JUST SAY NO TO PROCESSED FOODS

Thousands of horseowners from all over the world are members of a well known metabolic horse discussion list and more are joining everyday.

Blood tests, results, advice, comfort, tears, frustrations …

‘you must take him off grass immediately – switch to low carb/no sugar processed food – buy this supplement, that supplement and he’ll have to be on this very expensive drug for the rest of his life and never be allowed to graze again!, you have to soak his hay, feed this beet pulp or that and nothing else’. You’ll have to do such and such for his hooves. No sugary treats like carrots or apples or other ‘high sugar’ fresh fruits or vegetables” … *sigh* …

What is a horse’s life coming to?

Horses were created on earth thousands and thousands of years ago as herbivores who are meant to graze forages 18 out of every 24 hours in a day.They are designed as such that every system in their bodies rely on movement for ultimate functioning. Their hooves strengthen with lots of miles on varied ground — from sand to grass to hard-pack. They are meant to live in herds;Their minds stay sane with social interaction and they can sleep only with a sentry to look out for their safety. They self-calm when positioning their heads low to the ground in grazing stance.

All these make horses what they are –

h.o.r.s.e.s.

All these years and the horse, anatomically, physiologically and biologically have not changed. They have not morphed other than through selective breeding. But, even with the selective breeding their systems remain the same.

Herbivores.

Herd animals.

Grazing animals.

Animals of Prey.

In human medicine it is being ‘discovered’ that diabetics and insulin resistant people are benefiting from eating fresh, unprocessed foods and supplementing with natural herbs — cinammon, turmeric, bitter melon, ginger, gingko, sage, rosemary, basil, parsley, chili, garlic and more. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=herbs%20diabetes) Cold-pressed oils such as Flaxseed oil, Safflower oil, Olive Oil, Cocounut oil help to regulate glucose responses as well as adding other vitmains and nutrients to the diet that are necessary for proper metabolism. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/796511/104457/oil-diabetes .

These foods and herbs can also, for the most part, be consumed by horses. Many of them can be found right in your local natural food store in bulk or easily obtained online. Some even on your grocer’s shelves.

Asparagus

Avocado

Bananas

Blueberries

Red Grapefruit

Beans

Broccoli

Carrots

Flaxseed

Cranberries

Apples

Kiwi

Mango

Melon

Nuts

Mulberries

Papaya

Pears

Pineapple

Pumpkin

Sprouts

Kale

Whole Grains (Oats)

Raspberry

Strawberries

Spinach

Soy

Tea (Green best)

Yams

Yogurt

(Avoid onions, tomatoes)

http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/food-to-eat/nutrition/power-foods-for-diabetes

And the list goes on — notice that its all fresh fruits and vegetables!

All F.O.R.A.G.E. — exactly what a horse is created to eat!

In addition – when the horse has all the elements of a daily variety of fresh foods then the properties of the various foods help the body to be able to regulate and utilize the health benefits of fresh pasture! Just what the old farmer’s used to advise — “turn the horse out to pasture to put a bloom on ‘im.”

Processed foods are warned against for diabetes and health, in general! This means anything that has been heated, steamed, packaged, added to with artificial color, palatabilities, or other chemically/artificially added substances. Recent studies have proven the deadly results of processed foods. A simple search bears that fact.

This includes … Processed horse and animal feeds, too.

In my strongest opinion the reason we’re seeing such an increase of EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome) and Cushings Disease and early Arthritis, Heaves, Allergies, and Laminitis and more is that we are, literally,

starving our horses.

Yes, we have the best intentions for them and buy the best we can in hopes of keeping them healthy or curing what ails them but, in reality? We’re restricting and eliminating the very LIFE SUSTAINING FOODS that are ESSENTIAL to their well-being. In fact, we are CONTRIBUTING to their illnesses. At best, the ‘experts’ are pleased with maintaining the blood tests at ‘acceptable levels’ but in reality?  What we are doing is merely artificially maintaining the levels and not doing anything to heal – to cure – to promote health – helping the horse to HEAL HIMSELF.

Take another look at all those fresh foods that one can easily purchase at the grocers. Organic is best without all the herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and certainly GMO foods are just as dangerously altering for horses as they are for humans!  Many say that feeding fresh would be impossible because of the expense!  When the expense of feeding just a small amount (just a quart or two of mixed fresh foods) of fresh foods once a day, allowing for grazing on natural pastures with a variety of weeds, herbs, grasses, leaves, etc. is compared to the amounts spent on artificial feeds, supplements, costly prescription medications and more?  I think one finds the benefits far out weigh the presumed elevated expenses. Below is my own comparison table for a herd of 5 horses, 3 ponies, 1 donkey and a goat during winter time in New England:

Please note that in the top table I did not include Chicken Feed but that *is* included in the bottom table.  We humans in the ‘herd’ also eat the veggies ordered each month for our own food. So the savings is even more.

One last note — there has also been studies showing that EXERCISE helps to mitigate the issues of Type II Diabetes. Remember, horses are meant to MOVE — upwards of 20 miles or more a DAY — to graze and find water. Every system in their bodies depend upon movement. How much exercise are our horses REALLY getting? Certainly not 20+ miles a day of traveling!

So, are YOU treating YOUR HORSE like a HORSE? Are you feeding him like one?

For more information or questions please contact PENZANCE Equine Solutions. Gwenyth Santagate, Founding Owner, will help you get YOUR HORSE back on track to health and well-being.  caballus@charter.net