Seeing any of these symptoms?
* Colics, mild to severe, especially at feeding time; aggressive behavior at feeding time.
* Behavior ranging from inattentive, distracted demeanor, to outright belligerent actions like bucking or running off, or just refusal to perform to potential, getting worse as a training session progresses.
* Unthriftiness, reluctance to eat, cribbing, weaving, pacing, teethgrinding, yawning.
The Horse, April 2003, published results of a University of Florida study. Researchers there discovered that any exercise above a walk could force gastric acid juices up into sensitive (non glandular tissue) areas of the stomach, which may be one reason why 80% or more of performance horses have ulcers. Horses have some portions of the stomach that are more like regular, hairless skin, instead of being comprised totally of glandular mucosa like human stomachs. In nature, they would be eating more or less constantly, would eat no grain, and would not exert themselves even at a trot for more than a few minutes at a time unless under extreme duress. When we ride or work horses at faster gaits and for longer than they would play by themselves, the tightened muscles of the abdominal wall work to force the stomach contents and acids upwards, splashing the acid on the squamous cell portion of the stomach. The effects were more pronounced on horses that had been fasted for 18 hours before exercise, but still occurred in horses fed 2 hours before exercise. Three TB's had cannulated stomachs, and were worked on a treadmill. With a Mylar balloon in place, the researchers discovered the phenomenon. They also measured the pH of the stomach, and found that at a walk the pH was 5 - 6. At the trot and canter, the pH plummetted to a 1! Interestingly, human athletes often complain of acid reflux during exercise, probably for the same reasons of abdominal wall tightening.
Thomas R. Lenz, D.V.M., M.S., writing in Quarter Horse Journal, Feb 1995, corroborates this information. "The lining of the human stomach consists entirely of a glandular tissue that secretes acid, digestive enzymes, hormones and mucus that protects it from damage from the acid. In contrast, only about 40% of the horses' stomach is lined by glandular tissue. The remaining 60% is lined by non-glandular tissue that is structurally similar to hairless skin. In horses, ulcers occur primarily in the non-glandular portion of the stomach, which is extremely sensitive to elevated gastric acid levels." The author goes on to say that two year old TB's just starting training had no or minimal gastric ulcers. After 2 or three months of intense training, 90% had ulcers! By contrast, only 37% of horses used for light riding, lessons, etc. had ulcers. Severe illness and the use of nsaids like Bute are also well-known causes of gastric ulcers in foals and horses. (Note that even IV Bute can ulcerate, through the mechanism of interrupting collagen and mucus membrane cell formation). The most likely cause of non-glandular ulcers is the increase in gastric acid production upon the introduction of more grain into the ration. Dr. Lenz also cites a 1988 study which concluded that stomach acidity was 60 times greater in grain fed horses, than in those fed only hay.
As reported in Equus,Dec 2005, even "average" horses may develop ulcers after being shipped to an unfamiliar environment and stabled and trained there. Ulcers are not just found in the high performance athletes that are hauled and competed more heavily; even the occasional weekend show or trail ride can cause problems. Twenty horses were used in a recent study done at Iowa State University. They were trained and used for recreational riding and showed no signs of ulcers prior to the study. Ten were hauled 4 hours to an unfamiliar barn, where they were stabled, ridden and longed for 3 days, then shipped home. The other ten horses remained at home, where they were longed and ridden, serving as controls. Seven of the transported horses (70%) developed ulcers, compared to only 2 (20%) who were ridden and longed at home. The ulcers in the traveling group were also more severe. This study was reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Assn. (McClure, SR, Caruthers, DS, Gross, SJ, Murray, MJ, Gastric Ulcer Development in horses in a simulated show or training environment).
Sarah S. le Jeune, DVM, a staff veterinarian at U C Davis conducted a recent study which showed 44 of 62 (70.9%) of pastured Thoroughbred broodmares that they scoped, had ulcers. We all know that training, showing, stall confinement and travel have been proven to increase ulcer incidence, but most people are of the opinion that a pastured, relatively idle horse would not have these issues. The mares had not been shipped recently, and all were managed similarly. Yet this is the same ulcer rate shown in race horses in active training, tho the ulcers in these broodmares tended to be less severe. Two mares who were very thin had ulcers even in the glandular area of the stomach, that is supposedly more protected.. One hypothesis had been that the crowding of the fetus caused stomach acid to be squeezed into the squamous cell section of the stomach, that is not protected by the mucosa, but mares scoped after foaling showed no change in stomach health.
(source: The Horse, AAEP Convention Wrap Up, March 2007).
And why not just give the ulcer drugs for horses?
* On Antacid Drugs and increased pneumonia risk! And more.....colitis? diarrhea?
"As a follow up to yesterdays e-Alert ("Apples & Oranges" 12/20/05), I have one more important note about pneumonia: You may be putting yourself at greater risk of developing this debilitating condition if you take antacid drugs to relieve heartburn.
In a 2004 study that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical association, Dutch researchers evaluated data collected from the medical records of more than 360,000 patients enrolled in a primary care database. Each subject had been enrolled for a minimum of one year. The researchers concluded that the use of drugs to suppress gastric acid quadrupled the risk of pneumonia compared to patients who didn't use the drugs.
