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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition

   Welcome to my forum. 

Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information. 

Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you. 

Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought

I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.

And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.  

 

All the best,

 Dr. Getty 

 



Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Re: communication between gut membrane, lungs, and skin.???

Hi Jane,

It's true that in many countries, there aren't commercially fortified products like we see here. Generally, the feeds available are made from cereal grains, which are often not appropriate for horses that are not heavily worked.

Plus, feeding too much oats, corn, barley, etc. at one time can lead to colic and laminitis, so even performance horses should only have these in moderation.

Genetics does play a role in any animal's overall tendency to develop certain conditions and diseases. But, along with genetics comes the environment and the type of activity a horse is required to do. A horse can have the best genes possible, but if neglected, rarely exercised, and put in stressful conditions, may experience problems that have been unseen in the past.

Regarding cotton root and alfalfa (lucerne)... I am not familiar with cotton root as a feed, but I can tell you that cotton is pure cellulose -- a water insoluble fiber that horses can ferment into energy. But beet pulp contains pectin, a water soluble fiber, which is more easily digested, and has the added benefit of creating a gel in the cecum, thereby facilitating the cecum's ability to empty itself (and prevent colic).

80% Alfalfa is never advisable for any horse since it is very high in protein and depending in where it is grown, can contain very high levels of magnesium, leading to enterolith (stone) formation -- a leading cause of colic. Alfalfa is an excellent addition to most horses' diets, but never more than 50%, and preferably less.

All the best,

Dr. Getty
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse

Jane Ames
...or how about this one....

"Its all about what is available in that country,where you live. Here in Turkey we do not have racks of horse feed (low sugar, low carb, etc) in fact no made up horse feed at all. If you look at what is in a bag of horse feed (oats,maize,whe...at,barley etc) Here we have to use the raw ingredients and to feed our horses. Hay is 80% made up from Alfalfa (Lucerne). We do not have sugar beet but have cotton root (which is soaked the same as beet, it has the same nutritional properties and vitamins etc) If the horses are raised from parents (going back many generations) who have been fed this way, its in their in genes to be able to metabalise the grains and hay that are available to them."

Think generations of genetics (supposedly it takes thousands of years to make a change) can really influence digestion??

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Re: communication between gut membrane, lungs, and skin.???

Hi Jane,

I wouldn't exactly call it "a direct line of communication" but the hindgut plays a major role in the immune function of the horse. The bacterial flora produce antibodies that enter the bloodstream and protect all of the tissues throughout the body from infection and exposure to antigens (from allergies, for example). So, a healthy hind gut will help ensure that a horse is healthy all over, not just in the digestive tract.

All the best,

Dr. Getty


Jane Ames
I belong to Holistic Equine on facebook and this was their post for today. What do you know about this?

Holistic Equine
Did you know that the gut membrane has a direct line of communication with the skin of the horse and the lung membranes? So when your horse has laminitis or mud fever consider the health of the digestive system very seriously as they are all one continuous membrane!

)
Jane

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO