Omega 3 for the Endurance Horse

 I'd like to wish everyone the best in the New Year !
May your horse be swift and sure throughout the season~

Now onto business!

Omega 3 for the Endurance Horse

I find that KER is one of the best resources available today for the endurance horse owner and rider. They do the research and we are definitely the ones that benefit. One of the more interesting studies they have been working on is the effect of Omega 3 on arthritis and inflammation in the performance horse.

After reading through the study and re-reading several others I'd perused in the past - it struck me that while Omega 3 is certainly an interesting issue, it isn't one that most of us consider overall. We should.

What is Omega 3?

Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid, it regulates the production of cholesterol, and strengthening cell walls, fortifying them against the invasion of viruses and bacteria.They improve immune functions, they alleviate arthritis symptoms and inflammation, and they lower the risk for cardiovascular disease . Omega-3 fatty oils also prevent or delay the development of cancer and related tumors and may improve bone growth. Another less common known fact is that Omega 3 helps reduce muscle soreness after strenuous activities.

So...What does that mean?
It means a lot. Here is an essential  fat that is specifically needed by the endurance horse. It also helps fight inflammation.  Immdiately bringing to recall the body sore and  issues often seen the day after a grueling ride. The most common treatment for such is to get the horse moving the day after, to work the kinks out. Sometimes that 'day after' stiffness calls for a massage and a short ride. Omega 3 gives the endurance horse owner the ability to proactively aid the horse's body in that recovery by ensuring that adequate building blocks are already at work in his dietary makeup.


 Where do I get Omega 3?

Several feed options appear to be coming more available as feed companies are getting more up to speed on the nutritional requirements of endurance horses. I've found several single serving supplements as well have become more widely accessible. A quick trip down the the feed store got me organized with a reasonably cost effective addition of Omega 3 to my horses' diets.

Arabian Silk - Horses of Endurance

Arabian Silk - Horses of Endurance
Gypsy Moth Productions.


A post a tad off the beaten path today, as I've been meaning to write about this DVD for a week or so now.  I ordered  Arabian Silk in the beginning on November. Since I have absolutely zero skills in time management and was wanting to watch it RIGHT NOW!. I ended up emailing Christine Lazzarini, the producer. I must say, I was and am still extremely impressed not only by her immediate reply - but her generosity.


Concerned that the first one may not arrive, Christine very kindly mailed me a second one, and then when I told her the first one had finally arrived, Christine insisted I keep the second one as well, in apology for the first one being delayed. Now I certainly didn't hold Christine responsible for the delay - as I'm pretty sure no one controls customs, not even customs! So a big round of applause for Christine, and her excellent customer service skills.


Onto the Show


I'll confess, I enjoyed it. Some of the parts were a little hokey, but still made me smile - such as the horse narrator. I did have a Mr. Ed giggle. Nevertheless, the entire show was quite well done.  The part I enjoyed was that is was done in a way that held interest the non-riding members of my family, and I watched it several times as well - nodding along in those certain 'yep yep' spots.


Definitely worth a watch and the price.
You can find it here:
http://www.arabiansilk.com/


Since I now have this extra copy - leave a comment- tell me why I should send it to you!

Vitamin E and the Endurance Horse

The role of Vitamin E in the Endurance Horse.

Endurance horses have a required need for fast recoveries, good body condition and overall health due to the specific demands of the sport. In order to achieve this, we as owners and riders need to stringently evaluate the horse diet and consider whether or not the horse's dietary needs are being correctly met.

One of these dietary needs is Vitamin E. Vitamin E is responsible for several functions in the mature working horse. (I won't address growing horses in this- that is another topic for another day)

For the mature working horse, Vitamin E works as an antioxidant, which is important in protecting tissues and cells from being degraded by free radicals. A horse with insufficient stores of Vitamin E can suffer from muscle soreness/stiffness after a bout of intense exercise - this speaks directly to endurance horse to me!

Where do horses get Vitamin E from?

Pasture can provide the idle horse with sufficient amounts of Vitamin E, however more strenous exercise may require additional supplementation. When grasses dried and baled(hay/winter) Vitamin E is lost - therefore for the stall kept horse, or pasture kept horse over wintering may also require 'help' in this area during those times when fresh forage is unavailable or less than prime condition.

What is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a group of substances, two of which are --alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol. These two contain the anti-oxidant properties that are required in the horse. The Alpha - is the most active (biological) and most common type found in the horse's body.

Commercial 'stable' sources of Vitamin E have been a challenge for equine nutritionists to develop - as in order to make alpha tocopherol stable enough for use,(in feeds) by chemical transition it becomes dl-alpha tocopherol acetate.

Supplementing with a synthetic form of Vitamin E is possible, however it is less effective in providing plasma tocopherol. Because of the lower cost, this is the type of Vitamin E most commonly added to feeds - even though it is extremely limited in bio-availability. Therefore a feed can say it contains Vitamin E - but which one?

I find at this point, it's much easier to get on the horn with your feed manufacturer and ask specifically in order to get the right answer.

KER did a study on the differences in synthetic Vitamin E, vs feeding natural Vitamin E.

The horses fed the natural supplement (natural sourced ) increased the baseline plasma by 56%, compared to the study group that were being fed the synthetic.

So that begs the question, finding the difference , where to get the right Vitamin E? As far as I can tell, that my friends is between you and your feed company!
A quick search of google reveals Smart Pak for has a natural source available, as well as a select few others. I'm sure there are more.