WNV, EEE cases

I'm sorry I haven't updated the blog in a while. It has been a very hectic summer as I know it has been for many of you. I wanted to pass along a link to NAHSS, a network of federal and state government agencies that coordinates animal health monitoring and surveillance. These folks list reported cases of EEE and West Nile Virus in horses so you can keep informed on your area. If you take a look at the link you will see that cases are way down. Another reason I choose NOT to over vaccinate but rather keep my horse's immune systems in tip top shape and monitor things. Hope everyone is well and that you are having a great summer. Here's that link: www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine

Excess exercise has negative effects on Immune System

I just read an article regarding findings from Andrea Verini-Supplizi, DVM from the University of Perugia. A recent study Dr. Verini-Supplizi took part in confirms that excess strenous activity does indeed harm the immune system of our equine athletes.

The first thing I thought of was that these poor horses often times are vaccinated over and over as well. Another assault on the immune system. Then many are sprayed with toxic pesticides and given too much grain and not enough forage. No wonder horses are more fragile then ever.

Three Steps to a Mineral-Balanced
Equine Diet

By Dr. Madalyn Ward

1. Three Steps to a Mineral-Balanced
Equine Diet

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1. THREE Steps to a Mineral-Balanced Equine Diet
=================================================
Equine nutrition is and always has been a challenge to most horse owners. Having just spent six hours chasing down the latest information on nutrition, my head is spinning and I can understand how horse owners get confused about what to feed. An enlightening conversation with forage specialist Katherine Watts (www.safergrass.org) helped me clarify my own understanding of equine nutrition, especially the importance of minerals.

<><> The Importance of Minerals <><>
I have recently been challenged with horses who do not stay healthy even though they are fed what I consider a good nutritional program that should have provided adequate micronutrients. The weak link in the diet seems to be minerals. Minerals are critical in so many areas including structural integrity and metabolism, especially energy utilization. They can also act as antioxidants in the body and probably have functions we don't even know of. My observation tells me that horses are more susceptible to parasites when fed a diet not balanced in minerals. In fact, recent research indicates that a Copper deficiency can lower an animal's resistance to parasites. I've also seen insulin-resistant horses and horses with chronic muscle soreness benefit from the addition of the mineral Magnesium.

<><> Balancing Minerals in Forage <><>
Under optimum conditions, the best way to balance your horse's mineral intake is to offer them organic hay or pasture. An organically-managed pasture, or hay from this kind of pasture, tends to be naturally balanced in minerals and micronutrients. Unfortunately, achieving success with organic farming methods can be difficult and time-consuming. Most people would rather resort to using synthetic fertilizers, a method about which I have strong concerns. Synthetic fertilizers destroy healthy micro organisms in the soil and without these organisms the grasses in the pasture cannot absorb minerals through their roots. However, this does not mean that you should not fertilize at all, since this will produce stressed grasses high in sugars and result in weeds taking over the pasture. Instead, it would be better to take the time to invest in organic farming methods and, in the meantime, support your horse's mineral needs in other ways. If you are interested in learning more about org
anic
farming, the best place to start understanding soil ecology and how to manage it is Elaine Ingram's site www.soilfoodweb.com.

<><> Adding Concentrated Feed <><>
If you don't have the luxury of having your own organically-fertilized pasture (or having enough pasture), you are probably feeding your horse hay. To find out about the mineral content of the hay you feed, you might want to ask your hay supplier to provide you with a nutritional analysis of the hay you buy. You can then go to the website www.equi-analytical.com to compare your sample to other similar hays from all over the country and to the nutritional tables that show current suggested requirements. This will tell you which essential minerals the hay is lacking. One way to balance this deficiency is by feeding concentrates like pellets or grain. Analyze different types of concentrated feed and determine if it will cover the gaps in mineral content in your horse's diet when fed at the rate needed to support his body condition, based on his metabolism and workload.

<><> Supplementing Hay and Feed <><>
If you find that your horse's diet is still lacking in certain essential minerals, your next choice is to add supplements. In many cases I have positive results with feeding probiotics and digestive enzymes to heal the digestive tract of the horse, and then adding whole food supplements (like blue-green algae) that contained a wide range of easily digested micronutrients.

Another possibility is to add individual minerals to the diet, although I am wary of this approach for two reasons. First. I tried adding individual minerals for years when I first started looking at nutrition and simply did not see long-term health benefits from this approach. Second, there are so many factors that affect a horse's individual needs and these needs can change quickly depending on such factors as weather conditions, time of year, the temperament of the horse, and stress levels. In most cases I don't feel that we can change the mineral content fast enough to adjust to these factors and may, in some cases, upset the intricate interrelationships between nutrients and create worse imbalances.

