Acute illnesses in horses typically have a rapid onset and are of short duration. They often result from specific causes like infections or injuries. These are situations where first aid or medications are usually required.Â
On the other hand, chronic illnesses are persistent and develop slowly over time. They can be managed but not easily cured. With vigilance they can be avoided.
Imagine if you started running 5km three times a week, ate only lean meats, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, slept a solid 8 hours every night, drank only water - no soft drinks or alcohol, never ate cake or ice-cream, had only healthy relationships and eliminated work stress from your life.
You would still suffer an acute condition like the flu, or a bruise, or a laceration, but you would probably recover from them faster.
Your likelihood of suffering from a chronic condition like diabetes, heart disease, psoriasis - even depression and Alzeimer's would be radically reduced.
While genetics and age play a part, chronic illnesses are preventable - or at least delayed - by lifestyle choices.
Life happens for humans. It's not always possible to live this way, but you have the power to create a life for your horse that optimises health.
Our whole ethos here at Sound Advice is to do all the things we can practically and economically do to improve horse health. Most of it is common sense and experience. It's delving into the real cause of chronic illnesses instead of being bamboozled by companies offering simplistic quick-fixes.
A good way to begin is to recognise and avoid stresses - mentally, physically or nutritionally - that are not good for your horse.
Spotting the Signs
Recognising the symptoms of acute illnesses early can prevent serious complications. They should be relatively obvious - injury, sudden lameness, fever or localised heat, lethargy etc.Â
In contrast, monitoring chronic conditions requires ongoing care and vigilance. Treatments are not as dramatic or fast as - for example, a course of antibiotics when there is an infection. They are more about avoiding problems in the first place.
We encourage all horse owners to take regular photos of their horses. This will help you monitor changes in weight and coat condition, changes in muscling or posture which can give you the heads-up to a developing problem.
Watch your horse. Horses never lie.
Stress in horses, like in humans, contributes to ill health. Stress hormones being dumped into the system long-term creates long-term problems - suppressed immune response, poor wound healing, gastric ulcers, laminitis etc. This requires discernment.
Being in a herd is usually preferable to being isolated, but if your horse is in a small enclosure with a bully who hunts them around, separation might be less stressful.Â
Exercise is great, but if your horse hates your chosen discipline, they will let you know. You can persevere through training, but at the end of the day, a better match is a horse who is a willing partner and enjoys their work.
Similarly, if your horse is not fit, it's not fair to ask them to be athletic and gymnastic. For example, if you pull your horse out of the paddock and do a four-hour hilly trail, or participate in a one hour dressage lesson in deep sand, or jump without a warm up, this is both stressful and increases the likelihood of injury.
If your horse is a teenager, remember that this is mid-life. It's the equivalent of pulling a fifty-year-old human off the bench.
This doesn't mean your horse should be a paddock potato. It means you need to commit to maintaining their fitness, and be realistic about their potential.Â
The Hoof As a Window
A hoof generally takes 12 months to grow down from the coronet band to the sole plane. The quality of the hoof is a window into how adequately your horse's diet is/has been supplying optimal nutrition over the past year.Â
A hoof should be glossy and smooth with no significant lines either horizontally or vertically. While regular trims are crucial to maintaining hoof health, no farrier can rasp their way into quality hooves if the horse is not receiving the nutrition required to build hooves.
If the hoof is unhealthy, generally something is missing in the diet, which is going to effect the whole horse, not just hooves.Â
When nutrition is optimal the hoof will grow down healthy and strong. This is not something you can fake.
Our Biotin Trace Mix predictably improves hoof health, and in turn, other functions in the body.
Inflammation
Inflammation is a vital part of healing in an acute condition, however if inflammation occurs long-term, this will generally result in chronic conditions like arthritis, laminitis and other metabolic dysfunction, poor gut health (scours, ulcers) or skin conditions like Itch.
While we have natural anti-inflammatories available, avoiding pro-inflammatory feeds in the first place is a great place to start.
The diet recommendations for horses with chronic conditions are whole feeds (not pellets) that are less than 10% sugar and starch, a quality source of protein and optimal trace minerals, minimal or no grains and avoiding oils that are high in omega 6s.
If you want to add healthy oils use copra meal or flax/linseed.Â
Why wait until your horse has developed a chronic condition to start a healthy diet? You can feed them optimally today.Â
Easy places to start:
Don't feed sugars, like molasses or treats.
Always have fresh water - ideally rain water (clean your troughs).
Incorporate regular exercise that your horse enjoys.
Foster your horse's healthy relationships with other horses.Â
Offer optimal nutrition rather than adequate nutrition.
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We have helped hundreds of horse owners over the last 20 years. Please get in touch.
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