Adaptogens are powerful in their ability to impact the health of the horse, and the term ‘adaptogen’ has become rather familiar for many owners.\u00a0 In today’s horse world, anxiety runs very deep, contributing heavily to ulcers, irritable bowel conditions, performance issues, a lack of focus, and many other problems.\u00a0 For many owners, they are seeking that one solution, that one fix, that will remedy all of their horse’s problems, and while this is possible in a few cases, for most the solution comes with a better understanding.\u00a0 As with all things, if you’d like to properly implement something and gain results, it is best served to take the time to better comprehend the problem and possible solutions.<\/p>\n
In equine competitions around the world, one main problem exists, and that is anxiety and stress in the horse.<\/strong>\u00a0 Interestingly enough, this issue of anxiety is not just restricted to the horse, but is reflective in our human society as well.\u00a0 One tends to create and fuel the other.\u00a0 Depression, on the other hand, is present heavily in human society, but not as common in the horse unless there is complete boredom, isolation from other horses, or a medical issue.\u00a0 Both, anxiety and depression are reflective of mental health, and because the brain or mind is connected with the body, these states of mind impact health and even lameness<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Never forget that the brain is what is responsible for all of the cellular signaling events in your horse’s body, from muscle contractions to healing of wounds.\u00a0 If the brain is not working properly, due anxiety or depression, your horse’s body will likely be impaired as well.<\/p>\n One key aspect when it comes to mental health in the horse, as in people, is that ‘you are what you eat<\/em>‘, simply put.\u00a0 The brain requires proper protein, fats, carbohydrates, and micronutrients to function properly.\u00a0 When your horse is not fed properly, his brain health will suffer and either contribute heavily to anxiety or depression, or make him more susceptible to these conditions.<\/p>\n Taking this into consideration, if you are dealing with anxiety or depression in your horse, the diet you are feeding is the first line of consideration!\u00a0 Take the time to evaluate the diet, determine why you are feeding it, and look closely as to how that diet may be impacting your horse and his health.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Keep these things in mind when trying to manage any problem in your horse:<\/p>\n These are facts and the more you believe you can, the more you will likely lay out financially regarding health care and lameness issues in your horse.\u00a0 Your veterinarian and your farrier are more than happy to take your money for recurring issues, but if you’d like this to stop, assessing your horse’s diet and lifestyle are key points in accomplishing this feat.<\/p>\n There are hundreds of adaptogens, which include not just herbal extracts, but isolated amino acids and micronutrients.\u00a0 An adaptogen is any substance which assists your horse in adapting to stress and achieving balance, which includes recovery and healing.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 As mentioned, there are likely hundreds of different adaptogens, with some being labeled as ‘primary’ and some ‘secondary’ in their effect upon the body of the horse.<\/p>\n Primary adaptogens<\/strong><\/em> directly assist the body in adapting to stress, usually by impacting the HPA or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is responsible for release of cortisol, epinephrine and other stress related hormones.\u00a0 When your horse is physically or mentally stressed, his adrenal glands respond to signaling by the brain, and release these chemicals into the blood stream.\u00a0 Cortisol, being one of the main chemicals, is anti-inflammatory in nature, but is also a catabolic steroid.\u00a0 Thus, it helps to reduce inflammation associated with a stressful injury, as an example, but in cases of long-term stress exposure, cortisol contributes heavily to tissue destruction and muscle wasting.\u00a0 Your horse’s body condition is negatively impacted as is their performance and stamina.\u00a0 Simply look at the average Cushing’s or PPID horse, which usually have elevated cortisol levels, and observe the impact on their body condition and muscle tone.<\/p>\n Secondary adaptogens<\/strong><\/em> usually do not directly impact the HPA axis, but more so counter other negative pathways associated with stress.\u00a0 They help to offset the ‘bad’ things that happen, such as helping to rebuild tissue or improve cellular function.\u00a0 They do not impact the stress pathway directly, but more so indirectly.\u00a0 This would be like sitting in a chair for long periods of time, creating stress upon your back and buttocks.\u00a0 A primary adaptogen would cause you to stand up and eliminate the stress.\u00a0 A secondary adaptogen would be a soft cushion applied to\u00a0 your seat.\u00a0 One solves the main problem, the other just counters a negative effect.<\/p>\n If you pay attention to the many horse competitions and disciplines, as mentioned before, anxiety and stress are very big problems.<\/strong>\u00a0 For many horses, this can be a result of influences of the diet, lifestyle, or other factors.\u00a0 They can become unruly, hard to handle, lack focus, and often dangerous.\u00a0 Then comes the health and lameness consequences, including ulcers, diarrhea, colic, poor performance and many others.