However, when special cases call for the addition of individual minerals to the diet, as with insulin-resistant horses, I prefer mineral supplements from Advanced Biological Concepts (www.a-b-cplus.com). These supplements can be offered free choice or added to the concentrate portion of the diet. I trust the digestibility of these products and know from experience that they are safe.

<><> The Holistic Approach <><>
I am coming to believe that the combination of our modern farming methods and the selection of grasses for sugar content rather than mineral content is behind the mineral deficiencies we are finding in our horses. A move back to organic methods of rebuilding soil health will ultimately be the best choice. However, in the meantime our horses need mineral support. From the holistic point of view, this means balancing the mineral content as much as possible with whole food sources, and going the extra mile by adding individual mineral supplements for the horses who really need them.

Case Study

1. FIVE ELEMENT Case Study: Jazzminstril by Dr. Madalyn Ward
===============================================
As I delve more deeply into Five Element Personality typing, I
find myself fascinated by the factors that contribute to a
horse's behavior and apparent personality. This month's case
study, Jazzminstril, is a perfect example. I had to evaluate all
aspects of his case and decide which components were truly parts
of his personality and which were due to physical discomfort. See
if you can type him before reading the assessment at the end!

Name: Jazzminstril TF Sebek
Sex: Gelding
Age: 5 yrs
Breed: Arabian
Height: 14.3 hands
Color: Bay with four white socks ,star, stripe, and skunk tail

<> Physical Characteristics <>
Jazzminstril is a classy Arabian with type and correctness. He
can be lazy about picking up his front feet and has fallen with
his owner two times, but he is athletic when he wants to be. He
was a stallion until he was three and sired a beautiful 3/4
Arab-Pinto filly. He is considered to have Rabicano markings, and
his Arabian breeding is straight Egyptian.

<> Personality <>
This horse is immature and playful but can be temperamental when
pushed in training or in certain situations. He is very
affectionate. He will go up to new obstacles. He is low on the
pecking order in a herd of ten. He is very clean and doesn't get
his socks dirty. He doesn't mind being alone.

<> Training <>
Jazzminstril was given to his owner as a six-month-old colt who
had been handled a lot and taken for walks. He was shown a little
at halter and trained to ride at four years of age (bareback
first) by his new owner. He was a very quick learner and super
easy to train. He was shown once in 2005 in an Amateur Western
Pleasure Class and won. At his next show he had a temper tantrums
during practice, backed up and fell down, injuring his owner's
ribs and hip-needless to say he did not get to show!

<> Occupation <>
Western pleasure (show) and trail.

<> Health Challenges <>
Jazzminstril has thin skin, so flies bother him to the point that
he can forget someone is on his back! He also doesn't like his
right ear to be touched. Otherwise he is in good health, has a
nice bloom to his coat, and is an easy-keeper.

<> Diet <>
Jazzminstril's diet consists of Triple Crown 12% Sweet feed,
home-grown hay, and daytime pasture.

<> Biggest Challenge <>
Jazzminstril's biggest problems are the temper tantrums he has
when he doesn't want to work and his laziness with his front
feet, which cause him to trip.

<> Owner's Comments <>
Jazzminstril is a fun horse to ride, though not a favorite for
bareback. He was a joy to train. He always gets a lot of super
compliments when people see him under saddle.

<><> ANALYSIS <><>
Jazzminstril was a bit difficult to type. He has many Fire horse
characteristics. For instance, it sounds like he is a very
striking horse, which fits with Fire, as does his affectionate
and willing nature. He is thin-skinned like most Fire horses, and
this is the reason he is so affected by the biting flies.

On the other hand, Fire horses are rarely lazy, so I wonder if he
may have a lameness issue affecting his front feet. The tripping
makes me suspect a mild lameness issue. It is interesting and of
note that he does not like his right ear touched because both the
Triple Heater (TH) and Small Intestine (SI) acupuncture meridians
pass around the ear. It would be worth exploring meridian
blockages in that area and also that might relate to the
tripping.

It seems like Jazzminstril is a very fun horse to work with, and
I suspect his temper tantrums result from either lack of
understanding or an inability to do what is being asked. Another
possibility to explain his behavior would be sharp teeth. Fire
horses are so sensitive that any slight pain can irritate them to
the point of distraction. Saddle fit should also be considered.

I would recommend plain oats instead of sweet feed as well as
probiotics and blue-green algae to help him focus better.

