Kendra Helfter- The year 1994 was a good year for Jeremy and me. We enjoyed a successful endurance season, winning a handful of 50-mile races, including a Midwestern Championship 10 Ride. Jeremy also received a best condition award that summer, one of his greatest achievements. No one would have imagined that just a couple years before, he arrived at our research facility suffering from severe asthma and no longer able to compete. Then in the spring of 1995 Jeremy experienced his first episode of laminitis. Lush pasture was presumed to be the culprit. We battled through the trauma embracing with certainty that it would not happen again, but it did. I felt isolated as the magnitude of his condition engulfed us. At that time it was never considered that this horse was exhibiting symptoms of Cushing's and insulin resistance.
Though there is continued research, data are beginning to demonstrate that diet can be the determining factor in managing injury to the body caused by Cushing's. Because there is so much information available on feeding horses, we may begin to feel pulled in many directions and wonder if what we are doing is even close to being right. Perhaps Jeremy's story, my Cushing's and insulin-resistant horse, will give you some ideas.
The mechanisms of Cushing's are confusing because its many facets make it so complex. Dr. Joyce Harman calls it "Equine Metabolic Syndrome," (1) putting into simple terms how Cushing's causes damage to the body from the inside out. Cushing's works in a vicious cycle of destruction: by the time we begin to see the outward signs -- long hair coat, increased water consumption in conjunction with increased urination, insulin resistance, lethargic behavior, laminitis, thyroid dysfunction, weight problems, irregular fatty deposits, lowered immunity and a predisposition to colic -- we may be too late. Ironically, Jeremy never exhibited the most common symptom of a long, shaggy hair coat and his water consumption continued at normal levels. His body, however, was plagued with a majority of the other symptoms.
There are means to recovery and stabilization without resorting to drugs. One of the first articles I read that substantiated this said mineral imbalances do affect insulin levels (2). For the first time I felt I had not failed Jeremy by attempting to manage his symptoms with nutrition. Later on I refused to believe that I had only two options, expensive drug therapy or euthanasia. The difficult task is discovering the method or methods that work best for YOUR horse.
I continued to embrace the notion that I should know what do for Jeremy, since our company's mission is the prevention of disease through nutrition. With only common sense guiding my way, the obvious first step was to transform Jeremy's diet. Even though we manufacture our own magnesium and chromium fortified Cushing's Supplement, I did not incorporate it into Jeremy's diet right away, my initial focus being on the simple and more obvious changes that could be made to improve his current condition. I struggled to minimize his pasture time and yet maintain his state of mind as an equine. My next task was to locate grass hay in an area where the only forage grown is for cows (nice green, luscious, mouth-watering but protein-packed alfalfa). I searched nearby counties for some decent grass hay. I felt lucky to find a source in a neighboring state, hay grown without chemicals, but not necessarily organic. I leaped for joy and bought a semi-load. Would he eat it? You got it. His answer was a big NO.
I had no choice but to continue with sub-par alfalfa hay at a time when alfalfa hay was considered to be the wrong choice for these horses. Today, a reduced grade of alfalfa can be considered a suitable food source. Who would have guessed? Jeremy had known way before the rest of us figured it out; that was all he would eat. (For further information concerning safe forages for horses prone to founder visit www.safergrass.org.)
After a year of manipulating his ration and trying a number of alternative therapies, I began to see improvement in Jeremy's health and mental state. I took it step by step, addressing one symptom at a time. I began to offer an assortment of free choice vitamins and minerals covering the nutritional basics. My goal was to allow Jeremy to reconstruct and balance his diet, specifically the mineral framework. Nutrients he sought were found in items fortified with vitamins A, D, E and a vitamin B complex. On the mineral side he continually balanced between calcium and phosphorus, but also searched out copper, sulfur, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Occasionally, he would locate a trace mineral combination and kelp. Lastly, Jeremy always had access to a white salt source and Redmond Salt, a naturally occurring trace mineral salt.
