuelled by the aerobic pathway. If fit, the anaerobic pathway should only be used for short intervals. So fatigue in endurance horses is more likely to result from the glycogen stores running out than from lactic acid build up. Eventually however, the horses heart rate increases, the rate of ATP utilization increases, and the "anaerobic threshold" is reached. This usually happens at about 140-150 beats per minute. At this stage, fatigue starts to set in.

Adequate starch and fat must be provided in the diet of the endurance horse. Starch is very important, as it is one of the major factors in the synthesis of glycogen. Increased feeding of fats has recently been shown to have a glycogen sparing effect. This means that a larger proportion of fatty acids are used in the aerobic pathway, thus increasing the amount of time before the glycogen runs out. So, it would be a good thing to supplement the endurance horse's diet with up to one cup of sunflower oil per day.

Protein, although essential in the diet and useful in many ways, should not be fed in excess. This is because it is not an efficient energy source, it results in a need for increased water and potentially harmful breakdown products such as urea and nitrogen are produced.

One of the most important energy sources for the horse is fibre (provided by hay or grass). The horse's hind gut is full of bacteria that ferment fibre. The fermentation process produces energy for a long time after the meal, making this a valuable source of energy for the horse during the ride.

Besides these there are nutrients that are missing in feed normally provided to the endurance horse. So it is always wise to feed a good supplement which provides these nutrients. A feed supplement designed for endurance horses should:

- help to delay the "anaerobic threshold", thus prolonging the period of harmless aerobic ATP generation and delaying the onset of muscle fatigue.
- help to increase the stores of glycogen so that the store doesn't run out during exercise
- help to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, so that sufficient oxygen is available for the aerobic pathway
- manage the situation of lactic acid build up and the resulting problems such as muscle fatigue, recovery, stiffness and "tying-up"

Some of the nutraceuticals that are believed to have these effects are:

- Thiamine (been found to decrease the lactic acid levels)
- Cyanocobalamine (could improve propionate conversion to glucose)
- Vitamin E (A study has found that vitamin E deficient horses show a quicker fatigue time during endurance exercise)
- Folic acid (Involved in the synthesis of haemoglobin, the blood's oxygen carrier)
- Siberian Ginseng (A proven adaptogen with a glycogen sparing and ergogenic (endurance-enhancing) action)
- Spirulina (Energy producing)
- N,N-dimethylglycine (Aids recovery, ergogenic)
- MSM (Helps recovery by decreasing stiffness and inflammation)
- Selenium (Known to be effective in decreasing "tying-up" or azoturia)

Ginseng, the Power Herb

2009-03-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

Ginseng is a herb that has been attributed many, many powers. Many years ago, wars were fought defending ginseng lands. These days, products still line the shelves of pharmacies, promising all sorts of things - from virility to improved brain power. Some of these claims have been scientifically substantiated, others - well, they are just claims, and scientific proof is still lacking.

Types

I was surprised at the number of different plants that go under the name of ginseng. Most ginsengs are Panax ginsengs - this includes the American ginseng, Korean ginseng and Himalayan ginseng. These are very rare and hence expensive. Siberian ginseng belongs to the same family, but is a different genus - Eleutherococcus.

History

The use of ginseng dates back to prehistoric China. The Chinese noticed that the root was shaped like a man and believed it to be a symbol of human health, promoting long life, wisdom and fertility. It soon became hugely popular. Wars broke out over ginseng lands and smuggling of the root was punishable by death.

Much later, interest in western countries was stimulated after Soviet scientists used Eleutherococcus as stress medication for cosmonauts.

Action

The following actions have been attributed to ginseng:
anti-depressive
physical and mental performance enhancer
resistance stimulation

Research

Soviet scientists were the first to investigate ginseng. It became classified as an important adaptogen (a substance which improves the body's ability to adapt to stressful situations). They showed that Siberian ginseng improves mental and physical performance under stressful conditions. In athletic events, ginseng shifts the metabolism to favour the utilisation of fat over carbohydrates for energy. This delays lactic acid build-up. Which, as any athlete will tell you, is a good thing, as lactic acid causes muscle fatigue and cramps.

