The Quarterly Journal of Holistic Equine Care

Jan/Feb/March 2013 www.naturalhorse.com Volume 15 Issue 1

Be your Vet’s

Star Client!

Made in the

Mounted archery: Experience tradition of a different kind!

hOOF CaRe:BEWARE OF THESE COMMON PRACTICES

WEEKEND WHOLE HORSE camp and clinicnew in 4h: USa

ADvERtiSiNg SEctiON

14 • NATURAL HORSE Magazine – VOLUME 15 ISSUE 1 www.naturalhorse.com

FEED FacTs anD FancIEs

Have faith! Fresh water blue-green algae is the oldest living organism on earth and has been consumed by humans and animals since ancient times. In fact, freshwater algae has long been a foodstuff in Central America, Africa, and other parts of the world, and continues to be to this day. Medical researchers have now cast a keen eye on this organic material, including feeding it to people in third world countries to prevent viral infections (a significant cause of mortality) and to help overcome food shortages (blue-green algae contains a whole range of nutrients required for good health and is the most nutritionally-dense food on the planet).

A Long List of BenefitsWhen reading about the benefits of blue-green algae for humans, it almost sounds like a silver bullet remedy, and by taking it you can undoubtedly jump higher and run faster. Well, science has now proven that all that may

be true! We know that food can dictate our physical and mental health; food is the ‘medicine’ that fuels us and can possibly heal us. The list of benefits for human consumption of blue-green algae (remember, this is a food, not a pharmaceutical) is rather astonishing, including restricting the growth of toxins, fighting illness-causing infections, protection against pesticides, immune system support, better digestion, increased energy, improved mental clarity — the substantial list goes on and on.

When science begins to pay attention to something as simple as blue-green algae — and substantiates all the claims made about its health benefits — then it’s time to pay attention. And when we review all the benefits listed above and think about them in ‘horse terms’ (digestion, immune system, energy, etc.), we as horse owners should pay attention to why we should feed this to our horses.

One huge bonus of feeding blue-green algae to horses is the extraordinary effect it has on compromised hooves, while also supporting healthy hooves. Whether the foot issue is white line disease, shelly feet, abscesses, poor hoof growth, a cracked hoof wall, or founder, feeding blue-green algae can promote a healthy outcome to these issues we all fear. Of course, feeding blue-green algae as a preventative may help in never having to deal with any of these issues at all.

It’s hard to think that this miniscule amount of iridescent flaky material can really make a difference. On a windy day it would just blow away out of your hand. But even a dyed-in-the-wool cowboy clinician had enough faith to try it with his best horse, who had such a significant problem with white line disease that his owner could put a finger in the hoof capsule separation up to his second knuckle.

Here’s what equine clinician Ryan Gingerich had to say: “I tried blue-green algae on my best horse, Dillon, who had a major problem with white line disease in both hind feet. It was really serious, about 2 inches

The extraordinary benefits of feeding blue-green algae to your equine partner

by Kate Riordan

When you open the jar you may think, “How can this flaky, glittery, greenish stuff possibly do anything for my horse? It doesn’t look like any other supplement I’ve ever seen.”

www.naturalhorse.com NATURAL HORSE Magazine – VOLUME 15 ISSUE 1 • 15

up each hoof wall, and he was completely lame. With proper hoof care and feeding him blue-green algae, Dillon went from not being rideable at all to growing a healthy hoof wall.”

Noticeable ImprovementsUnlike most industries where research is done in a laboratory, hoof care is essentially research in the field. Hoof care providers recognize the results of various products when they pick up the foot. One master farrier was given a horse who had been chronically lame for a number of years from a severe quarter crack. The caregiver was going to put the horse down since he had been totally unsound all those years, and therefore unusable in the caregiver’s estimation. This farrier had heard about blue-green algae but had never used it, and decided to make a test case of this horse. The photographs seen here show a remarkable change in the growth of healthy material in the hoof in a short amount of time, including a solid hoof wall growth from the coronary band — for the first time in almost five years. After a few months of consistent feeding of blue-green algae, in conjunction with proper trimming, the horse grew a solid, healthy hoof and was once again able to be ridden.

