Feed and Supplement Correctly
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Feed and Supplement Correctly
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Obese horse? How should I feed?
The growing use of the horse from a sporting point of view has made it necessary to be more careful with its nutrition and to be more vigilant about its body condition. Currently, to the common problems of loss of body condition, there are problems related to excess weight.
Impact on horse health and performance
Overweight and obesity are identified both in leisure horses and in competition horses, in a transversal way, in the different equestrian modalities.
Culturally, a "round" horse is still valued, however, obesity is not at all desirable, having a significant impact on the horse's health and sporting performance.
Excess weight is responsible for increased pressure on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, as well as overload on joint and ligament structures, predisposing the horse to the appearance of injuries and the worsening of preexisting injuries. Obese horses are even more predisposed to the development of Equine Metabolic Syndrome or Laminitis.
Obesity is also harmful for thermoregulation, predisposing the horse to overheating and dehydration during sports, which is not only harmful to its health, but also contributes to the loss of performance. It is quite common for obese animals to have a lower tolerance to physical exercise.
How to identify and control excess weight
The first point to consider should be weighing and assessing the horse's body condition. In obese horses, weight loss should be a goal. To this end, we must act at the level of diet and physical exercise, restricting the caloric supply from the diet and increasing caloric expenditure through increased physical exercise.
In general, horses in good physical shape ingest about 2% of their live weight in feed, considering forage feed and complementary feed. When it is necessary to control the horse's weight, an intake of 1.5% of the horse's live weight should be considered. This food reduction process should, like weight loss, be gradual.
In a first phase, the concentrated cereal-based feed ("feed") is reduced, and this may even be removed completely. Nutrient requirements, particularly lysine (the limiting amino acid in the horse), vitamins and minerals must be met. The choice of food should be one that provides these nutrients with a low caloric value (?balancers?). Alternatively, the forage component can be complemented by a supplement based on minerals and vitamins.
BALANCE
MULTIVIT
Since there will be a global decrease in the amount of food provided, a decrease in ingestion and chewing time is expected. In order to minimize this decrease and associated risks (namely gastric ulceration), we must use strategies to maximize the time of ingestion, such as making forage food available in fine mesh nets. The fodder must also be weighed and administered as stipulated.
to retain:
- Regularly assess the horse's body condition.
- Always weigh the feed you feed the horse (hay and concentrate feed).
- Adapt the food provided to the physical activity that the horse performs.
- Consider complementing the fibrous food with a concentrated food with low caloric density and a source of proteins, vitamins and minerals (BALANCE).
- Try to prolong the horse's ingestion and chewing time as much as possible.
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Sport pony? How should I feed?
From a sporting point of view, a pony is considered by the FEI to be "a small horse which, measured on a flat surface, does not exceed 148 cm in height without shoes or 149 cm properly shod". This sporting definition is broad, including horses of small stature, as well as ponies of certain breeds (eg Shetland).
Ignoring the phenotypic differences characteristic of ponies, what differentiates them from horses from a dietary point of view?
Although a pony's digestive system is identical to that of any other horse, there are some particularities to consider. During the evolutionary process, ponies adapted in order to make their survival viable in adverse conditions, namely with scarce food resources and lower quality food. For this reason, ponies maintain, in general, an adequate body condition without large food resources, being commonly known as easy keepers. In this way, one of the main difficulties in feeding ponies is to provide them with the nutrients they need without this leading to an excessive caloric intake, with consequent weight gain.
It should also be noted that ponies have, when compared to other horses, a higher risk of developing problems such as obesity, Metabolic Syndrome and Laminitis. Obesity is, in turn, the cause of joint overload and loss of performance. Thus, establishing an adequate feeding management in ponies is of particular importance, as well as efficiently monitoring it through the assessment of body condition.
General rules for feeding ponies
Like a horse, a pony should consume 1 to 2% of its live weight in fodder and/or food daily, for example a pony weighing around 200 kg should consume around 4 kg of dry matter in hay and feed focused. Given the pronounced appetite they have and the caloric restriction that is necessary, in order to avoid obesity, weighing the food and controlling the portions administered is of particular importance.
