Cushing’s disease is a serious illness and there’s still no cure. It occurs mainly in older horses. Horses with PPID have an additional challenge, in that their sugar metabolism is disturbed, making them extra sensitive to sugar and increasing the risk of laminitis. So we try to avoid using sugary and starchy feeds as much as possible. But the horse must maintain its weight, and so we have a number of tips to help you do that.
We recommend starting with a Cavalor Hepato Liq cure. Your horse’s internal system must be working properly. Cavalor Hepato Liq supports the liver and kidneys in their job of breaking down waste products, so the horse can utilise them better and faster. This cure can be carried out at least once a year, but here we recommend doing it twice a year during the moulting periods. Administer Hepato Liq twice a day (5cc) for 25 days.
PPID horses can be helped with Cavalor LaminAid (2 x 25 cc per day). Recent scientific research in the US state of Kentucky has shown that Cavalor LaminAid has a positive influence on sugar metabolism in horses that are sensitive to this, including PPID horses. This greatly reduces the risk of laminitis.
Every horse needs sugar, including horses with PPID. They already get the sugars and starch they need from roughage, which is why we try to avoid sugar and starch in concentrates as much as possible. Cavalor FiberForce is a muesli that provides energy through fat and fibre. It’s also low in sugars and starch, making it the ideal mix for sensitive horses. For horses weighing 600 kg, we recommend a minimum of 3 kg per day to a maximum of 12 kg. Feed Cavalor FiberForce in small portions throughout the day.
If your horse needs more feed, feed him Cavalor Wholegain, a balancer that ensures safe weight gain by adding fat to the horse’s ration. For weight gain, we recommend 150 g Wholegain per 100 kg of body weight. For horses weighing 600 kg, that corresponds to 0.9 kg per day. Build up gradually over a 5 day period.
In horses, weight loss means lost muscle mass. If you want to rebuild muscle mass, the ration must contain extra protein for muscle development. We therefore recommend Cavalor Vitamino as a follow-up feed to Cavalor Wholegain. This balancer helps build muscle mass. For senior horses, we recommend a minimum of 100 g and a maximum of 200 g per 100 kg of body weight. For horses weighing 600 kg, this corresponds to a minimum of 0.6 kg and a maximum of 1.2 kg of Cavalor Vitamino per day.
Prefer to avoid balancers? You can also add Cavalor OilMega to the ration, a supplement rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Cavalor OilMega keeps your horse healthy inside and out. It is also important that the horse gets energy from fat. Make sure that it is added gradually to your horse’s ration. This can be done in the following way:
Dose per horse per day:
Day 1: 20 ml
Day 2: 40 ml
Day 3: 60 ml
Day 4: 80 ml
Day 5: 100 ml
After day 5: 100 ml
The FEI and Belgian based equine nutrition brand Cavalor have extended their commercial agreement for a further five years, with digital activations playing a key role in the new partnership agreement. The agreement with Cavalor, the FEI’s Official Nutrition Partner and Title Partner of the FEI Best Groom Award, was officially renewed at the recent FEI Hybrid General Assembly in Antwerp (BEL).
A world leader in equine nutrition for high-performance horses, Cavalor has helped thousands of horse owners and athletes achieve top level performance through proper nutrition and care. “Cavalor is a valued FEI partner, and their continued commitment and support is testimony to the strength of our partnership,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “The commercial landscape has changed considerably since we first entered into our agreement with Cavalor in 2019. In addition to ‘traditional’ channels of sponsorship, the FEI’s social media and digital platforms can now provide Cavalor with more opportunities for brand visibility, and deeper exposure to an engaged audience.
“Cavalor’s value goes well beyond just the products it provides, and we are looking forward to helping them find creative ways of taking their in-house expertise on equine nutrition to a more international audience. Cavalor will now have an opportunity to create targeted advertising campaigns and present educational videos on the FEI’s social channels, which we know are highly valued and appreciated by our knowledgeable online audience.”
Cavalor President Peter Bollen was in Antwerp at the FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines to hand the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award to Sweden’s Marie Johansson in recognition of her hard work looking after the horses ridden by Dressage athlete Patrik Kittel. The award is given each year to grooms who work behind the scenes providing the best possible care for their equine athletes. Carmen Thiemann (GER), groom to Eventing legend Ingrid Klimke and the 2020 recipient of the award, was also present at the ceremony in Belgium.
“Cavalor’s products are based on years of intense research and development, the selection of the highest quality ingredients, as well as strict manufacturing and quality control processes,” Peter Bollen explained. “Our partnership with the FEI reflects this attention that we give to quality and we are proud to work with an organisation that holds itself to same high standard as we do in terms of horsecare and wellbeing. The new terms of our agreement open up a whole host of possibilities in terms of audience engagement and we look forward to working with the FEI to bring these ideas to life.”
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm. The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting. The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
About Cavalor (www.cavalor.com)
Cavalor, a global brand and world leader in equine nutrition, offers a complete line of horse nutrition and care products that are available in more than 50 countries worldwide. The company’s foundation is based on the core values of innovation, quality and results with Cavalor dedicated to inventing, manufacturing and distributing the highest quality equine nutrition products. With the health, performance and happiness of all horses at the forefront of its work, the Cavalor product line covers the entire equine lifecycle, from a foal’s first steps all the way to its retirement. Their top quality products are used by advanced riders for their high performance horses particularly “when the result counts.”
]]>Dr. Caroline Loos, postdoctoral scientist at the University of Kentucky focuses in her research program on optimizing protein nutrition in relation to muscle development. She recently has done a study to evaluate the effect of graded levels of high-quality protein intake on the activation of muscle protein synthetic pathways in mature horses.
This study provides evidence that the consumption of Cavalor VitAmino activates muscle protein synthetic pathways in horses, indicating it stimulates the muscle cells to make more protein. Cavalor VitAmino activates the muscle mTOR pathway in a dose-dependent manner, similar to the response to high quality protein intake observed in humans.