Unlike many supplements, it’s interesting to note, the effects of blue-green algae can be measured in cases like this. Hoof walls can be measured to document healthy growth, and cases like white line separation can be tracked. There’s even a documented report of an entire herd of horses that stopped eating and chewing on each other’s tails after blue-green algae was added to their diet.

There are also anecdotal case histories involving blue-green algae that cannot be measured. Reports of improved equine temperaments, increased energy and stamina, a quicker recovery from stress and performance

* This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Endorsed  by:    

Charles  Wilhelm  &    

Linda  Tellington-­Jo

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The micro-­nutrients contained in The Perfect HorseTM w/ Crystalloid Electrolyte Sea Minerals have been shown to:

Encourage the regeneration of damaged hoof tissues as they relate to hoof problems (i.e. laminitis, shelly feet, cracks and keratomas)

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Improve attention, alertness and brain function

16 • NATURAL HORSE Magazine – VOLUME 15 ISSUE 1 www.naturalhorse.com

demands, and increased mental alertness all exist. It has been proven in human science that physical health is impacted by mental health, and vice versa. While there is no empirical data regarding blue-green algae’s effects on the mental clarity of the horse, as horsemen we may not be able to measure these differences, but we certainly can feel them.

As we all know, having sound hooves can make or break a horse in competition. Here’s what three-day eventer Ashley Leith had to say about her top-level horse, Jet: “Jet has been plagued with poor feet since I got him as a five-year-old. Although I have tried many hoof products, I didn’t find the perfect fit until I started giving him blue-green algae. Jet threw a shoe during a cross-country run and severely damaged his hoof. He almost couldn’t finish the competition. While at the competition I learned about blue-green algae and immediately put him on it. Five weeks later his foot showed record growth. In addition, his personality is more focused and his coat is gleaming. Blue-green algae is now a permanent part of our daily program.”

Supplemental NutritionMost horse people realize the need for supplements for their equines because today our hay comes from nutritionally deficient soils. To offset those deficiencies, adding a complete “food” like blue-green algae is an important way to feed those necessary nutrients. The finest blue-green algae comes from Klamath Lake in Oregon, where harvesting procedures are carefully monitored. This particular algae is the richest and most nutritionally dense blue-green algae in the world, and it grows naturally.

Feeding blue-green algae to horses is simple: Either add it to their bucket food (adding water helps) or put it on top of the hay and spritz it with a little water from a spray bottle so it sticks to the hay.

Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the simplest solutions to various challenges. Life in general can be daunting. However, understanding what blue-green algae can do for horses is fairly simple: This nutrient-packed food is unequaled in helping to protect the body, as well as promoting regeneration and healing. Blue-green algae contains a wide range of nutrients required for good health. And isn’t that our optimal goal — to have healthy, good-minded, sound horses?

These sparkly flakes do make a difference. Whether the blue-green algae is in flake form for horses or in capsules for humans, it’s one of nature’s amazing marvels.

About the author: Award-winning writer Kate Riordan has been involved in horses all her life. Born on a ranch, her love of horses put her in the saddle before she could walk. Horses have taken her literally down the trail and around the world. She lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where the trails reward her spirit with challenges and majesty.

Above: This horse was going to be euthanized because of this severe, chronic quarter crack which had rendered him totally lame and unrideable for over five years. A master farrier took the horse to see if a new product he had heard about could help the situation. He fed the horse freshwater blue-green algae with crystalloid electrolyte sea minerals (included in the product) and didn’t change anything else in the horse’s diet or environment. The first photo was taken on June 14, showing the condition of the hoof at the onset of this research. The second photo was taken on July 30, showing healthy growth from the coronary band — which was the first healthy tissue growth in five years. The third photo was taken November 11. The blue-green algae with the crystalloid electrolyte sea minerals, along with proper trimming, helped this horse recover completely and return to being a sound, rideable horse.

Before

After

Trimmed