The ingested forage (hay/grass) may not be sufficient to guarantee an adequate mineral and vitamin supply, particularly in sport ponies, so it may be necessary to include a complementary compound feed (?feed?) in the feeding management of that pony.
These foods provide necessary minerals and vitamins, however, they also provide calories. If this intake is sustainable, considering the pony's physical activity, an ordinary concentrated feed can be used in adequate quantity. In ponies that show a tendency to gain excessive weight, other complementary options are recommended.
Other possible options
We can use a balanced food, which will meet the needs for lysine (limiting essential amino acid), vitamins and minerals, with low caloric intake, reducing the risk of obesity. In general, these foods are extremely concentrated, which is why small portions are given, with a small amount of non-structural carbohydrates, which makes their use safe even in ponies diagnosed with metabolic syndrome or laminitis.
BALANCE
Another possibility is to add a vitamin and mineral complement ("supplement") to complement the forage diet.
MULTIVIT
A good suggestion is to use a fine mesh net to give the hay. In this way we manage to prolong the time of ingestion and chewing, allowing the pony to exhibit a feeding behavior closer to natural, thus promoting a greater sense of satiety and gastric well-being.
to retain:
- Ponies are prone to obesity, so portion and calorie control is particularly important.
- In ponies with a tendency to be overweight and subjected to intense physical exertion, we must supplement the hay with a balancer or a ?supplement? mineral and vitamin.
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Fiber? What are super fibers?
Pastures or fodder are, naturally, the first resource as a source of fiber in the horse's diet. However, are there foods that are also relevant sources of fiber and that have a higher energy density than forage, with a higher content of digestible fiber? these foods are called ?super fibres?.
The energy density of the ?super fibers? it is lower than the energy density of cereals (eg corn, barley and oats) and, given their fibrous nature, they do not present the risks associated with excessive starch intake, thus being considered a safe way to provide extra energy and promote intestinal health .
The "super fibers" are often constituents of complementary compound feeds (?feed?), providing fiber to this feed, and are particularly popular in commercial feeds claiming to be ?rich in fibre? or "cereal free". Since in the latter, in the absence of cereals, fat also plays a prominent role in energy supply.
They are also used in addition to fodder and the usual compound feed, being particularly useful:
- Complementing hays with low digestibilities.
- When we intend to provide more energy without increasing starch levels (when concentrate consumption is already significant or in horses particularly susceptible to it, as is the case with horses with Gastric Ulcers or predisposition to myopathies).
- In animals with dental problems, such as geriatric horses, given the difficulty they have in consuming adequate amounts of forage/pasture.
- In horses with difficulty maintaining an adequate body condition.
- Horses subjected to prolonged efforts (such as in endurance disciplines) benefit from this energy source, which additionally promotes water retention in the extravascular space, contributing to the intestine functioning as a water and electrolyte reservoir.
- Among other uses.
?Super fibers? most used
The "super fibers" most commonly used in equine nutrition are beet pulp and soybean hulls. Other less used types of super fiber are, for example, almond shells or citrus pulp, and despite having good digestibility fiber, they have reduced palatability when used in this species.
beet pulp
Beet pulp has a considerable digestible fiber content (about 85% of its fiber is digestible), is low in starch and is considered a food relatively low in sugar (about 10% of sugar). It has a variable protein content (varies between 8 and 12%), identical to a good grass forage, and the calcium content is relevant, although lower than what we find, for example, in lucerne.
Despite the advantages that this product presents, it is not advisable to use it as a substitute for forage, but rather as a complement, as it is rapidly fermentable, essentially contains digestible fiber and is relatively poor in other substances that forage provides (for example , vitamins and other minerals).
ALFABEET
soy hull
Soybean hulls are often incorporated into concentrated foods to provide fiber, with highly digestible fiber (about 75%). Its consumption as a complement to hay and concentrated feed is less common, its commercialization in granules for the final customer is less frequent and its palatability is lower.