Cavalor VitAmino is blend of high quality, easily digestible protein sources, including soybean meal, alfalfa meal and potato protein. Potato protein is a unique protein source to the equine market and known to have a higher nutritional value compared to other plant protein sources.
In fact, it has an essential amino acid content similar to certain animal protein sources, including high levels of leucine, a strong activator of muscle protein synthetic pathways.
Because this ingredient is a purified protein source, it is highly digestible in the small intestine of the horse leading to rapid absorption and availability of key amino acids. Consumption of Cavalor VitAmino resulted in a rapid and significant increase in blood essential amino acid concentrations in all horses on this study.
"Activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)-controlled anabolic signaling pathways in skeletal muscle of rodents and humans is responsive to the level of dietary protein supply, with maximal activation and rates of protein synthesis achieved with 0.2 to 0.4 g protein/kg body weight (BW). In horses, few data are available on the required level of dietary protein to maximize protein synthesis for maintenance and growth of skeletal muscle. To evaluate the effect of dietary protein level on muscle mTOR pathway activation, five mares received different amounts of a protein supplement that provided 0, 0.06, 0.125, 0.25, or 0.5 g of crude protein (CP)/kg BW per meal in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. On each sample day, horses were fasted overnight and were fed only their protein meal the following morning. A preprandial (0 min) and postprandial (90 min) blood sample was collected and a gluteus medius muscle sample was obtained 90 min after feeding the protein meal. Blood samples were analyzed for glucose, insulin, and amino acid concentrations. Activation of mTOR pathway components (mTOR and ribosomal protein S6 [rpS6]) in the muscle samples was measured by Western immunoblot analysis. Postprandial plasma glucose (P = 0.007) and insulin (P = 0.09) showed a quadratic increase, while total essential amino acid (P < 0.0001) concentrations increased linearly with the graded intake of the protein supplement. Activation of mTOR (P = 0.02) and its downstream target, rpS6 (P = 0.0008), increased quadratically and linearly in relation to the level of protein intake, respectively. Comparisons of individual doses showed no differences (P > 0.05) between the 0.25 and 0.5 g of protein intake for either mTOR or rpS6 activation, indicating that protein synthesis may have reached near maximal capacity around 0.25 g CP/kg BW. This is the first study to show that the activation of muscle protein synthetic pathways in horses is dose-dependent on the level of protein intake. Consumption of a moderate dose of high-quality protein resulted in near maximal muscle mTOR pathway activation in mature, sedentary horses."
Caroline M M Loos, Kyle R McLeod, Sophie C Stratton, David A van Doorn, Isabelle D Kalmar, Eric S Vanzant, Kristine L Urschel, Pathways regulating equine skeletal muscle protein synthesis respond in a dose-dependent manner to graded levels of protein intake, Journal of Animal Science, Volume 98, Issue 9, September 2020, skaa268, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa268
What is PSSM?
PSSM is commonly categorized as a “metabolic disease,” but it is actually a genetic muscle disease. We are going to talk about it in this section, however, because the PSSM horse also has issues with insulin. The genetic defect actually causes an excess amount of glycogen to be formed in the muscle and that excess glycogen is going to interfere at normal muscle function eventually.
The cause of PSSM is a genetic abnormality of the enzyme that converts glucose to glycogen, where there is more glycogen produced than in normal which eventually causes problems with normal muscle function. An acute episode of PSSM is characterised by muscle soreness, stiffness in gait, muscle tremors and spasms.
So why do we call it a metabolic disease? Because these horses are also extremely sensitive to insulin. In contrast to the EMS horse, the PSSM horses is extremely sensitive to insulin. horse owners are going to have to be very careful with feeding high starch and sugar diets. That’s why it is sometimes said that PSSM is also a metabolic disease.
This disease is most commonly seen in quarter horses, paints, appaloosas, Belgian draft horses, warmblood horses and a couple other breeds.
However, in both animals we need to be cautious with feeding diets high in non structural carbohydrates (NSC).
Feeding the PSSM horse
Opposite to the ID horse, which is insulin resistant, the PSSM horse is extremely sensitive to insulin. Insulin encourages glucose uptake into tissues, stimulating glycogen formation. To avoid excessive glycogen formation, the first goal of the dietary program in the PSSM horse is to not provide too much glucose to be turned into glycogen. Secondly, avoiding the insulin spikes will stimulate this process. Hence, we want to feed these horses a diet low in starch and sugars. Similar to the ID horse, make sure to look both at the starch and sugar of your horse’s concentrates as well as the hay that you feed.
FORAGE
CONCENTRATES
TIP: Work with a nutritionist if needed to ensure you feed a safe amount while still meeting all nutrient requirements.
Even more so than for the EMS horse, the only way to properly manage the PSSM horse is through BOTH diet and exercise. It is through exercise that the horse will get rid of the excess glycogen in their muscles, which will help prevent stiffness and muscle soreness. The more the horse can move, the healthier it will be so provide as much free turn out and exercise as possible. Without the exercise component, any dietary management will have little to no effect.
PSSM is not the only condition that leads to muscle soreness, horses can also have acute or recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis. Acute ER is most commonly caused by overtraining and exercising horses beyond their capacity, which leads to leading to straining of muscles. For example endurance horses racing in hot climates will lead to excessive sweating, loss of electrolytes and eventually muscle dysfunction and damage because electrolytes are essential for muscle function.
Other factors that may trigger an acute episode of ER can be viral infections or dietary imbalances. For example when the diet does not meet the requirements for essential nutrients for the level of exercise the horse is doing, like energy, Vitamin E and Selenium.
Therefore the best way to avoid acute ER is to ensure that the horse has a balanced diet that matches is exercise intensity accordingly.
