Walking On Volume 5, Issue 10, October 2018 | Page 12

Back to Basics Movement, companionship and shelter are vital necessities Horses need to move and have the protection of a buddy. Stand- ing in a small area for hours on end (even if part of it is outdoors) takes its toll on your horse’s mental and physical health. So does being isolated from buddies. The stress can be so great that it dramatically diminishes your horse’s quality and length of life by compromising his immune system and hormonal re- sponses. We see the effect in a vast variety of health issues: • Obesity, insulin resistance, loss of muscle mass, and sluggish metabolic rate Don’t let anyone scare you into thinking that feeding hay free- choice will damage your horse. Please read “Equine Digestion – It’s Decidedly Different” to empower you with the knowledge needed to help your horses.[v]  Hay testing and commercially available “slow feeders” are worthwhile for many horses.[vi] Replace what hay is missing  Many horses rely entirely on hay for their forage needs. Is hay nutri- tious? Not very. Hay is dead grass; it no longer contains many of the vitamins, omega 3s and omega 6s it once had as living pasture. It does, however, contain protein, carbohy- drates, and minerals, and is a signif- icant source of energy. Consider the following to fill in the nutritional gaps: • Add a comprehensive vitamin/ mineral supplement that offers what hay is missing –  beta car- otene (or vitamin A), vitamin 12 • Walking On D, and vitamin E. • Vitamin C is lost in hay; however, young horses’ bodies produce adequate amounts. As horses age, the liver can become less efficient at synthe- sizing this vitamin. • Add a variety of protein sourc- es by feeding several types of forages. When only one type of hay is fed, the protein quality of the diet is poor and can pre- vent your horse from replacing and repairing tissues through- out the body. • Sunlight exposure is needed for vitamin D production. The precursor to vitamin D is natu- rally found in grass, but dimin- ishes the longer hay is stored. • Simulate the fatty acid content of grasses by providing a feed source that has more omega 3s than omega 6s. Chia seeds or ground flaxseeds are good choices.[vii] • Porous bones and potential fractures • Inadequate blood circulation, reducing the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the feet, joints, tendons/ligaments, and hair follicles • Potential for digestive disorders including colic, ulcers, and diarrhea • Compensatory behavior, in- cluding weaving, stall-walking, pawing, wall-kicking, chewing, head-bobbing, self-biting, and even cribbing • Slowed cartilage and joint de- velopment in growing horses • Accelerated aging, increasing susceptibility to infections, insect-borne diseases, and  al- lergic responses • Increased oxidative stress, pro- moting degenerative diseases such as arthritis and equine Cushing’s disease at a younger