Other foods used to provide fiber
wheat bran
Wheat bran is a common constituent of concentrate feeds. The fiber content of this raw material is not as high as is thought, with 10 to 12% of crude fiber (as opposed to around 20% in beet pulp) and its isolated use, in addition to concentrated feed and forage, has , some drawbacks that should be considered:
- It is a food rich in phosphorus and low in calcium, and this raw material has an inverted calcium/phosphorus ratio (the calcium/phosphorus ratio of a horse food should be 1.5 to 2 to 1). This ratio is corrected when the bran is incorporated into a concentrated feed, through the addition of calcium. When its use is isolated and made empirically by the owners, it can contribute to orthopedic problems in growing animals, nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, among other problems.
- The starch content is not negligible, varying between 15 and 20%.
- Wheat bran that is not thermally processed is often a raw material that is not very ?clean? from a microbiological point of view.
Lucerne
Lucerne is also used as a source of good quality fibre. Although lucerne's digestible fiber content is variable, like any forage, this is a good option, with a significant protein and calcium content.
ALFALFA
WAFER
to retain:
- Highly digestible sources of fiber with a higher energy density than forage are commonly referred to as "super fibres".
- The use of ?super fibers? it allows to complement low digestibility hays, increase energy intake without increasing starch, provide fiber to horses with dental problems, among other uses.
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Fiber? How important is it?
Whether we are talking about sport or breeding horses, the basis of good food management is based on choosing a good forage food, as well as providing that food in adequate amounts. This is because, as horses are herbivorous animals, they are prepared from an anatomophysiological point of view to supply a large part of their energy needs through the digestion of fibrous food.
Fibrous food digestion
With regard to the digestion of fibrous food, this occurs by microbial fermentation in the cecum and colon, with the support of a resident microflora consisting of bacteria, protozoa and yeasts. These fermentation processes result in volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which are absorbed into the bloodstream and converted into glucose for immediate use, or stored in the form of fat, constituting energy reserves for future use.
The forage source should therefore be seen as a fundamental energy resource, but it is not limited to this role alone. The availability of fodder food, in adequate quantity or ?ad libitum?, is beneficial from the behavioral, gastrointestinal and nutritional points of view.
- behavioral
Giving forage feed is an essential factor for the performance of the equine's physiological behavior, insofar as it allows the horse to reproduce its behavior in a natural environment, providing a continuous intake over time, reducing behavioral problems (known as "tantrums").
- Gastrointestinal
Providing forage feed contributes to adequate intestinal motility.
This food is necessary for the maintenance of an adequate resident intestinal flora, the relationship between the intestinal microbiota and the horse being symbiotic (both parties benefit). The horse needs this microbial flora (mainly composed of cellulolytic bacteria) to digest fiber. Fiber, in turn, is necessary for this microbiota to remain stable, preventing a growing development of lactic acid-producing bacteria that promote intestinal acidity, making the environment more favorable to the development of pathogenic bacteria such as coli and the Salmonella.
Continued chewing associated with fibrous food contributes to an increase in salivation, and saliva naturally contains bicarbonate that acts as a buffer, promoting an increase in gastric pH and contributing to the prevention of problems associated with gastric acidity, such as Down Syndrome. Equine Gastric Ulceration so prevalent in the athlete horse.
Fiber also contributes to the retention of water at the intestinal level, and the large intestine works as an important reservoir of water, available when the horse needs it, preventing dehydration and electrolyte depletion in prolonged efforts.
- nutritional
Fibrous feed, in addition to being an energy source, is also a source of minerals and vitamins that are important for the horse. It is also relevant as a fermentable substrate for the intestinal microbiota, which has the ability to produce some B vitamins.
to retain:
- Forage feed is essential from an energy point of view and for maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal tract, and in quantity it should correspond to about 1.5% of the horse's live weight and constitute about 60% of the total feed supplied (minimum 50%).
- Insufficient fiber intake contributes to the development of behavioral problems ("tantrums"), intestinal acidosis, intestinal dysbiosis, gastric ulcers, "colic", among other problems.
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Seven myths? horse feed
1 ? “Concentrated feed is the mainstay of equine feed, hay is secondary.”
Forage (pasture, hay) should make up 60 to 100 % of the horse's diet. Concentrated feed should only be fed to working and/or competing horses, to mares in the last third of pregnancy and lactation, and to other horses that have increased energy and protein requirements. In cases where the available hay alone is not sufficient in terms of energy and nutrients, a food supplement should be provided.