Chronic ER or recurrent ER is a condition often seen in Thoroughbreds, Arabians and Standardbreds and is caused by a genetic defect leading to abnormal Calcium regulation in the muscle. This abnormal Ca regulation has nothing to do with dietary Ca deficiency but simply how the intramuscular Ca is metabolized. So it cannot be fixed by simply feeding more calcium. This disease is common in breeds with more nervous temperament and an episode of muscle spasms and tremors in these horses is typically induced by stress.
In the dietary management of these horses it is important that all nutritional requirements are met for the level of training. There is also evidence that lower NSC intake reduced the occurrence of RER episodes. However, as this condition is most common in horses with an already nervous behavior that typically get fed large amounts of sweet feed like the Thoroughbred, it is not clear whether the effect of feeding low NSC diets results from lower glucose spikes or simply a more calm demeanor and less stress.
If you do have to feed a diet higher in NSC, make sure to feed it in small meals throughout the day, together with plenty of forage. Other ways to increase energy intake in these performance horses is to replace some of the calories from NSC with those from fat.
Make sure all vitamin and mineral requirements are met, as it is essential for the horse to be getting these nutrients which are critical for muscle health. Such horses might also benefit from a little extra supplementation if needed during competition season.
Lastly, as an episode is typically triggered by stress, it’s important to reduce stress and nervous behavior in these horses. Provide plenty of turn out always to help bring excessive stress down and gradually adapt the horse to any changes in routine.
]]>Cavalor has signed a deal to become the official nutrition partner of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and title partner of the FEI Best Groom Award.
A world leader in equine nutrition for high-performance horses, Belgium-based Cavalor is said to have helped thousands of horse owners and athletes achieve top-level performance through proper nutrition and care.
"Horse welfare is at the top of the agenda for both Cavalor and the FEI which makes this partnership a natural fit," Ralph Straus, the FEI's commercial director, said.
"With over 30 years of experience, Cavalor brings a wealth of equine nutrition knowledge to the table along with a strong brand reputation and we look forward to a productive working partnership."
At this year's FEI Awards Gala in Russia's capital Moscow, the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award will be given to the person working behind the scenes to ensure the horses he or she looks after are given the best possible care.
The United States' Lee McKeever, groom to four-time Olympian McLain Ward, was the recipient of last year's accolade.
The awards ceremony will honour the Cavalor FEI Best Groom as well as the winners in the other four categories – FEI Best Athlete, FEI Rising Star, FEI Against All Odds and FEI Solidarity.
It will be attended by more than 250 distinguished guests and athletes.
"Cavalor has a history of working with top athletes and their horses, and this partnership with the FEI now provides an opportunity to reach a more international audience," Lieselot Hamerlinck, managing partner of Cavalor, said.
"We believe in fostering long-term relationships and we know that together with the FEI we can bring our experience in this field to more people."
Cavalor's products are based on years of intense research and development, it is claimed, as well as the selection of the highest quality ingredients, strict manufacturing and quality control processes.
The company's name is trusted by leading athletes such as Germany's Simone Blum, who won the individual showjumping gold medal at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon in the US and the FEI Best Athlete award at last year's FEI Awards Gala in Bahrain's capital Manama.
"As an elite athlete, I have benefited greatly from Cavalor’s expertise which has allowed me to fine tune my horses' nutritional programme," Blum said.
"Cavalor really understands the feeding requirements and needs of my competition horses, and I appreciate their holistic approach to equine care and welfare."
The nominations for the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award will be shortlisted by the world governing body in each of the five categories and presented to a public vote and a panel of judges.
Voting is due to take place between September 25 and October 7.
]]>A variety of absorbed compounds from the intestinal tract pass through the liver first before entering the horse's bloodstream. The liver acts as a filter and major detox organ responsible for metabolizing toxins and drugs. It also produces vital compounds including fatty acids, proteins, glucose. For example, the liver is responsible for glucose production for energy in a fasted state and many important hormones. It also produces bile, which is essential for fat digestion. The liver is a storage center for certain vitamins and minerals, like the storage of glucose as glycogen.
The body functions at its best when metabolic processes are maintained within normal levels. The most well-known example is body temperature. When we have elevated temperature, our body responds with sweating and other physiological changes to get the temperature down again. Similarly, when we are cold, our bodies shiver to increase heat production. These are defense mechanisms to maintain constant temperature. All systems in the body are protected by such processes to maintain proper function. The liver plays an important role in this. For example, the liver is responsible for eliminating end-products of protein breakdown (which would otherwise be toxic) and for the clearance of insulin from the blood (which would otherwise cause diseases like insulin resistance).
The kidneys are responsible for the secretion of waste products and toxins from the body. They get rid of the waste products that are created when food is converted into energy. They also maintain the correct balance of water and electrolytes (salts) within the body’s cells and work in conjunction with the liver to maintain health and prevent the build up of toxins or harmful waste products and chemicals. They are also a major filter organ, filtering out and recycling the nutrients that can be used. They also produce hormones that regulate blood pressure, produce red blood cells and produce Vitamin D.
So that said, it is important to recognize the importance of these little talked about organs for the health of your horse. Proper and healthy function is essential for proper digestion. For example, the liver secretes bile which is essential for digestion of fat and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. It is also essential for proper metabolism and uptake of nutrients into tissues and for using those nutrients for growth and performance.
Cavalor's liver and kidney detox supplement, Hepato Liq, is an herbal product designed to restore liver and kidney condition after a heavy competition season, treatment with medications, or during coat changes. It contains a variety of well-researched herbs that work synergistically to improve the absorption of vitamins and minerals, support the horse’s metabolism, and contribute to the overall health of the horse’s internal systems. Generally speaking, kidney and liver malfunctions may result in various issues which are difficult to diagnose, even for specialists, without using various diagnostic tools.