Ginseng has also been shown to have immunostimulatory activity. In other words, it fights pathogens (disease-causing entities). Ginseng does this by increasing the number of white blood cells (fighting cells) and by helping with antibody formation.

Ginseng has also recently been found to be useful in the treatment of Type II diabetes in humans.

The Nutraceutical Alliance in Canada has been specifically researching ginseng in horses. They have found evidence that substantiates both the fatigue reducing and the immunostimulatory effects of ginseng.

Use

Ginseng has withstood toxicity tests, with no known side-effects except occasional cases of insomnia in humans, when taken too close to bedtime. There are also no known interactions with other drugs.

Very high doses should be avoided, however, as they can result in high blood pressure. The dose depends on the form of ginseng used. For the dry powdered root, not more than 6 grams should be taken daily.

The potential for the use of ginseng in horses is enormous. Our horses are constantly coming into contact with other horses and places, and as a result are being exposed to a wide variety of nasty foreign pathogens. The immuno-stimulatory properties of ginseng could be put to good use in helping the horse fight these pathogens.

As for the fatigue reducing effect of ginseng, the advantages are obvious - more stamina, better recovery, less muscle fatigue, more energy.

The Way of the Future is the Way of the Past

2009-03-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

There are two main types of natural remedies that are administered orally (by mouth) to animals: herbal and homeopathic remedies. People often get confused between the two. I'd like to briefly explain the differences between the two.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a form of medicine very difficult to describe. This is because no one, not even the best of homeopaths, knows exactly how it works. Homeopathic remedies consist of very diluted solutions of substances to resolve symptoms that they would, in higher doses, cause. Say, for example you have a red itchy rash - a homeopathic dilution of urtica (stinging nettle, which would normally cause a red, itchy rash) would cure it. How fascinating is that!

The original substance in the dilution is usually natural - of plant, animal or mineral origin. This is progressively diluted (1 part to 100 each time), with violent shaking each time, up to 30 times. In molecular terms, it is very unlikely that any of the original substance exists in the final dilution. Yet somehow, a "memory" of the original substance remains and this triggers a healing response in the animal's body.

Herbalism

Herbal medicines are not diluted in this way. They are usually administered in the concentrated form or as a relatively strong solution. Consequently, they do not have the "opposite to expected" effect that homeopathic remedies do. (In other words, stinging nettle in an undiluted form causes a red itchy rash.)

Herbs consist of a "cocktail" of molecules, some of which are therapeutic in some way, some not. In fact, the effects and sometimes even the identities of all of the molecules present in herbs are not always known. Scientists, trying to pin down the therapeutic action of herbs to one molecule have come up with problems. For example, the anti-depressant qualities of St John's Wort were attributed to a molecule in the plant called hypericin. But synthetically manufactured hypericin had relatively little anti-depressant action. It was then discovered that several other molecules present in St John's Wort contributed to the anti-depressant action. (Message: don't mess with nature!)

History

Herbalism is a much older art than homeopathy. The use of herbs dates back to the Ancients Hippocrates (468 BC). Homeopathy was developed by a German doctor called Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.

Trends

The use of both forms of medicine, as well as other alternative therapies, is growing in recent years, for both humans and animals. This is partly a response to the failure of synthetic pharmaceuticals to treat the problem as a whole. Doctors and vets have tended to prescribe drugs to treat the symptoms of a disease, instead of treating the root problem. Holistic practitioners, on the other hand, using both homeopathic and herbal medicines where appropriate, look at the entire picture and treat each individual uniquely. Also, instead of treating the animal after catastrophe has struck, natural medical practitioners believe in maintaining good health in order to prevent disease. This said, it must be remembered that, in some circumstances, it is vital to call a vet and in no circumstances would it be wise to delay this.