In short, in order for the diet to be correct and balanced, it is estimated that the horse should ingest about 2 % of its body weight in dry matter daily, which in a 500 kg horse represents 10 kg of dry matter; these 10 kg should be distributed, ideally, considering a minimum of 6 to 7 kg of forage feed.
WAFERS
ALFALFA
ALFABEET
two ? “Protein-rich concentrate feed makes my horse excited.”
Feeding the horse a diet with excess protein causes its body to produce more heat and ammonia, and not exactly an excitable behavior.
However, there are studies that reveal that a diet rich in non-structural carbohydrates (starch and simple sugars) is related to a potential excitability of the horse. Therefore, special attention must be paid to the supply of concentrated feeds of this type. Excitable horses benefit from foods low in starch and sugars.
GASTRO PRO
NATURE MASH
3 ? “Giving food based on cereal grains causes horses to colic.”
The term "colic" refers to an abdominal pain syndrome, pain that can be caused by a number of factors. The gastrointestinal tract of the horse is long and complex, showing a great susceptibility to inflammation, distension, displacement, etc. Bad food management can cause colic, so it is important to evaluate specific aspects of the diet, such as the characteristics of the food, food management, among other factors.
The risk of colic increases with: high consumption of concentrated feed (above 4 to 5 kg/day for a horse of 500 kg body weight); restricted or no access to pasture; low consumption of forage feed (below 5 to 6 kg/day for a horse of 500 kg of live weight); ingestion of poor quality forage; decrease in water consumption; among other factors.
4 ? “Alfalfa is too rich a food to be completely safe to feed horses.”
Alfalfa contains more protein, digestible energy, and calcium than grass hays, but is generally lower in soluble sugars. Alfalfa's reputation for being ?rich? it may derive from the fact that it is composed of highly nutritious leaves, which are more digestible than most hays; this can contribute to gastrointestinal problems, and even colic, if they are included in the horse's diet too quickly. Thus, it is advisable to gradually introduce alfalfa hay into the horse's diet so that it can settle down.
The use of alfalfa as a single forage food is not recommended, and it is preferable to provide limited amounts of it simultaneously with grass hay, avoiding energy/protein excesses or calcium excesses.
Alfalfa provides protection against the development of ulcers (thanks to its buffering effect arising from high levels of protein and calcium) and is considered beneficial in the prevention of developmental orthopedic diseases (DODs) in foals.
WAFERS
ALFALFA
5 ? “High-protein diets cause DODs (orthopedic developmental disorders) in growing horses.”
Nutrition, physical exercise and genetics are the main factors that determine correct and healthy bone development, although they are also the ones that can cause DODs.
Mineral imbalances and misaligned protein levels are thought to cause DODs. Feeding a growing foal a high protein feed (above protein requirements) will not increase the foal's growth rate, nor will protein restriction result in improved bone growth. However, restricting protein availability by decreasing feed intake will affect growth rate and bone development. A food specifically formulated for foals is essential.
YOUNG
6 ? “Giving water to a horse that has just finished working and is still ?warm? and tired, will give you colic.”
Several researches have revealed that a ?hot? and sweaty people who drink water right after work, are not more likely to develop cramps or laminitis, compared to those who only drink water after recovery. Thus, it is advisable to allow the horse to drink water when he feels thirstier, which will most likely happen right after training, and not after ?cooling down?. Providing water only after recovery can result in lower water intake even if the horse is dehydrated, which is undesirable.
7 ? "Questions related to the horse's weight are only related to how the horse is fed."
Not necessarily. Questions related to the horse's weight (above or below the ideal weight) can result from numerous situations such as: teeth problems, parasitism, systemic diseases, metabolic problems, laminitis, among others. In cases where a horse greatly increases/decreases its body weight, a veterinarian and/or nutritionist should be consulted.
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Twelve foods? Not to be supplied to horses
It is perfectly natural that we want to reward our horses with ?treats? when we feel they deserve it, and there is no problem or risk associated with doing so. Yet, to be perfectly 'safe', we must be aware of what we can and cannot provide.