Hepato Liq is often used by owners with active sport horses with heavy competition schedules during rest periods between or following a succession of events involving intense exercise. It is also used to aid healthy in weight gain and improve overall health and performance as it improves nutrient absorption. It contains a proprietary blend of herbs, antioxidants and amino acid compounds. As with all Cavalor products, it's not simply about the quantity of each ingredient in the product, but rather the ideal ratio of ingredients that work together to provide the best result. Ingredients include:
Cavalor Hepato Liq has been on the market for over 15 years, and in that time has been widely used around the world with tremendous effects. We often recommend it when someone is looking to transition their horse's feed from another commercial feed. HepatoLiq is a 25 day supplement that can be used twice per year during the downtime between show seasons. We recommend that when your horse's coat changes, it is time for his seasonal preventative treatment of HepatoLiq. Many customers also regularly use it in combination with Vitaflor365 after a round of antibiotics.
My horse won’t eat his feed now that I’ve added HepatoLiq!
If I’m feeding Cavalor feeds, why do I need to add a supplement?
I need to check with my vet to see if this is okay to give. What is in the product?
Commonly know as "bleeding" it is caused when the thin walls of the capillaries in the lungs rupture due to an increase in blood pressure.
This causes a release of blood into the lungs having a performance limiting effect.
Less than 5% of these horses will openly show bleeding from the nose.
Causes include age of the horse, airway inflammatory conditions, capillary pressure, the ride surface, training methods and conformation.
Prevention is important and all environmental factors should be considered including access to fresh, clean air. Exposure to dust, fungus, mould and other allergens should be avoided.
Nutrition directed towards an improvement in the elasticity of the capillaries and a support for the bodies own immune and anti-inflammatory processes should be considered.
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For the professional or serious amateur rider we need products that do actually work.
It's safe to presume that they are at a level where they "will" notice a difference and that they have enough experience of their horse to recognise this.
One of the most popular is Take it Easy - we sell hundred of tubes each month. Repeat customers are our biggest source of business. Once you use this you will keep on buying it.
Perfect for event horses need to keep focus in the dressage - and there are many examples on this site of top event riders citing this product as a reason for their lowering dressage scores.
Pure dressage is also a big user of Take it Easy.
As a general calming supplement we have the Magnesium based Cavalor Calm
For the spooky horse we have the unique Cavalor SoZen product.
So what is the basis for the operation of these products.
For ever this has been know as the home remedy that fixes ailments – anxiety, depression, irritability etc etc.
For the most part the horses diet should be adequate in this mineral. So, do products that contain just this work?
Probably not – however. It is known that as the body becomes more stressed it is less efficient in its handling of magnesium so there might be a tentative basis for the use of this as a calmer.
More basis for its use. It is a key precursor to the production of seretonin. You’ll probably have heard of that one.
It is a neurotransmitter that has actions in things such as bowl function, appetite and mood.
The interesting thing is that Magnesium is involved in the conversion of Tryptophan to serotonin.
Hence why good supplements contain both – such as Cavalor Calm – and certainly have shown to work.
A product specifically designed to maintain the sparkle but reduce the sharpness.
Using a well-balanced mix of natural herbs – all in an FEI and sport legal combination – SoZen aims to “centre” the horse.
It is the first supplement to be developed to act on the Adrenaline / Cortisol balance. A very different system to that influenced by Magnesium / Tryptophan.
In their research, Cavalor found that stress is caused by long periods of tension – nothing revolutionary there as any human could have told them that. However, nothing else on the market really adequately addressed this.
Stress disturbs the balance of Adrenaline and Cortisol – resulting in over production of Adrenaline and under production of Cortisol. The greater the imbalance, the higher the level of stress and the more unmanageable the horse can become.
And stress is something that is nearly impossible to remove completely from a competition horses life.
We can mitigate this at home – varying routine to include hacking, field turnout, different working environments etc.
But at a show – especially some of the longer ones where the horse may not be able to be in a field for 2 weeks – we have to be able to ensure their stress levels are managed.
Now the problem with all horse supplements is that their use often creates a placebo effect in their human partners.
We feed them – they are normally expensive – so we almost will them to work.
In our competition environment we try to keep the supplements and the riders separated. They tell us their problem and we set about trying to find a solution. The rider will not know what supplement, if any, the horse is on.
On this basis Cavalor SoZen has shown it works.
It takes the edge off without killing their performance. They keep their sparkle but loose the silly.
It stands to reason, if the product does what it should on a biochemical level, that this is the result.
If the horse is stressed and adrenaline levels are high, then the natural instinct to flight is enhanced.
That plastic bag 4 fields away is now a predator and the response to it within the horse is almost overwhelming.
If we can naturally lower these adrenaline levels then the horse is more able to assess the “danger” and react appropriately.
In terms of using the product, the great thing about SoZen is that there is no need to constantly have the horse on it.
Just a 10 day loading dose to redress the imbalance and you should be good to go.
If required you can use it 2 days before and during any important competitions for the reasons discussed earlier.
]]>Cavalor Sw-itch is specifically designed to help your horse during this time. Here is some more information and helpful tips.
Summer eczema is known by many names: insect hypersensitivity, sweet itch, summer itch, Queensland itch, scratches, mud fever, dew poisoning and greasy heel, among others. Regardless of what you call it, any horse owner who has ever had to deal with this problem will not soon forget the horse’s incessant rubbing of its mane and tail. Many horse owners try numerous ointments and other topical treatments, often without success.
Summer eczema is the result of an allergic reaction to a small biting midge, usually culicoides. This insect thrives in moist, sheltered places and is endangered by drought. It is especially active around sunrise and sunset during the warmer months, generally in the spring and summer. It is extremely irritating to the horse.
Despite the myriad of creams on the market, a miracle spray against abrasion from summer eczema has not yet been invented, and nothing is known to effectively cure the problem for good. However, here are some tips that will help keep summer eczema under control and make the situation bearable for horse and owner.
