Tension and stress.\u00a0 It is all around us in society and likely in our bodies, but it is just as apparent in the equine community.\u00a0 Tension is a response by the body of the horse to a stressor, and this physiological response can impact their health and overall wellbeing.\u00a0 The liver is involved, at least from an alternative medicine point of view, resulting in energy or Qi stagnation within the body of the horse.\u00a0 If this energy is not moving well or flowing smoothly, especially in the long-term, then your horse’s health and soundness may be compromised.<\/p>\n
In a prior article<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, I discussed the liver of the horse, function from an alternative medicine perspective and how seasons such as springtime impact its function and the health of the horse.\u00a0 The liver is a very important organ in the horse, both from a western medicine point of view, as well as eastern, implying alternative medicine.\u00a0 The health of the liver, from a larger perspective, impacts the function of other organ systems in the body of the horse, impacting digestive health, immune function, healing ability, and overall health.<\/p>\n Briefly, the liver is one of 5 major organ systems in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and follows the kidney and comes before the heart in the promoting cycle of organ connection.\u00a0 Every organ is interconnected in TCM and when one organ is over stressed or compromised, then other organ systems are as well.\u00a0 Everything is connected, not just in the whole scheme of life, but in the body of your horse.\u00a0 We tend to view health and soundness problems as simplistic, meaning the problem is just that one condition, when in fact, the main concern is usually connected intimately with something else in the horse.\u00a0 Thus, in alternative medicine, we try to view the whole body of the horse and not get too focused on the main complaint by the owner, whether if that is a lameness or a specific health problem.<\/p>\n The liver is viewed in TCM as being the storer and mover of both energy (Qi) and blood in the body, aside from other functions including detoxification and influence upon digestion.\u00a0 The liver is also viewed as having a direct impact upon other body systems or organs outside of the main organs.\u00a0 These secondary organs that are influenced by the liver include soft tissue structures including muscle, tendons, and ligaments, as well as the hooves and skin health.\u00a0 The eyes are also a main organ influenced and reflective of liver health and function.<\/p>\n When I mention an impaired liver in the horse, I mean an organ system that is stressed, undernourished or overworked.\u00a0 This does not mean that you will see elevated liver enzymes on a chemistry panel in your horse, but if the condition persists over a period of time, then it is possible to see bloodwork changes.\u00a0 This would be evident in the pony or horse with hepatic lipidosis and fatty liver syndrome, the horse with gall stones concerns, and even some metabolic syndrome horses.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, we suspect liver involvement and need for support in TCM when we see conditions in the horse which include:<\/p>\n The topic of Qi or energy stagnation in the horse is one that is not discussed too often, although it is present in the vast majority of the equine population on one level or another.\u00a0 It is a very important topic, but rarely addressed, thus most problems in the horse persist for months if not years, or more times than not become worse.<\/p>\n I have written another article regarding the concept of colic, pain, and stagnation in the horse<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, and would encourage the reader to reference this for a more complete picture of this important topic.<\/p>\n The main focus of this article in particular is to again address this concept of Qi stagnation in the horse’s body.\u00a0 The liver as mentioned, in TCM, is viewed as being responsible for the smooth flow of both energy (Qi) and blood in the body of the horse.\u00a0 For optimal health in the horse, both energy and blood must flow to all areas of the body.\u00a0 When this is not happening, then disease occurs on many levels.\u00a0 There are a few things to note, however, which are reiterated from my prior article.<\/p>\n View energy and blood flow in the body of the horse as being a river or stream of water.\u00a0 The water could be the energy and blood.\u00a0 When the stream is flowing well and within its boundaries, then all is well in the overall environment of that stream and the life within it.\u00a0 In order for that water to flow downstream, there must be water coming from upstream.