{"id":15791,"date":"2019-06-12T10:51:56","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T15:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/be55915bbd.nxcli.net\/?p=15791"},"modified":"2021-07-25T12:35:58","modified_gmt":"2021-07-25T17:35:58","slug":"whole-food-horses-truths-misperceptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.com\/index.php\/articles\/15791-whole-food-horses-truths-misperceptions","title":{"rendered":"Whole Foods for Horses; Truths and Misperceptions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whole food and the horse are becoming a hot topic of discussion in many forums and other information resources.\u00a0 For many, the topic of ‘whole food’ makes complete sense and they understand the concepts, while for others, it creates a state of confusion.\u00a0 When there is a state of confusion, and lack of clear understanding, then that individual becomes subject to the words and advice of others, which can either help or create more harm.\u00a0 Your horse is dependent upon you, as the owner to make the correct decisions, but in order to do this, you have to acquire a level of understanding even on a basic level.\u00a0 The food choices that you choose for your horse can either improve their health, keep it at a stagnant level, or worse, push it in the negative direction.\u00a0 There is more to food than just nutrient value and in seeing this, the right decisions often become clear<\/strong>.<\/em> <\/p>\n

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Whole Food Nutrition and the Horse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Food, it is what is vital for overall bodily function, health, and longevity.\u00a0 It is what can make or break an equine athlete and when used properly, can help the body to regain vitality after a period of disease. The proper food choices are often not made for the horse and in most instances, this is one of the primary contributors to the host of disease and lameness conditions that are present in the equine community.\u00a0 All you have to do is look at the disease statistics with the horse and see how caseloads are increasing steadily over the years, especially when it comes to foot ailments, metabolic problems, allergies, and soft tissue breakdowns (tendons\/ligaments).\u00a0 Interestingly enough, the horse’s health problems mirror those of the human medical world, meaning that both are steadily increasing in predominance over time.\u00a0 Instead of contemplating the situation and determining where we went wrong, we instead seek to be rescued, looking for the next pharmaceutical wonder in the form of a pill or injection that will remedy all that we have created.<\/em><\/p>\n

The purpose of this article is not to convince you, as a horse owner, that one method or approach is better.\u00a0 More so, the article and the contents relay the topic the way that I see it, as a veterinarian, researcher, and being intimately involved in rehabilitation of the injured or disease ridden horse.\u00a0 As I say to my son who is pursuing a career in human medicine, “my opinions are my own, backed by science and clinical experience, but in the end are my opinions alone and do not reflect those of this TV station or broadcast network.”\u00a0<\/em> I am relaying clinical experience, research experience, not just the word of another, but actual feedback regarding what works for me, my patients, and our personal horses.\u00a0 Now, what YOU, as a horse owner does with this information is up to YOU.\u00a0 Don’t take me at my word, research it, understand it, apply it and come to your own conclusions.<\/p>\n

One truth that I have arrived at over the years is that it is by far best to use the word of another, the advice of another, as a means of arriving at your own truth.<\/em>\u00a0 In order to do this, you must set down a path of discovery, a path of understanding, and even reflection.\u00a0 If you just rely on the word of another, taking what that person states as absolute truth, then the outcome will be limited and you will always be dependent.\u00a0 On the other hand, if you take the word from another and use it to push yourself forward, in discovery of health for your horse, yourself, or otherwise, then the outcome will be more superior.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that supplements are meant to ‘supplement’ a proper diet.\u00a0 The higher in nutritional value that the diet is for your horse, in regarding proper food choices, then there is a lower need for supplementation.\u00a0 Nothing is designed or intended to provide 100% of recommended daily intake of any nutrient, for if it did, it would negate the need for true food and secondly, could create some harm if taken in conjunction with a diet that already provided sufficient levels.\u00a0 Proper food choices are the key to nutrient provision for your horse and if done properly, will negate the need for supplementation of synthetic nutrients in most cases.<\/p>\n

Whole Foods and the Horse; In the Beginning<\/span><\/h3>\n

In 2006, I was diagnosed with cancer.\u00a0 It was not a pretty situation, but what was evident was that I created it.\u00a0 This creation of the events was not known to me then, 13 years ago, but is very evident now.\u00a0 I created it due to the way I was treating myself, my body, my health.\u00a0 I was taking things for granted, driven by my veterinary patients at the time to be available at all hours, 7 days per week if needed.\u00a0 Over time, with the improper foundation, this will take a toll on the body mentally and physically, so it was no surprise that cancer reared its ugly head.\u00a0 It has taken 13 years, but now, I have a clear understanding of many things and this is what I wish to relay regarding the horse and their health.<\/p>\n

My cancer is not important, but what is important is what comes out of those events.\u00a0 There is always a good side, but often we can’t see it.\u00a0 The good side was that I stepped back to analyze not just my own personal situation, but that of my patients.\u00a0 At the time, the cancer incidence in our companion animal practice was at an all time high with lymphoma being high on the list, then other various cancers from leukemia to transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder.\u00a0 On the equine side of my practice, we had a high load of horses with allergies, COPD, uveititis, laminitis, metabolic problems, joint disease and even recurrent colics.\u00a0 Bottom line was that my patients were not much healthier than myself, and being a doctor, all I knew at the time was to prescribe a medication or wait for our drug representative to release something new, something ‘better’.\u00a0 I applied what I knew from college, from my continuing education courses, and interaction with colleagues at the university level, but nothing was working.\u00a0 The case load continued to increase.\u00a0 My job as a doctor was to cure disease, not encourage it.<\/p>\n

What did I learn?\u00a0<\/strong> Over time, it became evident to me that ‘we’ as a society were creating these diseases and conditions due to our ignorance, or lack of understanding.\u00a0 As I corrected this, at least in my efforts as a doctor, my patients improved, however, and this is a BIG however, the owner had to be involved and with that, having a level of understanding of their own.\u00a0 Otherwise, we ended up butting heads and the patient did not make the progress that we desired.\u00a0 This lack of positive progress then led to an increased level of disbelief on the owner’s end, which then made matters even worse.<\/p>\n

Whole Foods in the Horse; Clinical Experience<\/span><\/h3>\n

Recently, many have raised the question of whole foods and the horse, as being a true source of nutrient value, comparing it with ‘required’ levels for health that can only be achieved with a synthetic or inorganic supplement.\u00a0 Points have been raised that whole foods do not provide adequate levels of vitamins, minerals, or protein and therefore essentially, are best designed as ‘treats’ rather than a meal.<\/em>\u00a0 While this is just the viewpoint of a few individuals, from my clinical perspective, this mentality is what has created the current health problems in the horse.\u00a0 It is a lack of understanding, and with this lack of understanding, we create more problems.<\/p>\n

While it may be true that some isolated whole foods may not provide the recommended daily allotments of vitamins, minerals, or proteins, this viewpoint is restricted by two factors:<\/strong><\/p>\n