The horses' diet should be as natural as possible, ideally allowing access to quality pasture. Whether or not you have access to pasture, it is essential to provide your horses with quality hay and fresh, clean water. Since the historical evolution of horses has converged towards their housing and use for sports purposes, it has become essential to supplement their diet with a concentrated feed that allows them to meet their increased energy, protein and vitamin needs.
Feed to be given to horses (occasionally)
Carrot, Apple (pitted), Pear (pitted), Watermelon, Plum (pitted), Apricot (pitted), Melon (peeled), Peach (pitted), Strawberries, Mango, Grapes, Raisins, Banana ( without peel), Pineapple (without peel), Orange (without peel), Celery.
It should always be taken into account that excessive consumption of any of the aforementioned foods can unbalance the horse's diet, as well as its natural microbiota, essential for normal intestinal functioning, which is not desirable. Moderation is thus the key to success.
Food not to feed horses
1. Chocolate? Why? The consumption of large amounts of chocolate can become lethal for horses because the chemical molecule theobromine is toxic to the species. In competition horses, chocolate can even show doping.
2. Meat ? Because? Horses are herbivorous animals so their digestive system is not prepared to digest meat. As there are no studies that reveal the effects of meat consumption by horses, its supply should be made unfeasible.
3. Dairy products ? Because? Adult horses are lactose intolerant, so providing cheese, milk, ice cream or yogurt can contribute to intestinal dysbiosis and diarrhea.
4. Bread, cakes, etc. ? Because? As a general rule, processed foods for human consumption should not be fed to horses, which may cause abdominal pain (colic).
5. Tomato ? Because? Tomatoes contain a glycoalkaloid that is toxic to equine species. This glycoalkaloid is present in the stems and leaves of the plant and also in the fruit (particularly when it is green). In addition, the food contains atropine which can cause, among other effects, a decrease in intestinal motility, which can lead to colic.
6. Garlic ? Because? Garlic has in its constitution a toxic molecule called N-Propyl Disulfide, which promotes an alteration in the enzyme Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase present in erythrocytes, reducing the cell's ability to prevent hemoglobin oxidation. As a consequence, oxidative damage to the hemoglobin molecule can occur. Damaged erythrocytes are subsequently removed from the circulation, resulting in anemia due to a decrease in the number of circulating red blood cells.
7. Onion ? Because? Onions are part of the garlic family, so they also contain N-propyl disulfide, which can also cause anemia. This family also includes chives and leeks.
8. Potato ? Because? The potato has, like the tomato, a glycoalkaloid toxic to the equine species called solanine. The ingestion of this food presents a higher risk when it is ?green? or rotten.
9. Avocado ? Because? Avocado is a toxic food for horses as well as the tree it comes from, including its bark and leaves. Avocados contain persin, a substance derived from the fatty acids present in the food, which is considered to be responsible for the toxicity of this fruit. Ingestion of avocado can cause an irregular heartbeat, breathing difficulties, neurological dysfunction or colic, and can even lead to the death of the horse.
10. Cruciferous vegetables ? Because? Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and brussels sprouts should not be fed to horses due to the gas production associated with eating these foods.
11. Moldy or dirty hay? In addition to being important to provide the horses with some quality hay, it is also important to pay attention to the condition of the hay, in order to verify that it does not contain dirt or mold. Mold spores can cause irreversible damage to the horse's respiratory system.
12. Food designed for other animal species? Horses must not be fed food designed for any other animal species. What is beneficial, for example, for cows is not beneficial for horses and can ultimately result in the death of the animals.
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Covid-19 ? Intacol preventive measures
Intacol? In the context of the Covid-19 infection, the Agro-Food Industry has defined a set of preventive measures aimed at protecting the health and well-being of its employees, customers and the community in general, thus ensuring the normal functioning of the company's activities.
General preventive measures:
- Restriction of visits to customers to what is strictly necessary/urgent;
- Reduction of contact between colleagues, promoting telework in most of the company's workers;
- Promotion of compliance with the general rules of the DGS by all involved (safety distance of at least 1 meter, frequent and appropriate hand washing, use of protective equipment, among others).
