EQUINE MYTHBUSTERS – PART ONE Garlic, Seaweed Meal and Wheat Bran or Pollard – No, no and NO! So many ingredients and feeding strategies have been passed on through generations without really knowing why we feed certain things or the effects they have. Most of these feeding strategies are harmless however there are some that still exist that need to be stopped immediately. Garlic While many horse owners swear by adding garlic to their horses’ diets, research into its effects in the equine body is lacking. The perceived benefits of feeding garlic to horses include alleged antiseptic and antibiotic properties, appetite and immune boosting, improvement of respiratory problems, natural fly repellent and wormer, and aid to ulcers and coughs. Many of these claims have not been investigated scientifically. Without evidence of its benefits, care should be taken with feeding garlic to horses, as too much can be potentially toxic, causing a condition called Heinz body anaemia (irreversible damage to haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment in red blood cells). Garlic, onions, and chives contain a chemical called N-propyl disulfide, also known as allicin. This chemical is toxic to horses, cattle, and dogs. When ingested, it can damage the red-blood cells by depleting them of phosphate dehydrogenase, the function of which is to protect the cell from natural oxidative damage. When levels of phosphate dehydrogenase get too low, the hemoglobin in red blood cell is vulnerable to oxidative damage; when this occurs, haemoglobin oxidizes and precipitates in the cell, forming Heinz bodies. The spleen will begin destroying these mutated cells and if significant amounts of garlic or onions are fed over time, the horse can become anaemic. Anaemia is a condition in which the blood is deficient in red cells, hemoglobin, or total volume. Signs of anemia in horses may include poor performance, lack of energy, weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, and depression. Anaemia can also be subclinical. In one study performed at the University of Guelph, researchers found that feeding more than 100 grams of garlic daily to horses resulted in hematologic and biochemical indications of Heinz body anaemia. While there has been no scientific research on the dangers of feeding smaller amounts of garlic to horses, the similar lack of research supporting its use should inspire horse owners to be cautious when considering adding garlic to their horses’ diets. Seaweed Meal While seaweed meal is generally fed for its nutrient content, it usually contains extremely high iodine levels. Horses have very low requirements for iodine and these are usually met easily through grazing on pasture and certainly met if feeding a correctly formulated feed at the recommended intake. A small amount of seaweed meal can provide iodine in over 200% of requirements, which can result in thyroid issues such as goiter, and therefore not recommended to feed! Wheat Bran or Pollard Wheat bran and wheat pollard are common ingredients in pelleted feeds for horses, but are also used frequently by horse owners as separate feedstuffs. Bran is the seed coat or outer layer of a cereal grain. Both wheat bran and pollard are by-products of flour milling, and wheat pollard is a finely milled blend of bran and wheat middlings. Wheat bran is typically high in phosphorus and low in calcium. Excessive phosphorus in the horse’s diet can inhibit calcium absorption. Feed manufacturers using bran as an ingredient will take this calcium/phosphorus skew into account when formulating feeds and will add calcium to balance out the ratio. Horse owners sometimes add straight bran or pollard to commercial feeds as a source of fibre. Although less common now, bran mashes were fed to horses for many reasons including post exercise as a warming treat or as a laxative. Both these reasons for feeding bran have now been well documented as having little benefit. In fact, making a sudden dietary change by feeding a bran mash when the horse is not accustomed to it can potentially cause more harm than good. Using bran as a laxative has been refuted by scientific trials, the results of which have shown no increase in faecal water content or associated softening of stool. Some horsemen believe that bran will increase the fibrous component of the diet. Although bran contains some fibre, feedstuffs such as hay and chaff contain significantly more fibre than wheat bran. So leave it to the feed professionals and avoid adding straight bran or pollard to your horse’s diet. Much better to provide a feed that has been formulated to provide the correct level of nutrients in a way that is balanced for your horse.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 00:05:10 +0000
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