So...This article is not intended to advocate either discipline - Herbalism or Homeopathy. It is intended to advocate a holistic approach to pet care.

Disillusionment with modern synthetic medicines has bought about a gradual, but definite growth in natural medicine. In recent years this has become known as the "herbal renaissance". This trend, which began in humans, has extended to horses and other animals. Animal owners are no longer relying solely on vets for advice. They are becoming more and more likely to consult alternative practitioners such as homeopaths, herbalists, chiropractics, etc.

In the words of Wendy Pearson of the Equine Research Centre in Ontario, Canada: "The way of the future is the way of the past".

Horses - to supplement or not?

2009-03-29T01:42:00.000-07:00

Ideally, none of our horses should need any supplementation to their diets. In a perfect world, our horses would have a constant supply of good grazing and the concentrated feed that we give them would be tailored specifically for their own particular needs. But we don't live in this perfect world and our grazing quality is variable at best (some of our horses don't have access to grazing at all). Exercise and weather affect our horse's energy requirements and horse feed quality can be good, bad or variable. Without a chemist to analyse every component of our horses diet, every day and relate the results to his energy requirements, we are, to a large extent, guessing when it comes to feeding our horses. Realistically, all we can hope to do is to provide all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that he may or may not need during the day.

Wastage

It has been argued (in humans at least), that supplementation with vitamins is unnecessary and results in nothing more than yellow urine. But this is like arguing that water is unnecessary because it also ends up in the urine! Taking vitamins is like drinking a glass of water - as they are needed in the body, they are used. If a need for a certain mineral or vitamin exists, and none is available, signs of deficiency will manifest themselves.

Quality

All sorts of variables play a part in whether or not supplementation is necessary. The quality of the grazing and/or the hay is important. So is the quality of the concentrate fed. And even a very good quality hay or concentrate deteriorates on storage. Also, even if a nutrient, vitamin or mineral is present in the diet, this does not mean that it is present in an easily digestible form. Some chemical forms of iron, for example, are very difficult to absorb.

Special Requirements

Then there are the horses with special requirements. Older horses have digestive systems that are less efficient than younger horse's, so they don't absorb the nutrients as well as they should. Horses who have had severe worm problems or who have been starved may have damaged digestive systems. Other horses have weak hooves and require more of certain nutrients to correct this. Show horses need to be in exceptionally good condition.

Sport horses, like endurance horses, eventers or racehorses have much higher energy requirements than horses in normal work. They also need more protein and amino acids for muscle-building. Muscles are made up mainly of proteins, which in turn are comprised of strings of amino acids joined together. Certain amino acids, e.g. lysine, are known as essential amino acids. This means that they can't be synthesised by the horse's own body. So if they are not supplied in the diet, and a certain protein needs to be made, when it comes to the place in the protein chain where that particular amino acid fits, protein synthesis (and therefore muscle development) just stops.

Disadvantages

What are the disadvantages of supplementation? Some people argue that our horse feeds are balanced, so supplementation with vitamins etcetera, unbalances the feed. Here again, we can return to the "glass of water" analogy - if the horse doesn't need what we are supplying, then it just passes straight through. So at worst, we are just wasting money! But if the horse's body does need what we are supplying, it is there and can be used.

Over dosages and side-effects

This is, of course provided that we don't go completely overboard and overdose with vitamins and minerals. This is possible, especially with the fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A (Retinol). So, it is of utmost importance to feed only as directed by the supplier and not to use too many different supplements at once.

Herbal supplements, especially, must be regarded as medicines. One can overdose on herbs and side effects are also common. In some countries, certain herbs e.g. Valeriana, are banned and are tested for when drug testing takes place. So be sure to choose a reputable supplier of herbal supplements.

Conclusion

So, overall, the choice to supplement or not is up to the individual horse owner. Keep a close eye on your horse's condition - he may need extra supplements only at certain times of the year, or only during periods of hard work. Or he may have one of those digestive systems that need extra supplementation all year round. Every horse's situation is unique and each horse needs to be treated as an individual.