Currently, our factory continues to work at full capacity, and the following preventive measures have been adopted:
- Scales will be defined for lunch, breaks and for travel between buildings in the factory, in order to always guarantee the distance between workers;
- Workers who perform the same function will be placed in different groups and/or shifts to minimize the likelihood of contagion;
- The company's shipments will be made only through a carrier;
- Drivers from external companies will not be allowed to drive through the factory.
Thus, we recommend that you place your orders earlier than usual, since due to the situation we are experiencing, logistics companies may not be able to meet delivery deadlines.
In order to also ensure the feeding of all horses fed by us, Intacol will not accept orders whose quantities exceed the usual 1 month.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures, but the safety and well-being of our customers and employees is our highest priority.”
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Covid-19 ? Will it affect equestrian sport?
Will COVID-19 affect equestrian sport? Yes, inevitably it will. Immediately, we have already seen the cancellation of several sports competitions in the different equestrian modalities by the FEI, in an attempt to prevent the continued spread of the virus. The future is still uncertain regarding qualifying events for FEI championships, as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In any case, it is certain that we need to take measures as a community to prevent the risk of contagion by the virus, as well as its impact on the health of the members of this community, particularly those of the designated risk groups.
Thus, it is suggested to riders, according to the recommendations of the DGS and WHO, that:
– Protect yourself and others by leaving the care of your horse to the actors strictly necessary for its food and physical exercise;
– Preferably use outdoor arenas, if this is not possible, opt for well-ventilated indoor spaces;
– Comply with the recommended social distancing? after all your main partner is your horse! Opt for individual workouts/walks; avoid proximity during handling and in the periods before and after the practice;
– Good hygiene practices are adopted, reinforcing hand washing according to the appropriate technique;
– If the rules of conduct for respiratory hygiene are respected: cover your mouth/nose with a tissue when coughing/sneezing, discarding it immediately; or, if you don't have a handkerchief, use the angle of your elbow (not your hands).
Illustration 1 – General recommendations from the DGS and WHO.
Regarding your horse, Intacol reinforces the fact that so far there is no evidence that domestic animals can contract or transmit the disease caused by COVID-19. However, the pandemic has imposed changes to our routines that will predictably cause changes in the routine and activity level of horses.. In this way it is recommended:
1.Reduce the amount of concentrated food (ration) offered, favoring the forage component (hay) of the diet;
2.Allow some daily activity (guide or access to paddock) to stabled horses without planned mounted work;
3. Provide clean water permanently;
4. In view of the reduction in exercise and potential impact on the horse's intestinal motility, it is recommended that daily monitoring of faeces be carried out during litter hygiene (amount - normal / reduced / increased, appearance - normal / dry / soft) in order to detect early changes in the horse's health status.
Illustration 2 – Practical recommendations for changing the horse's routine and activity.
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Equine Herpes Virus ? What is it and how to prevent?
Fear and uncertainty have spread across the equestrian world following an outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (HVE) that began at a show in Valencia, Spain. There have been several cases of horses infected with this dangerous variant of the virus, resulting in some fatalities and the occurrence of new outbreaks in other countries.
How does this LVH behave?
The genetic variant of LVH that caused this outbreak is considered highly contagious and difficult to treat, as it affects the horse's neurological system. This outbreak is already considered as “probably the worst in Europe in many decades” by Sabrina Ibanez (FEI Secretary General).
How is this LVH transmitted?
It is transmitted by direct contact between horses through the respiratory tract, via nasal secretions. It can also be transmitted indirectly through contact with contaminated surfaces: human hands/clothing, equipment, cleaning material, means of transport, food, etc. Although it is known that the virus can be transmitted via the air, it is difficult to establish how far it can be transmitted.
How to prevent transmission of LVH?
This virus can survive for a few days in the environment, so it is advisable to:
- Cleaning and disinfection of equipment, surfaces and common areas;
- Frequent hygiene and disinfection of the hands of those who come into contact with the horses;
- Keep horses that are returning home in isolation and under surveillance;
- Minimize/avoid displacements and agglomerations of horses.
Vaccination against LVH can help reduce its spread, although it does not exclude the risk of a vaccinated horse contracting the neurological form of the disease, so it is imperative to contain its spread.