These insects prefer to stay near bushes, waterways and decaying plant material that is moist and wind-free. They are not often found in an open meadow with lots of wind or in a clean, shaded stable. Stabling the horse in the early morning and at dusk, when the mosquitoes are swarming, and feeding modified whey are good first steps to take.
Providing medications such as corticosteroids and antihistamines obtained from your veterinarian can help with the horse's allergy level and thus reduce the urge to itch. In the long term, however, this is not the solution. Prolonged use of medications may trigger too many side effects in the horse.
Cavalor Sw-Itch keeps mosquitoes at a distance so that your horse is no longer plagued by the inevitable itching. If the horse already has summer eczema, Cavalor Sw-Itch will help keep the itching under control. Some patients need to be treated daily, while for others a few times a week will suffice.
Another tip: Beginning in the spring, start applying Cavalor Sw-Itch to lubricate the area before itching starts.
There can be serious injuries to mane and tail due to the itching. It is wise to shave the hair that has not been rubbed off and to wash the inflamed skin areas with a disinfectant shampoo (such as Cavalor Hygienic Wash) and after treatment with Cavalor First skin 8 Spray.
About the Author:
Dr. Bruno Beyne is an equine veterinarian in Bruges, Belgium.
1651 horse owners took part in the following proportions
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Is the amount of an ingredient – or indeed even its presence an indicator of how “good” that product may be. The information presented on the label may be far from the whole picture and here is a quick guide as to why.
]]>Is the amount of an ingredient – or indeed even its presence an indicator of how “good” that product may be.
The information presented on the label may be far from the whole picture and here is a quick guide as to why.
Stability of Ingredients
Not something you would think you have to consider but you do – and quite honestly how you would compare them is something I can not be sure of.
The more stable the compounds are then normally the more expensive they are as ingredients.
For instance Vitamin C can exist in several forms as an ingredient, some are 50% of the cost – but they are still Vitamin C and still labelled as such.
Fatty Acids – these easily oxidate and become rancid. They must be stablisied with natural anti-oxidants. Again a process that adds cost.
There can be quite a cost implication between high and low quality variants.
Absorption and Availability
Again simply looking at the presence of say Magnesium will not really tell you much.
In the following forms we have very different absorption.
Take Iron. Used in blood products.
In its simplest form, Iron Oxide it has around a 12% absorption factor in horses.
In a chelated form (incorporated with Amino Acids) that can be in fact more than 100%!
However, chelation is not the ultimate answer as chelated ingredients cause oxidation within the product affecting the stability.
And so onto the Cavalor technology of Intellibond – a new development in the making of trace elements more accessible to the horses system.
IntelliBond minerals are made up of stable, covalent bonds within a large crystal matrix structure that not only improves bioavailability, but leads to reduced reactivity in a premix or food mixture. This reduced reactivity improves the stability of vitamins, enzymes, fats and other sensitive ingredients while assuring the mineral avoids wasteful, antagonistic interactions within either the feed mixture or the gastrointestinal tract.
This takes the whole “Chelation” process a step further – providing the same levels of absorption but with no oxidation reaction.
Again, not something you would necessarily see from a label – but something you would notice on the price of a product.
Natural or Synthetic Vitamins
First point here is that the body does not notice the difference.
The benefits of using synthetic vitamins are
Therefore the use of “natural” vitamins are really only psychological for the humans!
Herbal Ingredients
A biggie!
Lots of products use ground herbs. They are inconsistent in their analysis and quickly loose their efficacy.
The next step up from this is to use standardised extracts of herbal products.
The next step up from this is to use essential oils extracted from those herbs.
As you would expect, Cavalor chooses the more expensive options every time.
Remember – Herbal does not mean Dope Free.
The actual dose the horse gets.
Here is a quick example of some common products.
When you compare the products below and just look at the label content of biotin per Kg of the product you would be wrong in assuming that the highest figure correlates in any way with the amount the horse actually consumes. Quite wrong in fact.
Product | Biotin dose / day | Biotin product / Kg | % relationship |
Cavalor Hoof Aid Special | 75 mg (highest) | 500 mg | 15% |
Farriers Formula | 20 mg | 118 mg | 16.9% |
NAF Profeet | 23 mg | 713 mg | 3% |
Hoof First | 40 mg | 1600 mg (highest) | 2.5% |
No particular comment on the efficacy of any manufacturers product - just a glimpse at how the top line figure does not always translate into what your horse is actually getting. You would think - if Biotin content was the deciding factor - that you would choose the Hoof First product and discard the Farriers Formula. In fact Farriers Formula has the highest % daily dose as a function of the biotin it contains and the Hoof First is the lowest.
So Why do we think Cavalor better?
A very valid question as their products are generally at the top of the price range.
For us it’s simple. The most research and development goes into products that just work.
They are more expensive because they generally use more expensive ingredients and better combinations of ingredients.
In addition ALL their products are Jockey Club and FEI legal.
This is based on actual blood and urine testing of horses at the normal, x2 and x3 dosage.
There is no need to read the small print – everything is FEI legal.
However, you will not see any indication of this on the packaging, or fancy logos – because quite simply the FEI does not endorse or approve products.
All the products are safe to use in combination with each other – so you can be sure that your breathing product and your hoof product are not going to cause an imbalance in your horse.
]]>Coughing must not be taken lightly. Coughing may lead to fatigue, trouble breathing, pain, impaired performance and increased risk of severe infection. That being said, suppressing the horse's cough is not the answer. Coughing can actually improve breathing by eliminating germs, dust and waste products caused by germs (mucus has been synthesized to trap germs) from the respiratory tract.
Aiming to make this reflex easier and more efficient is the solution. When the respiratory tract is cleared, the cough will stop naturally. Antibiotics will work on eliminating germs and are crucial in the case of severe infections, but as powerful as antibiotics may be, they will not have direct effects on coughing as they lack expectorating properties.
Today, essential oils are primarily used in animal feed because of their antimicrobial properties. Some essential oils have specific targeting characteristics. After being absorbed by the digestive system and having circulated in the blood, these essential oils are then secreted at the horse's lungs where their antiseptic activity can take place.
In conclusion, specific properties in essential oils may help the horse fight against infections, coughing spasms and promote productive coughing to help eliminate the buildup of secretions or dry coughing to calm the respiratory tract. Some essential oils, such as oregano, may also have an effect on increasing the horse’s appetite, which may also promote faster recovery.
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Stress is a response by the body to a threatening situation. Because a horse is a prey animal it will instinctively flee from threatening, unpleasant or painful situations. Only when experience has taught it that a particular situation is non-threatening, will the horse instinctively be able to ‘manage’ it.
The horse’s excellent memory comes into play because both positive and negative experiences are stored for a long time. It is possible to eliminate negative experiences by presenting positive experiences in similar situations as an alternative, which requires knowledge and a subtle approach. The horse’s breed, education and training all play a crucial role. However, it is not easy to find definitive solutions to stress. Conducting scientific research poses difficulties as the animal cannot speak, making it hard to be sure when an animal is experiencing stress.
When a horse is insufficiently able to ‘flee’ from a situation or is unable to ‘manage’ it, it causes stress. Extreme forms of stress can lead to badly adjusted behavior. Stress may also be expressed less obviously – for example by poorer performance, loss of concentration and unruly behavior. Stress can also be revealed physically, such as by excessive sweating and foaming when not being worked hard (not to be confused with being unfit), increased heart rate, irregular gait and respiratory problems. The level of stress and how the horse deals with that depend on the character and temperament of the horse.
Stress does not always have to be negative, it can also have a positive effect on the horse’s performance. This is because stress causes an adrenaline rush which can improve performance. The adrenaline causes a heightened alertness, improved supply of oxygen to the muscles and limbs, an increase in the release of glycogen which in turns provides extra energy. All this can lead to an enhanced performance. But stress should not continue for too long. Prolonged stress can have serious consequences, such as an accelerated energy supply which causes the horse to switch more rapidly to anaerobic energy resulting in the production of lactate with possibly noxious consequences. The digestive system can also become upset in a number of ways and this could lead to more serious conditions. Therefore stress can increase the chances of colic, stomach ulcers and muscular problems.
There are two types of stress responses: a quick, shock reaction immediately after a certain stimulus and which lasts only a short while, and a slower stress reaction that causes long-term stress.
In the case of a quick stress response, for example when a horse spooks, adrenaline and noradrenaline is released. These substances ensure the body is in a state of readiness.
Heart rate and breathing rise, blood vessels expand thereby increasing the blood supply to the muscles and limbs and the blood supply is directed from the intestines to the muscles. An excess of noradrenaline can cause fear or panic.
With prolonged stress, the adrenal glands start producing the hormone cortisol. In response, energy is released to enable a quick reaction to the stress stimuli. In addition, cortisol inhibits the stress response because it reduces the production of adrenaline. Long-term stress causes prolonged cortisol levels in the blood and the adrenal glands become exhausted. Cortisol also causes raised blood sugar levels which can lead to metabolic problems, for example laminitis
When dealing with a horse that is sensitive to stress, it is advisable to take certain things into account when putting together its rations and determining its daily program. The first and most important consideration is that the energy input, the amount of energy the horse takes in through its feed, is in balance with the energy output, the amount of energy it uses during training or when at pasture. People have their horse’s best interests at heart but often they want to take such good care that they are inclined to overfeed the horse. A ration calculator (www.MyCavalor.com) can be used to check whether a horse is being overfed or underfed. It calculates the amount of energy the horse needs in relation to the amount of exercise it has. In this respect it is important not to lose sight of the fact that it is vital for a horse to exercise.
In their natural environment, horses live as nomadic animals, constantly on the move across the prairie from nutrient-poor areas to nutrient-rich ones. In those vast spaces they have room to flee. And just like in humans, restriction of space leads to irritableness. It is not always easy to do, but we should try to give horses space by varying their daily schedule – offer them plenty of possibilities to ‘stretch their legs’ and prevent boredom. Horses that are sensitive to stress respond well to being at pasture for at least 2 to 3 hours a day.
Once you know how much energy a horse needs, this energy can be added to the horse’s diet in different forms. In horses sensitive to stress, the energy provided should be in the form of fat or fiber as much as possible. Fat and fibers release energy slowly over time. These energy sources do not give any substantial peaks in energy. Fibers, mainly found in roughage, are not only a good source of slow-release energy but plenty of roughage also alleviates boredom. Make sure the horse has constant access during the day to something to chew on, such as dry hay or straw. Energy can also be added in the form of sugar and starch, from grains for example. Grains may cause energy peaks which are not recommended in stress-sensitive horses. That is why it is inadvisable to feed oats and wheat to stress-sensitive horses. These grains contain large amounts of easily absorbable sugar and starch. The more feeds the ration is divided over, the smaller the amounts of sugar and starch per feed, and the better for the horse.
In addition there are certain nutrients that actually help to counteract stress. The following are examples of nutrients that have relaxing or calming qualities: magnesium, which helps regulate heart rhythm and blood pressure and is important for muscle tension and relaxation. Tryptophan is an essential equine amino acid. Essential means that the body cannot produce this necessary substance itself but that it must be administered. Tryptophan stimulates the production of a number of important substances such as the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is an anti-stress hormone produced by the body and which gives a pleasant feeling. Serotonin is present in the brain and ensures that necessary stimuli are transferred correctly. A shortage of tryptophan can result in symptoms including excessive stress and a disruption of sleep periods. Higher supplementary levels, however, lead to better stress management. With the aid of a number of B vitamins, mainly vitamin B1, tryptophan can be absorbed rapidly, making it possible to administer shortly before a competition. B vitamins also play an important part in the balance between neurotransmitters and neurons.
