Question
My 19-year-old gelding, Mel, weighs about 1,000 lb (450 kg). Mel is worked six days a week, and the type of work varies (longeing, dressage arena work, trail riding). He is turned out in a large pen for a 4-6 hours daily but otherwise stalled. His daily ration includes 2 lb (0.9 kg) of senior feed, 4 flakes of timothy hay, probiotics, electrolytes, and 1 oz flaxseed. Relevant medical history includes colic surgery for colon twist three years ago; continued colic episodes; laminitis scare seven years ago; loss of muscle over topline; and fat pads near his tailhead. The last episode of recurrent colic involved impaction and 15 liters of bloody reflux, though no ulcers were detected on gastroscopy. I am interested in omega-3 and -6 balance, thinking omega-3s might help inflammation. Thank you for any suggestions.
Answer
Muscle loss along the topline can be a subtle sign of the age-related condition pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) or Cushing’s disease. Considering Mel’s age, has this condition been discussed or ruled out as an underlying factor?
The 2 lb (0.9 kg) of senior feed is not providing Mel with complete nutrition, as it is being fed below the recommended feeding directions and supplying less than the recommended amounts of trace minerals—copper, selenium, and zinc. Switching to a ration balancer would be more appropriate as a ration balancer is fortified with a higher level of micronutrients to ensure complete nutrition when fed at low daily intakes of 1-2 lb (0.45-0.9 kg). Your feed store would likely carry a ration balancer. If you like feeding the senior feed, I would recommend including a concentrated vitamin and mineral supplement top-dressed to provide the extra nutrients. KER’s recommended product is Micro-Max; at just 2-4 oz daily, Micro-Max provides all the essential trace minerals and vitamins. In Australia, horse owners should look for Gold Pellet.
To help address digestive discomfort, KER developed two unique digestive health products, EquiShure and RiteTrac. EquiShure is a time-released hindgut buffer that works to stabilize the pH in the cecum and colon, which can have far-reaching effects on the horse’s overall health and well-being. EquiShure can be fed in combination with a probiotic, and together they can support an optimal environment for the microbial population.
RiteTrac is complete gut health product, as it contains EquiShure plus an equine-specific antacid blend. The active ingredients in RiteTrac were selected based on their high acid-neutralizing capacity and coating properties to protect the stomach lining from the damaging effects of prolonged exposure to gastric acid. Even though Mel scoped clean, RiteTrac would be my product recommendation based on his history of recurrent digestive upsets.
EquiShure is available worldwide, though Australian horse owners can look for these additional proven products.
Mel’s diet is likely providing him with an adequate omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, as the main component of his diet is timothy hay. Good-quality pasture offers many nutritional benefits; because Mel does not have access to pasture, supplementing sources of natural vitamin E and omega-3s will be necessary. Supplementing his diet to provide increased levels of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA offers several health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and immune- strengthening properties. Flax is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids in the form of ALA, a short-chain omega-3, whereas fish oil is the only source of both long-chain omega-3s, DHA and EPA. You could increase the amount of flaxseed fed to 2-4 oz per day, in addition to supplementing with EO•3 at 1-2 oz, to offer both short-chain and long-chain omega-3s.
Supplementing with omega-3s may help reduce inflammation that may be present in his digestive tract. In addition, omega-3s have been reported to help horses with metabolic conditions, such as insulin resistance and PPID, through their anti-inflammatory properties and involvement in improving insulin sensitivity.
