Cur-OST EQ Total Support; A Powerful Equine Herb Supplement

It is true that no two horses are completely alike in their personality, body composition, performance, and overall health.  Given this variance between horses it can be a challenge at times when it comes to supplements, especially herbal supplements.  However, if we break that group of horses down into two distinct groups, the choices for herbal formulas becomes a little easier.  This is where the Cur-OST EQ Total Support formula for horses begins to demonstrate its incredible benefits for one distinct group.

If we break the horse community down into two body types, things start to become a little easier when it comes to choosing an herbal formula to assist them with health and lameness conditions.  For sake of keeping things simple, let’s say we have leaner or harder-keeper horses and then we have heavier or more easy-keeper types.  These body types can be elaborated upon for more depth of knowledge, but for now, we will keep it simple.  If you wish to learn more about body types, I recommend our herbal book, “Herbs and Whole Foods“.  For now, let’s just focus on the heavier horse.

The heavier breeds of horses include the Paint, Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, draft or working breeds, and warmbloods for the most part.  These horses have heavier builds, more body mass, heavier bone structure, and usually are prone to gaining weight easily if allowed.  These are the Kapha dosha mixes out there or the endomorph body type.  They are special as due to this body type, they are prone to slower metabolisms, slower digestive rates, less caloric expenditure or burning, and higher levels of inflammatory problems.  Thus, most horses with chronic laminitis, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, allergies, Cushing’s disease, and even infectious conditions like EPM and Lyme, are the heavier breeds.

One can try to supplement their way out of these medical problems in this type of horse by using vitamin-mineral blends or other synthetic based formulas, but more times than not, they fail to make improvement.  Then many will try to use herbs, usually individual herbs, because they have read that the herbs are beneficial or maybe they impact inflammation or insulin function.  Again, some horses may respond, but many fail to make improvement.

In this group of horses, no matter the problem mentioned above, there are three main goals in restoring or regaining their health.

1. Manage chronic inflammation and remove ‘heat’ or toxins
2. Support and enhance digestive health, including managing ‘dampness‘
3. Provide a high level of whole-food nutrition

These three conditions or factors need to be addressed together.  If you just address them alone, more times than not, you will fail to improve the condition.  Sometimes, you will make matters worse.

The Cur-OST EQ Total Support formula is an extremely popular and effective herbal formula for horses, especially if they are in this heavier or easy-keeper group.   The reason for this effectiveness, when dosed properly, is due to the fact that this herbal blend targets all three goals.

Let’s go through the ingredients and their actions for the heavier horse:

1. Curcumin, Boswellia, and Turmeric:  Help to combat inflammation, encourage digestive health and healing, and improve blood circulation
2. Alfalfa and Spirulina:  Major sources of natural nutrients, protein, and antioxidants to support cellular health, cellular repair, and tissue regeneration
3. Astaxanthin, Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherols:  Primary antioxidant support for cellular health and inflammation
4. Mushroom Blend:  Digestive, dampness, and immune support to curb inflammation
5. Anise:  Digestive support and helps to remove dampness in the body
6. Dandelion:  Digestive support, curbs inflammation, major detoxifier, helps to remove dampness from the body and reduces excessive ‘heat’ buildup
7. Parsley:  Digestive support, controls dampness, provides whole-food nutrition
8. Marshmallow Root:  Digestive support, help to remove dampness, moistens the body and benefits cellular healing.

From a TCM point of view, the Cur-OST EQ Total Support helps to ‘move’ energy or Qi, aiding to improve stagnation.  This is how it benefits inflammation and blood flow in the body and aids tension.  Additionally, many of the herbs benefit the ‘spleen’ or digestion as well as the ‘liver’ organ, helping to ease tension in the liver, relieve tension from the digestive system, clear toxins and heat, while improving the microbiome balance.  Finally, the formula helps to build ‘blood’ and ‘yin’ to a lower degree through whole food nutrition, which aids every cell in the body. 

In many cases of metabolic ailments, insulin resistance, Cushing’s disease, allergies and even conditions of lameness like hoof problems and laminitis, the Cur-OST EQ Total Support is the first line of attack and if dosed properly, many horses make dramatic improvements in the first 1-2 months of usage.  The one caveat to any herbal approach, however, is that the offending supplements being given to the horse currently are removed, as are all grains.  This is all a part of ‘seeing’ the bigger problem and why events are occurring.

Most cases will benefit just from the Cur-OST EQ Total Support.  If there are more obvious digestive problems, such as loose stools, I will recommend adding the Cur-OST EQ Tri-GUT for added digestive support.  In cases of PPID or Cushing’s disease, I will recommend adding the Cur-OST EQ Adapt & Calm formula for support of the adrenal axis.  These are all recommendations as starting points.

Cur-OST EQ Total Support is a very effective formula for the heavier and easier-keeper type of horse and a formula that we have a hard time keeping in stock at times.  I would stress caution in using this formula in any leaner horse breed, mainly because this formula is somewhat ‘draining’ on the body and can deplete the Yin aspect of their overall being.  The heavier horse benefits from this aspect, while in the leaner horse, you could induce unwanted weight loss and excessive cooling.  

Author:  Tom Schell, D.V.M, CVCH, CHN