The drugs analyzed in this study were from two different classes: proton pump inhibitors (for acid reflux) and H2 receptor antagonists (for heartburn). Here are the familiar brand names in these two classes:
Proton pump inhibitors: Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, Aciphex
H2 receptor antagonists: Pepcid, Zantac, Tagamet, Rotane, Axid
The justification for using these drugs is based on the completely wrongheaded belief that stomach acid is bad. Which overlooks the obvious: Stomach acid is there for a reason. You can't digest food without it!
In the e-Alert "Fire Down Below" (12/23/02), HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., explained how gastroesophageal problems can be safely and inexpensively treated in most cases by using acidophilus and digestive enzymes. You can find that e-Alert on our web site at hsibaltimore."
(Source: H S I e-Alert 12/21/05)
Judy's Note: Of course my inquiring little mind gallops straight to the application of this info for horses and the increasing use of ulcer meds on them. While this study does not apply to equines as such, it does not seem a reach to think the same principle might apply. Stomach acid is SO important for all mammals, as the first line of defense against ingested bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens. To me, just another reason to trust our "tried and true" Miracle Clay to soothe equine gastric and even intestinal ulcers without stopping or blocking the production of stomach acid. Besides immune suppression, oh boy, how about diarrhea?? Read on....there is more!
Dr Mercola says:
"The proton pump inhibitors like Prevacid and Prilosec and the H2 blocker agents like Tagament, Pepcid and Zantac are some of the worst drugs that you could possibly take. People who take widely used heartburn drugs like Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium may be trading heartburn for another problem: a potentially dangerous diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile bacteria. C-diff, as it's known, causes severe diarrhea and the intestinal inflammation, colitis. Researchers from McGill University in Montreal studied more than 18,000 patients from 1994 to 2004. They found that the number of C-diff cases has been increasing, from less than one case per 100,000 people in 1994, to 22 per 100,000 in 2004. What's more, the researchers found that patients taking prescription heartburn drugs had a much higher risk than those who did not. The drugs reduce levels of gastric acid that control C-diff bacteria. The study found:
Patients taking proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec and Prevacid) were almost three times more likely to have a C-diff infection than non-users.
Patients taking H2 receptor antagonists (Pepcid and Zantac) were twice as likely to have a C-diff infection.
Along with increasing your risk of C-diff infection, they significantly reduce the amount of acid you have, inhibiting your ability to properly digest food. Reduction of acid in the stomach also diminishes your primary defense mechanism for food-borne infections and will increase your risk of food poisoning."
And remember that our awesome Elixir and Super ACV both help acidify the stomach for proper and safe digestion, and then go on to provide healthy alkalinity to the rest of the body. Use Clay first to be sure the ulcers are resolved, before adding the Elixir or Super ACV to the ration.
Dynamite Solution? Enter Miraculous Miracle Clay!
The practice of eating clays for digestive upsets is as old as the recorded history of mankind, and as new as the practice of taking Kaopectate, which contains kaolin clay!. Animals will instinctively search out clay deposits in the wild, to soothe digestion and to act as a natural acid buffer and detoxifier. A PhD student at the University of California at Davis, James Gilardi (now the director of the World Parrot Trust) extensively studied Amazon parrots and found that they ate the clay cliffs in the region to detox themselves from the cyanide in the seeds that they often ate. The very small clay particles have a negative charge and most of the toxic plant chemicals have a positive charge, a perfect match! He found that the soils did a great job of binding to toxic alkaloids, which then pass through the digestive system and are never absorbed into the blood of the birds. He also found evidence that the clay coats the inside of the digestive system and protects it from being "tanned" by the tannins and other toxic plant chemicals. (www.duke.edu). As a bonus, clays may act as a natural antiparasite substance. Clay is a highly paramagnetic substance, with a very high pH. Intestinal worms are diamagnetic in resonance, and require a more acidic pH in order to thrive. You will never find earthworms present in a heavy clay soil. Wild horses have been observed to ingest clay soils when their fecal tests show high levels of parasitism. Subsequent fecal tests done by researchers following the herds show resolution of the parasite infestion, corroborated by increases in weight and coat condition.
Here's How to Use Dynamite Miracle Clay:
1 ounce of Miracle Clay (equal to about 2 heaping tablespoons or 7+ teaspoons by dry measure, before adding water) made into a thin paste and syringed into the horse is a great idea that has worked wonders on performance horses. Give after walking the horse out, and preferably at least an hour before feeding. The more intense or the more lengthy the exercise, the more important this practice becomes. You might also want to give a dose before the exercise especially for racing, eventing and really hard work, before a class or event at shows, and during an endurance ride. Give it before hauling, too! The tightened ab muscles and trailer motion can have the same effects as exercise. Everyone I know who has used the Miracle Clay in this way has found it more effective and way cheaper than the ulcer drugs, which are usually total acid blockers. Stomach acid is essential to digest food properly, and is also the body's first line of defense against parasites, and food or water borne bacteria. Free choice grass hay is another great way to prevent ulcers, if horses are nibbling all the time the stomach is more protected. The exception might be a race horse, where you would want to withold hay the morning of the race. Split grain meals into smaller portions, as the stomach becomes more acidic with a grain meal, and feed the grain after some hay has been eaten. Less acid is secreted to digest hay, and the hay in the stomach will "buffer" the effects of the grain feeding. . You might even want to add a little wet, activated Clay to the grain, and of course it is a component of our Dynamite Pelleted Grain Ration. Besides helping with ulcer prevention, clay helps horses to cope with the toxic residues of chemical dewormers, preservatives in the feed, and other toxins in the diet and environment.