Many herbs, and particularly the combination of different herbs can have a calming effect without influencing locomotion. The following are some examples of herbs with calming properties. Avena Sativa: contains vitamin B1, B2, B6 and magnesium, known for their relaxing effect. Betula: increases the effect of renal function and slows down the production of adrenaline. Glycyrrhiza Glabra: glycyrrhiza has a synergistic effect on cortisol that controls the production of adrenaline. Passiflora: is known as an effective sedative without impairing the ability to concentrate. Allium Sativa: known for its effect on the nervous system.
Realize that horses have a biological clock. If the pattern of feeding, training, pasture and rest is interrupted, it can create unrest in some horses. Changes to grooming and training schedules should also be made gradually.
Besides feed and exercise, social contact is important for the mental state of horses, which, after all, are herd animals. Stables where horses can smell each other or pastures where they can graze in pairs or more often have a positive effect on their mood. It is important to take the horses’ characters into account. Determining their position in the group can also cause horses stress.
One important stress factor in horses is the rider. Riders often experience a lot of stress. Pressure to perform, skill, circumstances and forming a team with the horse all come into play. Scientists have shown that stress is transmittable, especially to sensitive animals such as horses. Horses are fine-tuned to different moods and the more confident and calmer a rider is, the less stress the horse will suffer. This not only applies to competitions but also during training and travel. Be sure to take the time.
Overestimating a horse’s abilities is manifested as stress. Teach a horse through play to deal with as many situations as possible, and take the time. Make sure that you as the trainer/rider anticipate the horse’s response and accommodate the unexpected reactions as best you can and put it into perspective. That composure will make the horse calmer.
The importance of exercise was mentioned before. However, horses are sometimes forced to remain stabled because of an injury or illness. In that case, the feed must be adjusted accordingly and sometimes supplements must be used to ensure the horse stays calm and continues to feel well. In these situations a feed low in sugar and starch is recommended in combination with a lot of roughage to keep the horses chewing as much as possible and to prevent boredom.
Certain breeds and bloodlines are more sensitive to stress than others, it is genetic. But a horse’s education is also an important factor. A horse’s history determines its behavior. What were the circumstances the foal grew up in? What kind of stabling and outdoor grazing did it have? What type of feed was it given? What sort of training did it have and what competition experience?
In addition to the causes of stress already mentioned, there are many other things that could induce stress in horses, including travel, new environments, etc. The only conclusion is that horses are highly sensitive animals and we need to take that into account if we want to make the life of both horse and rider as pleasant as possible. Adapted feed and the use of nutrients with calming effect, combined with good stable management and a tailored training schedule can very well help to limit stress.
]]>Ulcers are the buzz word in horse performance these days.
There doesn’t a day go by when someone tells me their horse has ulcers or symptoms.
And they are probably correct – and we have lived with the for years.
The riding school pony that hated having his girth done up is a classic example of where this may well have been an underlying case of ulcers.
You may also see them manifest in other ways – tightness in the body during work for example.
A failure to gain weight, a loss of weight without explanation, a loss of appetite, dull coat or indeed excess yawning can all be symptoms that your horse is suffering from ulcers.
Its totally unproven, but I am convinced that wind-sucking may cite ulcers as a cause in some circumstances.
Now which comes first is a moot point as pretty much everything above is interlinked.
Stress – Windsucking – Loss of appetite – Loss of weight
Failure to intake food – loss of energy – dull coat – tiredness (yawning)
You see where we are going with this – it can potentially get complex.
So what causes them?
The horse’s stomach is continuously secreting digestive acids. If the stomach lining is exposed to this acid for a prolonged period of time, the stomach lining will be damaged. In the wild, where horses graze up to 16 hours per day, the acidity in the stomach is reduced by the trickle feeding of grass. The bicarbonate in the saliva reduces the acidity as well. The horse produces saliva while it is eating.
If horses are fed high concentrate feeds with only limited access to forage, they will chew less and the stomach will be empty for large parts of the day. As a result, the acidity level in the stomach will be higher which increases the risk of ulcers.
To protect the stomach lining from the natural acid environment, there are specialised cells, foveolar cells, which produce a protective mucin coating. The mucin secretion stops if the stomach contains too much acid. The stomach lining will then become exposed to a rising acidity as a result of which specific bacteria can thrive eating the stomach lining which will eventually lead to ulcers.
I should also add that stress can very well be a contributing factor. As it is in humans and well recognised as such.
So how do we treat them?
Well obviously there is a case for an omeprazole based product such as Gastroguard. There are other ones on the market but I have to say our experience is that this is still the best.
Its expensive and so not a route to go down lightly.
It is something only your vet can prescribe – but to quickly get the problem solved it is certainly proven to work.
It is relatively inert as far as drugs go – and is allowed under FEI rules. For this reason it is not uncommon to see competition horses with a long journey being given this prophylactically.
I have to say that our experience, having been persuaded to convert from the Gastroguard in this circumstance (i.e before travel) to the Cavalor Gastro8 Paste is that we have noticed no real difference in the status of performance of the horse.
The big difference is in our pocket – Gastro8 Paste = £8.00. Gastroguard = £20+
Give it a try next time you travel – we don’t think you will be disappointed.
Back at home we have to look at the environment of the horse – to reduce its exposure to stress – and also its feeding programme.
Fibre is important
It is always important that horses mimic their natural environment as much as possible.
Ad lib – or frequently in controlled portions – hay is the best starting point to manage ulcers.
Access to forage before and during travelling is also a good tip that will ensure your horse arrives at an event in top condition.
But in terms of actual feed from the feed bin there are a couple of routes we can go down.
Firstly PAVO Speedibeet is a good basis to start – and indeed can help prevent ulcers.
“I’ve heard all of this before you say, another product that will stop something.”
Well, clinical tests have shown that at high levels of acidity pectin forms a thick gel which strengthens and thickens the stomach lining. Pavo SpeediBeet is rich in pectin; sugar beet fibre contains approximately 30% pectin.