\u00a0 If there is not enough water coming downstream to keep things moving, then the water will tend to pond up and become stagnant, then things are not so healthy in that environment.\u00a0 If there is too much water coming downstream, then the water can overflow its banks and pond up just the same, becoming stagnant in some areas.\u00a0 Again, not so healthy for the environment around that stream or the life within it.<\/p>\n Energy is needed to move blood in the body of the horse.\u00a0 This should be pretty obvious, right?\u00a0 A pump can move water out of a pool, but energy is needed to make that pump work.\u00a0 So, the heart is needed to pump blood, but the liver is also needed to move blood to the heart and filter it.\u00a0 Energy is needed for both of those organ systems to function.\u00a0 If energy is deficient in the body of the horse, then energy can build up in some areas of the body, like the stream.\u00a0 If energy is not moving, then over time, blood movement can become impacted.\u00a0 This would be viewed as Qi or energy stagnation secondary to a Qi or energy deficiency.\u00a0 On the opposite side of the coin, sometimes we can have too much energy being produced in the horse, especially the younger ones or the ones under stress, which cannot move freely and becomes stagnant in the body.\u00a0 This can also then impact blood flow in the horse, resulting in a blood stagnation situation.\u00a0 This would be viewed as Qi or energy stagnation secondary to an excess in the body.<\/p>\n Symptoms of Qi stagnation in the horse include:<\/p>\n When this Qi or energy stagnation continues and is unresolved, it can progress to blood stagnation with symptoms including:<\/p>\n The precise cause of energy or Qi stagnation in the horse, which may lead to blood stagnation, are numerous but in general include:<\/p>\n To take things slightly further, but not meaning to complicate the topic, if this energy or Qi stagnates in the body to a high degree or a prolonged period of time, heat will develop in the body of the horse.\u00a0 This is logical because if any energy stagnates, friction will arise, and with that, heat is produced.\u00a0 This heat in the body of the horse can and does then complicate health matters.\u00a0 It can rise upward and stir the mind, creating behavioral problems on a higher level.\u00a0 It can contribute to ulcers in the stomach and large colon, or even impact inflammatory problems on a skin level, EIPH or respiratory bleeding, and heat induced laminitis.\u00a0 This heat in the body of the horse is often made worse during the warmer times of the year, such as summertime and the rise of laminitis or other health issues.\u00a0 In the long-term, the heat can literally dry the body of the horse out, which is often evident in the feces first with hard and dry fecal balls.\u00a0 This is a depletion of body reserves, signified by blood, nutrients, and the concept of Yin in TCM.\u00a0 Here is a nice article about heat in the horse<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n The overall topic of Qi stagnation and the liver in the horse is an important one and something that I encounter on one level or another in every equine patient during consultations.\u00a0 Every health condition that I have encountered in the horse is on some way connected back to this concept of liver health and function, which then impacts energy and blood movement.\u00a0 We need both energy and blood to heal any condition in the horse and if these are negatively impacted, then to make progress, we must improve the situation.\u00a0 There are often many factors involved, as noted above, and in reality, we need to alter every one of them to make progress clinically in the horse.<\/p>\n Herbal formulas that I use to manage both the cause and problem of stagnation in the horse include:<\/p>\n There are individual herbs which can be added to the above-mentioned formulas that can dramatically impact overall stagnation and discomfort in the body of the horse on many levels.\u00a0 One herb that we use often is White Peony<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, which is well known in the world of TCM to aid in helping to soothe the liver, move the energy, and even provide some calming effects to the body.\u00a0 This herb is used on some of our custom Secondvet formulas and can make a huge difference.\u00a0 The average starting dose when adding White Peony to the above formulas is around 1\/2 tsp once to twice daily per 1000 lbs in the horse.<\/p>\n Author:\u00a0 Tom Schell, D.V.M, CVCH, CHN<\/p>\n Recommended Reading:<\/p>\n The Horse, Their Liver, and Springtime – Nouvelle Research Official Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Liver Blood and Yin Deficiency and Qi Stagnation in the Horse<\/span><\/h3>\n
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