For added effectiveness, put 20 - 30 drops daily of the Dynamite Trace Minerals Concentrate on the feed for about the first 30 days. This seems to help with any potential bacterial infection that might be going on in the stomach or the gut lining, and cleans up any bleeding there as well. Some people have found the addition of some aloe vera gel beneficial, as well.
DynaPro, our amazing probiotic product, is a daily essential for all horses too, and especially helpful for horses dealing with ulcers. It can be put right on the feed daily.
As an alternative to syringing the clay, Senior Director Terri Olson has this great idea: "My show gelding can be a little uptight sometimes so when he gets in this mode, I go for the Clay, and keep him on it all show season, he is also on TNT and Breeder Pac. One hint for feeding the Clay if you don't want to syringe it, is to have some already mixed up, like you would for a poultice, and take out a couple heaping tablespoons or so and roll into balls, then roll that in either HES or PGR and feed it to them right out of your hand, they love it!"
Here is a great resource for 60 cc dose syringes with finger rings and stuff, very easy to use and $2.00 each, stock up! Scroll down a bit on this page to see what they look like. I buy a dozen at a time.
http://ciwtrailers.com/setright.htm#Diamond%20MToll Free: 1-866-535-6410
Phone: 417-476-2505 E-mail: mitts@ciwtrailers.com
Clay works! Silver Senior Director Tracie Audette of Palmer, AK notes:
"I had an interesting conversation with a new customer last week regarding the daily use of Miracle Clay, and wondering if it was going to be worth the time and trouble to see that her horse got it everyday. She was dealing with a cinchy, cranky, yawning, thin mare, who could become inattentive and then unpredictable during workouts. We started her on Clay and DynaPro and took her off all grain products. Over night the mare was much more comfortable and by the end of the week the change in her was so remarkable, she told me she was willing to go to the barn where she boards to do it herself everyday, if necessary. A small price to pay (in money and time) as compared to several years of really not enjoying her horse time."
Director Gary Dearth of Corrales, NM notes:
"I have used Dynamite products in our training operation, Pine Ridge Arabians, for nearly 25 years. The products have helped us win over 200 National Championships and Top Ten Awards, so we totally trust the Dynamite teachings. Clay has been invaluable to us, in getting horses "right" who were having behavior and training problems due to ulcers. We give it to every horse during shows, especially if we see yawning or reluctance to eat, and it works great."
Jennifer McKillipp in OR says:
"These are the colic symptoms my 24 yr old paint had 2 winters ago. Would lay down, groan, go into convulsions, etc. But it was not colic, he had gut sounds, was pooping and would eat and drink. I called my vet to get some banamine, he told me he was full of worms, without even looking at him. Said to get off all my supplements and give him daily strongid, that vet was fired. We treated him with Miracle Clay and within days he was fine, I have kept up on his treatments and no more episodes. The ulcers were causing him so much pain it was really sad, I thought he was dying. I even have my 4 yr old on the clay just for preventative measures. My 20 yr QH old also has ulcers and although they are not as bad as my paint, I have seen a huge difference in attitude, weight, etc."
"I have also had great success with helping clients that have thin horses when they start on the Clay. I just got this e-mail last week from a new client that has tried everything and the horse kept loosing weight, he is a cribber and a weaver so I knew it was ulcers. She hasn't bought anything else but the clay and he gained weight. Here is her e-mail....
"Ok, I'll admit it...I was a skeptic...
But OMG, I can't believe what I see...My horse has completely turned around, after only 4 days on the Miracle Clay! He's not as lethargic, his coat is getting shiny again, and his ribs aren't as noticable(ok, maybe i'm imagining that part). Thank you so much. I'll be placing another order for more probably on Thursday or Friday."
Then a week later....
"I see a new sheen and softness to his coat, and I can't hardly see his ribs anymore. He's full of it, too. When I first got him, of course I didn't know his personality. I just thought he was so laid back and easy going, but it turned out that he was lethargic and tired. He's a 6 year old gelding acting like a 6 year old gelding now. He's also the herdmaster, which he was in his old herd of dozens of horses before I got him. Up until a couple of days ago, he was just plain getting beat on by the other horses he's with now because I don't think he had the energy to even care. I'll get some new pics in a couple weeks or so, and you can see for yourself. Thanks for everything."
This is just one of many that I get. I have two clients that started their OTTB's that were cribbers and had been wearing collars for years on the Clay and both have not only gained weight but quit cribbing and no more collars."
|