Dr. Gray's Featured Article: Horses Absorb Components of Gelatin, Researchers Find
This article was originally published at www.TheHorse.com
In 2006, a pair of researchers who reviewed the literature on gelatin (hydrolyzed collagen) in humans found that it is absorbed intestinally and accumulates in cartilage. They also reported that supplementing gelatin led to a significant increase in the production of new tissue by cartilage cells. Their conclusion: gelatin might help patients affected by joint disorders such as osteoarthritis. But can these findings be extrapolated to horses, which are given gelatin not only for joint support but also for healthy tendons, ligaments, and hooves?
The answer is: partially. Scientists in Germany recently conducted a study to determine if gelatin supplementation in horses would assist in cartilage repair. They fed 12 horses a regular hay and grain diet supplemented with soybean meal and oil if they were in the control group, or supplemented with 60 grams of gelatin if they were in the test group. Both groups of horses underwent the same training program and blood sampling. After as little as six days, horses in the test group had significantly higher blood levels of glycine and proline, amino acids found in high concentrations in gelatin. They concluded that the amino acids from gelatin are absorbed quickly by the horse and become available for amino acid metabolism. Further research is needed to determine if the amino acids from gelatin are specifically utilized in the prevention or repair of cartilage or other connective tissues.
Bello AE, Oesser S. Collagen hydrolysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint disorders: a review of the literature. Curr Med Res Opin. 2006 Nov;22(11):2221-32.
Coenen M, Appelt K, Niemeyer A, Vervuert I. Study of gelatin supplemented diet on amino acid homeostasis in the horse. Equine Vet J Suppl. 2006 Aug;(36):606-610.
Over Supplementing Horses
Hi, I am really worried and all this is very confusing. We just had a horse nutrition talk at our barn and they said that we do not need to add supplements to the horse feed, that the horse feed already comes with all the nutrients and vitamins balanced, that we can cause an unbalance especially on vitamins and minerals, and this is going to be against our horse’s health. I am talking about commercial feed on pellets from the big companies, especially formulated for senior, junior, mares and high performance horses. Am I overdoing and putting my horses at risk?? GE, Texas
Dear GE,
I know exactly what you’re talking about and I think I can easily clear this up for you. When a commercial horse feed company representative talks about causing an imbalance of nutrients by feeding a supplement in addition to their product, they’re talking about “doubling up” by feeding the full recommended amount of fortified grain on the bag as well as the full recommended amount of multi-vitamin/mineral supplement. As you can see by our chart, we agree this combination is unnecessary.
However, the chart also shows there are certain situations when a horse needs a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, such as when a horse is not being fed the full recommended amount of fortified grain or when a horse is not being fed fortified grain at all. You see, fortified grains were originally designed for hard-working horses that needed a lot of calories. Vitamins and minerals were added to grains such as corn and oats to provide race horses, draft horses and other horses that worked for a living all the nutrients they needed.
The problem with most fortified grains is that calories are tied to nutrients. That is, if an owner needs to increase the amount of fortified grain fed to a hard-working horse to keep him from losing weight (like one that competes in three-day eventing or endurance riding), the amount of vitamins and minerals he’s getting is automatically increased. However, because most horses don’t work this hard for a living, the opposite problem occurs. That is, with more and more owners becoming aware that medical problems like Equine Metabolic Syndrome, laminitis and even arthritis are made worse by obesity, they’re cutting back on the amount of fortified grain they feed their horses, if they feed grain at all. Now you have a situation where a horse isn’t getting enough vitamins and minerals because the full recommended amount of fortified grain isn’t being fed, in an effort to reduce calories.
That’s where a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement or ration balancer comes in. By adding the appropriate product to a horse’s diet, his vitamin, mineral and even protein (amino acid) needs can be met without adding extra calories. Some multi-vitamin/mineral supplement lines—like SmartVite and Mega-Cell/Mega-Mag—are even designed to complement the type of forage a horse eats, whether it’s grass or alfalfa.
Finally, let’s talk about addressing specific problems in a horse, such as poor quality hooves and joint wear and tear. When picking supplements based on your horse’s needs, feeding multiple products does not necessarily mean that there’s an increased risk of over supplementation. In fact, a well-designed “strip” of SmartPaks with multiple products may actually be more appropriate (and necessary!) than one that contains just a couple of similar products (like 2 multi-vitamin supplements!) Here’s an example of a SmartPak that may seem large at first, but is actually quite thoughtfully put together:
1. SmartVite Performance Grass (as a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement)
2. Cosequin ASU (as a joint supplement)
3. Farrier’s Formula (as a hoof supplement)
4. Perfect Balance Electrolite (as an electrolyte supplement)
Each of these products contains specific ingredients designed to address specific needs. As such, there’s very little overlap. The point is: do your best to provide your horse with a complete and balanced diet primarily consisting of good quality forage (hay or pasture) then make up any specific deficiencies with a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement and other products as necessary.
Choosing the Right Calming Supplement
I have a spooky Arabian/National Showhorse mare. She is very sweet and quiet on the ground, but under saddle she is inclined to be nervous. She has only bolted once, but she spooks often. I'm 58 years old and just want to walk and trot her on trail rides. Is there a safe daily supplement that I can give her to help calm her? She is 21 years old and in very good condition. EC, Florida
I HAVE A 7 YEAR OLD EX RACE HORSE WHO IS VERY NERVOUS. I HAVE HIM ON A VITAMIN B1 SUPPLEMENT AND I WAS WONDERING IF I SHOULD PUT HIM ON A MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENT OR WOULD THAT BE TOO MUCH? KA, Texas
I have a horse that was once a stallion and is still very dominant and pushy. I had him on Quiessence and that worked okay but not as well as I would have liked. My horse is pretty spooky and is very nervous outside where if he gets scared, he bolts and then stays very tense. I was just wondering if Quiessence is the best supplement to have him on or should I try something else? I still need him to have energy to perform upper level Dressage but is there anything I can put him on to take the edge off? NT, Colorado
Dear EC, KA and NT,
Before I recommend a calming supplement to any of you, my first piece of advice is: review your horse’s management and see if there is anything you can do to improve the