It is well known that a proper diet is the key to keeping any horse healthy. Learn how to feed your horse to Strengthen the Immune System in our article.
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Immune system ? How to feed to reinforce?
A proper diet is key to keeping any horse healthy, and forage should be the most important part of its diet. The remaining fraction must guarantee coverage of the energy, protein, vitamin and mineral needs of each horse at each stage. A horse with a healthy immune system can more easily and effectively fight off a disease, infection or injury.
Horses in moderate to heavy work
Horses in moderate to intense work, or even in competition, in addition to having higher vitamin and mineral needs, may also be under the effect of stress increased due to work intensity, exposure to different environments and travel ? O stress can have a negative and significant impact on disease-fighting ability.
There are numerous concentrates specifically formulated for these horses, and they usually have in common a higher level of nutrients essential to the immune system. In more critical/specific cases, these foods together with the forage may not be enough, and it is sometimes advisable to supplement the horse's diet.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E and selenium are excellent antioxidants, which means they help prevent muscle damage caused by free radicals after more intense work. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, selenium is also essential for maintaining the correct functioning of vitamin E. Recent studies have shown that the inclusion of a supplement of vitamin E and selenium in the diet prevents the risks associated with oxidative stress, promoting an improvement of immunity in immunosuppressed animals.
VIT E+
Vitamin A, C and other nutrients
Vitamin A (important role in increasing the function of white blood cells), vitamin C (powerful antioxidant), quality protein (tissue repair and enzyme and antibody production), among other nutrients, are particularly important for good immune health. ?. Thus, the inclusion of a multivitamin supplement in the horse's diet can bring numerous advantages in terms of combating and preventing diseases.
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In short, the best way to keep a horse's immune system healthy is to ensure that its diet is as balanced and adequate as possible.
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Food allergies in horses
In general, an allergic reaction corresponds to an immunological hypersensitivity with clinical signs, initiated after exposure to a stimulus that does not cause any clinical change in a healthy horse.
In the case of a food allergy, the immune response develops following the ingestion of one or more antigens (molecules recognized as 'invasive' by the equine immune system), called allergens. Among the foods described as potentially allergens are lucerne, barley, beet pulp, wheat, etc.
?Food allergies in horses are rare and difficult to diagnose, and can occur at any age.?
signs of food allergy
Food allergies in horses usually show dermatological signs, such as non-itchy hives, itching and/or scratching lesions. However, they can also manifest themselves through gastrointestinal signs.
In view of the dermatological symptoms presented, other causes of dermatological disease (dermatoses caused by mites, dermatophytosis, bacterial folliculitis, etc.) and other allergic diseases (allergy to insect bites, contact dermatitis or atopy) must be excluded.
Diagnosis
We currently have available:
- intradermal tests, verifying the skin reaction to the inoculation of a possible allergen;
- and blood tests, verifying the reaction of a specific antibody (IgE) to different food molecules in the laboratory.
Intradermal testing has low reliability and blood testing is also not considered a good option on its own, because:
- The allergen causing the allergy may not be included in the allergen panel (and therefore may not be identified);
- Cross-reactions can occur, which can generate false positives.
A group of researchers (Dupond et al., 2016) have even concluded that blood tests, based on the IgE reaction, are unreliable for diagnosing food allergies in healthy horses.
Thus, the most correct method of diagnosis involves an elimination diet, removing food from the horse's diet (ideally for a period of 8 to 12 weeks) and looking for evidence of improvement from a clinical point of view. In general, in allergic horses there is an improvement in 4 to 6 weeks. These horses can then be submitted to a challenge diet in order to confirm the allergen (controlled reintroduction of the suspected food).
Therapy
Currently, therapy involves correct identification of the food allergen and not ingesting it.
In these horses, careful observation and choice of forage feeds and complementary compound feeds (feed and supplements) are recommended. Therapeutic success will depend on the commitment of the owner/rider/keeper to avoid the identified allergens.
INTACOL FOODS
to retain:
- Although no concrete figures are available, food allergies are thought to be rare in horses.
- The food allergy diagnosis process must go through an elimination diet.
- Therapeutic success involves avoiding the ingestion of identified allergens.