Garlic is really helping with flies this year.

It occurred to me this morning that the horses are a lot more comfortable with garlic in their diet this year. The flies have not been nearly as much of a bother. Cody, who used to get awful welts from bites, has no welts at all. And Topaz, who the flies used to bloody his lower legs, has no bleeding legs! The flies still land but the number of bites are way down.

Salt and Five Element Types of Horses

1. SUPPLEMENTING with Salt for the Five Element Types
by Madalyn Ward, DVM.



===============================================
While almost every horse owner knows that salt is important part
of a healthy horse's diet, many are unaware of the multiple
beneficial effects salt has on the body. Paul Pitchford, in his
book "Healing With Whole Foods," lists an amazing number of
positive qualities:

1. Salt's primary action is cooling and a moderate amount is
beneficial to the kidneys. The moistening property of salt is
especially appropriate in the winter, when the body tends to dry
out.

2. Salt counteracts toxins in the body and can be used externally
as well for skin eruptions.

3. Salt directs the body's energy inward and downward which is
appropriate for fall and winter when the center of the body needs
to stay warm.

4. Salt strengthens digestion and can soften and remove abdominal
swellings and intestinal obstructions. This softening property
can also reduce hardened glands, muscles, and lymph nodes.

5. The alkalizing quality of salt helps balance the acid nature
of high protein and carbohydrate diets.

6. Whole sea salt is slightly grey colored and contains many
minerals. White salt and most commercially produced sea salt is
highly refined and devoid of minerals.

As Pitchford's list clearly demonstrates, salt is a highly
necessary supplement. It is also an essential nutrient for all
horses. Ideally unrefined sea salt, which is naturally balanced
with other minerals, should be offered free choice year round.
Unrefined sea salt offers a better choice than the more popular
but not balanced trace mineral blocks, which do provide salt but
are essentially no better than refined salt with added inorganic
minerals. Owners should be cautious about the amount of salt they
feed to horses with ulcers because salt increases the production
of hydrochloric acid in the body, an effect that aids digestion
but can irritate ulcers.

Along with the general guidelines given above for feeding salt,
horse owners should consider the horse's Five Element Personality
type when deciding how to feed salt. Each type needs a different
quality and quantity of salt.

<> FIRE <>
Fire horses tend to sweat more than the other types, and should
have salt along other electrolytes in their diet. Loose sea salt
provided free choice is adequate most of the time. Salt tends to
have an energetically grounding effect so I will often add
electrolytes to a Fire horse's feed horses during times of
stress. Some Fire horses will over eat salt if confined in a
stall, which could be in reaction to boredom or an effort to take
in the grounding effects of the salt.

<> EARTH <>
Earth horses have tendency toward dampness and fluid retention so
salt should be kept to a minimum. Even formulated rations with
added salt can be too much for some Earth horses, causing them to
stock up or retain fluid in their muscles. Use electrolytes very
sparingly when feeding these horses. Kelp can also be too salty
for some Earth horses, and fresh water alga are preferable. Loose
salt can be provided free choice, although even this option
should be limited if the horse shows signs of fluid retention.

<> METAL <>
Metal horses benefit from the moistening effects of natural sea
salt. For this reason I often supplement Metal horses with
electrolytes during extremely dry weather. I have found that many
Metal horses like the taste of salt and will relish salty treats
such as corn chips. If the skin of a Metal horse looks
excessively dry this could be a sign the horse is headed for
anhydrosis (inability to sweat) and a good quality electrolyte
should be added to the diet immediately.

<> WOOD <>
Wood horses can benefit from the detoxifying nature of sea salt
and I have used Epson salt soaks and poultices to relieve the
hoof abscesses that occur so frequently in Wood horses.
Salt-based solutions such a Draw make excellent body washes to
soften the muscles of Wood horses. In addition these solutions
can also be used on swollen lymph glands. I rarely feed
additional salt or electrolytes to Wood horses.

<> WATER <>
Water horses do benefit from many of the properties of salt. They
need the extra minerals in unrefined sea salt, and the grounding
energy serves them well. I prefer for them to get their salt and
other electrolytes from foods such as alfalfa, kelp, or fresh
water alga. Water horses will occasionally over eat salt, which
could be an effort to meet their mineral needs. Unfortunately,
they will often later drink excessive amounts of water and the
resulting excessive urination can quickly deplete the mineral
reserves in the body. If this happens it is important to run
blood tests to check for dehydration, and then gradually limit
both salt and water while supplementing the feed with a quality
electrolyte.


HolisticHorsekeeping.com.