<\/p>\n Given the extremely high frequency of stress and anxiety related problems, many owners turn to supplements and medications to curb these negative effects.\u00a0 Some owners routinely use sedatives, prescribed by their veterinarian, which are not just unsafe but totally contradict their overall purpose as a medication.\u00a0 These medications are often used daily, if not several times per week, to settle their horse’s nerve and allow for them to perform or simply be ridden.\u00a0 This is like a person driving a car, teaching your child at school, or even performing surgery on you or your horse while taking a sedative or muscle relaxant.\u00a0 Not a good idea, and one reason as to why these medications are banned.\u00a0 They create an artificial state of sedation, not relaxation, which is dangerous to both horse and rider.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, due to a lack of understanding and proper usage, many adaptogen herbs have also been banned from equine competitions.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 The ruling parties believe these substances do the same thing as a medication, which I suppose they could if improperly used, and thus could open the door for danger.<\/p>\n One interesting fact here is that in human athletes, Clean Sport allows for the usage of several adaptogens, actually encouraging many athletes to utilize them.\u00a0 For the most part, they are seen as highly beneficial, and not a performance enhancing substance.\u00a0 However, many of those upper level human athletes either understand the adaptogens, or have an expert guiding them in their usage, which improves outcomes.<\/p>\n The fact is that stress and anxiety are heavily present in the horse and in competition.\u00a0 To me, as a veterinarian, it is much wiser to allow for adaptogens to be used properly, which will assist in establishing a state of balance in that horse, than it is to allow them to compete in an ill state of mind. I would venture to guess that a horse on an adaptogen is less likely to fall or injure themselves, than a horse that is not focused and flying off the handle. Creating mental and physical balance in the horse is not performance enhancement.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em> This is only relative to what they are up against in their competitors.\u00a0 This is an attempt to restore health, and if you do that properly, performance comes with it.<\/p>\n However, the key factor here is proper usage of the adaptogens.\u00a0 Most owners do not take the time to understand what they are supplementing, thus not every adaptogen is correct for every horse.\u00a0 This incorrect ‘match’ can lead to negative outcomes, just like a drug interaction, however, it is no where near as severe or long-lasting.<\/p>\n As I mentioned earlier in this article, nutrition and lifestyle are the two key factors in helping to reduce the impact of stress.\u00a0 An improper diet will create stress in the horse, so providing the proper diet will reduce stress, acting as a primary adaptogen of sorts.\u00a0 Allowing your horse time out on pasture will also reduce stress directly, being a primary adaptogen and change in lifestyle. It is truly amazing what these two simple things can do for your horse, both mentally and physically.<\/p>\n If stress and anxiety continue, for reasons beyond your control, then adaptogens can be very useful. Keep in mind that just like every person, each horse has their own constitution, which is how they react to food and life events.\u00a0 For some, they are very laid back, but put on weight very easily.\u00a0 In others, they are more high strung, over-reacting to many things, and being more lean in nature.\u00a0 This is how your horse is, by nature, and that is okay, however, diet can still be playing a huge role in contributing to that nature.\u00a0 A laid back easy keeper is made worse by an improper diet with too many calories and not enough exercise.\u00a0 Likewise, a high strung horse that is burning calories, is made worse by a high carbohydrate, grain based diet, for many reasons.<\/p>\n Regarding adaptogens for the horse, there are many primary adaptogens that can greatly assist in helping to calm the mind, enhance energy, aid in focus, boost immune health, and even enhance performance.\u00a0 However, no one adaptogen is suitable for every horse, at least not without taking into consideration how that adaptogen impacts them.<\/p>\n There are several adaptogens that we use and recommend routinely, and I will use these as examples, noting the differences.\u00a0 All of these adaptogens impact the HPA axis and mitigate the impact of stress, but they have other properties which set them apart.\u00a0 These other properties are what can either help or hurt your horse, all dependent upon their needs.<\/p>\n These are the top 10 primary adaptogens that are utilized and recommended in our equine patients. For some horses, they are used alone, while in other cases, they are used in combinations.\u00a0 Synergism can be quite potent, when used in combination, and this allows us to use lower doses of each.\u00a0 In other cases, they are used in combination to help offset potential negative effects of each other, which then creates further balance in the horse.<\/p>\n\n
Adaptogens and the Horse<\/span><\/h3>\n
Why are Adaptogen’s Banned in Horse Competitions?<\/span><\/h3>\n
Choosing Adaptogens in the Horse<\/span><\/h3>\n
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