My next task was to help him recover from consistent episodes of laminitis and again I wanted to incorporate alternative methods. I outlined the areas that needed attention, hoof growth and increased circulation to the hoof. I decided to include a hoof supplement that contained biotin, methionine and additional minerals. I wanted fast hoof growth but it had to be good growth. Other items on my outline included soft tissue repair and pain management. I discovered that the best tool for this was a supplement for arthritis containing a number of herbs in a base of flax. We were able to regain mobility and were at last able to stand on solid ground. This was a great achievement for us; however, he continued to lose weight and I needed a grain replacement due to his present condition. I looked toward a ration that was being used for EPSM (Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy). One of the major ingredients was stabilized flax seed. A few of the other ingredients included a lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, enzymes, peppermint and ginger. With the inclusion of these I was able to increase the efficiency of his digestive system and reduce the carbohydrate content of Jeremy's diet yet maintain his caloric requirements. This was the forerunner of other reduced carbohydrate rations.
There was one last war we had to fight. Jeremy's body was quickly becoming a dumping ground as a result of his disease. I needed to safely detoxify his body. A blend containing varying sources of bentonite and an assortment of herbs was then incorporated into the diet. This item became indispensable and can truly re-capture your horse from an episode of laminitis before he falls off that cliff toward irreversible damage. Jeremy had this blend available free choice at all times and I force-fed it once I began to witness another episode on the horizon. Red flags for me were a discernible dispositional change and the slight hint of an increased digital pulse.
Other therapeutic modalities I found to be beneficial while enhancing a balanced nutritional program were glandular supplements, acupuncture, chiropractic care, magnetic therapy, homeopathy and essential oils. Essential oils that have been effective are lavender, sweet basil, chamomile and geranium. I typically use essential oils aromatically but Jeremy also liked a blend called PanAway from Young Living Essential Oils that I would massage into the coronet band to alleviate pain and assist with circulation.
Despite numerous tests and re-tests, veterinarians were never able to properly diagnose Jeremy's condition while he was alive. Jeremy and I continued to lead our other horses on the competitive and endurance trails until the day he left me at the age of 22 years in the winter of 2002. The necropsy revealed two tumors, one located within the large intestine, which resulted in his death, and the other on the pituitary gland.
When considering what to feed your horse be careful not to "over supplement." These horses are already prone to high toxicity levels due to their abnormal metabolic processes. It is easy to feed them everything you read about in an effort to improve their health, but force yourself not to. Keep to the basics and try balancing the diet before adding supplements. When including new supplements, add one at a time and allow time for an appropriate assessment. Do not continue with supplements if you are not seeing improvement. Many horses will attempt to fix themselves, given the tools and opportunity. There are a number of good products available on the market today. Take your time and listen to your horse.
There are a couple of other important details too important not to mention. Please consider utilizing alternative methods of de-worming and discuss with your holistic veterinarian alternatives to vaccines. Attempt also to reduce the amount of their daily stress level. Stress levels may include the obvious -- breeding, exercise and travel schedules -- but do not forget the not so obvious. These may include the ever-ruthless pasture or barn companion, confinement, environment or exposure to the elements, nutritional programs and other aggressive treatment methods.
In an effort to understand the Equine Metabolic Syndrome it has been our primary observation that these horses are destined to an ill-fated existence due to the misuse of nutritional products, vaccines, chemical de-wormers, antibiotics and other invasive therapies. It is time we begin to grasp the responsibility and knowledge it requires to no longer be ruled by fear when discerning what is best for the health of our animals.
Unfortunately, our research facility has acquired another wonderful gelding heading down the Cushing's highway and I am trying with everything I have to navigate away from that same stop sign. The best advice I can give is keep in mind that every horse IS different and as I tell those who call in for help, don't ever lose sight of your horse. This is one of the first mistakes we make. When it comes to YOUR horse, YOU are the expert. No one should know him better than you.
References
1. Jenkins, Dawn. Dr. Harman Speaks on Equine Metabolic Syndrome (Cushing's) and Laminitis. Natural Horse Volume 5, Issue 5, 2003.
2. Cushing's or Not, Attack Insulin Resistance. Horse Journal Volume 9, Number 10, October 2002.
Kendra Helfter is the President of Helfter Enterprises, dba Advanced Biological Concepts, Osco, IL. Helfter Enterprises was founded to develop nutritional technology for the prevention of disease. Advanced Biological Concepts is a manufacturer of natural and organic feed supplements and nutritional additives. The company works hand-in-hand with holistic veterinarians to address current health concerns.