Various types of feed have various capacities to absorb stomach acid. This is known as ‘Acid Binding Capacity’ or ABC value. This is measured as ‘the quantity of acids that the feed contains at various acidity levels of the stomach’. The higher the value, the higher the acid binding capacity (ABC).
Cereals and other starchy feeds have a relatively low ABC. Feeds with a relatively high level of proteins (legumes) or soluble sugars (sugar beet) have much higher ABC values. Pavo SpeediBeet has an excellent capacity for absorbing stomach acid, especially if it is given as the first meal in the morning.
In summary, Pavo SpeediBeet contains a high level of pectin which helps strengthen the protective stomach lining. In combination with the capacity of absorbing large quantities of acid, Pavo SpeediBeet can help reduce the conditions in which ulcers occur.
But SpeediBeet alone is not really enough, so we must calculate what else to feed to give the horse the nutrition it requires.
Like most things in life there is a compromise to be reckoned with.
Leisure horses have options. Products like FiberForce are perfect additions to the Beet – they have lots to help the horse. But, they really do not provide enough energy for the top performing horses.
So we must add concentrated rations accordingly, split into manageable doses throughout the day.
We can counteract the digestive effects of this, if necessary with specific supplements that are designed to help.
Cavalor FibreForce is a new product to Equitain and we have used this on the yard with extremely good results. It is not only a good ration for horses with stomach issues, it is a good ration for horses in normal work loads as well.
Cavalor Gastro8 is a product specifically designed to reduce gastric irritation on several levels. It helps manage the pH of the stomach and protects the stomach wall against gastric irritation. It is a product fed on a more regular basis than the Gastro8 Paste.
A couple of other products to cast an eye over include
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What sets Cavalor Artitec ahead of the pack?
Joint supplements – the market is awash with them and rightly so as they account for around 20% of all supplements sold.
]]>What sets Cavalor Artitec ahead of the pack?
Joint supplements – the market is awash with them and rightly so as they account for around 20% of all supplements sold.
For years prevention and treatment of joint injury has been top of the list for top sport and amateur competition riders alike and many companies work very hard to persuade you that their product is the best.
Now the problem is that there is not much hard science behind many of them.
Chondroitin (and its side kick Glucosamine) have been used both in humans and animals as a “treatment” for OsteoArthritis (OA) however latterly a 2015 Cochrane review of clinical trials found that most were of low quality. It did also find that there was evidence of short-term improvement in pain BUT no evidence to suggest it either improves nor maintains the health of affected joints.
This last bit is important, as supplements containing just those components are NOT going to help maintain the health of your horses joints.
Much of the information from scientific trials in other species are drawn from in the development of new products for our horses, and Cavalor is at the very forefront of this research.
Cavalor ArtiTec is the 4th generation of such products, 7 years in development.
To draw a balance between presenting information and not just reeling off pages of technical data is a difficult one – I will try my best.
Scientists amongst you please don’t slate me if I over simplify – I can go into excruciating detail on this as my final dissertation was in fact on the theoretical molecular modelling of RA in humans – but for most of the world I will keep it simple.
Over 20 years ago Cavalor developed a product called Cavalor XA-10.
This was one of the first joint supplements on the market in Europe, for horses and was based on Hydrozy Appatite.
Rejoin came next in 1999 and had added Glucosamine, Chondroitine and MSM. Some additional ingredients such as Omega 3 and Colostrum were included for anti-inflammatory action and the introduction of blood thinning components.
Many top equine athletes such as Ratina Z competed their whole lives on this and later Artimatrix
Artimatrix is the 3rd generation product launched in 2006 and included stronger anti-inflammatory agents and Hyaluronic Acid.
Supplements with multiple active agents are best. Synergy describes the positive interactions of these components.
Products with just one active ingredient (or others in such low quantities they are just there for the label) are not really much use.
The problem is that to define the best balance and composition takes time and is complicated – and hence the long development period for such a product.
The latter is a key one to remember as 90% of the supplements on the market only provide for this.
As previously mentioned, this latest generation product has been over 7 years in development.
In 2009 the first research began in conjunction with PEI university in Canada on a group of 40 male rats. (8 groups of 5)
Different products:
were given to these rats, in groups. The first dose was given 1 hour before the introduction of substance (CFA) that induces inflammation. CFA was injected in a single dose in the hind paw of the rats.
The swelling of this paw was measured on day 0 (before CFA), day1, day 5, day14 and day 18.
The data from this experiment is presented below – the higher the % inhibition of swelling the more effective the compound is in preventing inflammation.
Dose (mg/kg) |
% Inhibition |
|
Asprin |
150 |
36 |
Bute |
30 |
23 |
Celebrex |
10 |
23 |
Naproxen |
30 |
36 |
Artimatrix Final |
250 |
18 |
Freebute Final |
250 |
27 |
Now Freebute is another product from the Cavalor range – its purpose is pretty self explanatory from the name. You can see from the results that its effectiveness in this trial is right up there with pharmaceutical agents – that are banned under FEI competition rules.
Science has developed an inducible model for the testing of efficacy of agents in the treatment of OA. The so called MIA model involves the introduction of a chemical agent Mono-iodoacetate (MIA) into a joint to mimic the effects of OA.
Using this method it is possible to test nutri- and pharmaceutical agents.
In this study animals received MIA in the intra-patellar ligament of the left hind limb. They underwent behavioural testing on T0, 14, 21 and 28 days.
The common Glucosamine-Chondriotine mix of many joint formulations was tested against the more complex and existing Cavalor Arti Matrix product.
The reference point for this was pain associated with the specific joint assessed through behaviour.
You can see from the graph below, that the Arti Matrix actually has a very important increase effect from day 14 – and shows considerable benefit from Day 21 over the traditional Gluc- chondr supplement which is in fast decline in terms of efficacy by Day 21.
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