Take a moment and picture your feed room. How many different supplements are kept there? Chances are there’s a variety.
Research has estimated that over 80% of owners include at least one dietary supplement in their horse’s nutrition program. Every time you go to the feed store, you’re likely looking at fantastic marketing on the plethora of products available. So, how can you make informed choices on which products may be worth your investment?
A dietary supplement is a product that is designed to provide a health benefit, but not required to meet a nutritional requirement. Often, many products that are providing horses with required nutrients are grouped into the supplement category simply because of their packaging. For example, a vitamin/mineral premix, isn’t really a supplement, but more so a ration balancer as it is providing the horse with what is lacking in the forage.
Foundational Nutrition
It is common when delving into equine care that when nutritional issues arise, the go-to is reaching for a new supplement to combat the issue. However, many nutritional concerns can be addressed with a properly balanced base diet. The NRC, 2007 (Nutrient Requirements of Horses) provides the basic nutrient requirements for horses to prevent nutritional deficiency. This includes energy (calories), protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Every horse should be on a program that meets these baseline requirements.
A common example is dealing with hoof health issues, The owner may head to the store to buy some biotin, but if the foundational diet is deficient in copper, zinc, selenium, or protein, you are not addressing the underlying issue. As a minimum requirement, every horse should be fed a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral premix product at the recommended feeding rate for their body weight to create a solid foundational diet.
There are many quality supplements on the market that do provide health benefits to horses. A great analogy is to think of their diet as an ice cream cone. The ice cream is their foundational diet, and the supplements are the sprinkles on top. The dessert isn’t going to be great if it’s just sprinkles, but adding sprinkles to ice cream can improve it!
Therefore, always start with a base balanced diet. From that point, it is important to think of specific nutritional goals that you want to focus on. This can help to avoid making supplement purchases because ‘you feel like you should feed it’, or ‘everyone else is feeding it so it must be necessary.’ Additionally, when adding supplements, try to only make one change at a time so that you aren’t stuck feeding a bunch of supplements that you are not confident are making a positive difference in your horse’s well-being.
Many nutritionists refer to it [the equine supplement industry] as the ‘Wild West’ due to the lack of regulation and research.
Functional Nutrition
These products that are the ‘sprinkles on top’ are functional supplements. They are fed for a specific health benefit, for example, reducing inflammation by feeding omega-3s or improving hormone regulation with herbal blends.
Unfortunately, the claims that are made on many of these products can be misleading, as the industry is not well-regulated. In fact, many nutritionists will even refer to it as the ‘Wild West’ due to the lack of regulation and research. Consequently, as an owner, it is crucial that the time is invested into critically reviewing labels on these products and understanding your horse’s nutritional needs prior to purchasing.
The Regulation
Research has reported that over 90% of respondents to a survey on equine supplements thought that all supplements were tested on horses prior to being sold. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth, as regulation in the equine supplement industry is lacking.
The sale of equine dietary supplements is regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA); however, these products are not their top priority. Many mis-labelled supplements fly under the radar for a prolonged period. A general rule of thumb is that supplement labels can use function claims, but not drug claims. A function claim would use words such as support, maintain, and promote, but not words like cure or treat. If you see a supplement with drug claims, that is a red flag!
Regarding animal supplements, there is also the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC). It is voluntary for companies to join NASC, and those that do must pass a third-party quality audit every two years, maintain on-going compliance with the quality standards, participate in annual continuing education and pass random independent testing of their products to ensure label claims are met. Please note that just because a company is a part of NASC does not guarantee efficacy of the product, as the focus is on truth in labelling. Additionally, some reputable companies may not be a part of NASC as they have their own quality control systems in place.
It can be quite jarring that there is essentially no guarantee that the products you are purchasing are effective, and publications have previously evaluated label accuracy on equine supplements and found significant discrepancies. Therefore, doing your due diligence prior to spending your hard-earned money on these products is important!
The Science
There are two broad categories of research that supplement claims may be based on: active ingredient research and product research. Active ingredient research is the study of specific compounds or substances that are thought to have a health benefit. The research could use horses, but more commonly uses other species such as rats, pigs, or cows. This type of research can provide some information on how that specific ingredient may impact our horses. However, we are extrapolating quite a bit from what the data states as we often do not know the therapeutic dose required to elicit the same health benefit in a horse that may have been reported in a different species.
Taking a claim from research done on milk thistle in rats, then applying it to a product that is a blend of herbs to be fed to a horse is a stretch.
Product research differs as it is when the combination of ingredients is evaluated for efficacy. This type is preferable as there is less extrapolation required. For example, taking a claim from research done on milk thistle in rats, then applying it to a product that is a blend of herbs to be fed to a horse is a stretch. Instead, having research on that specific blend of herbs in the horse is preferable.
Overall, equine research is expensive, and although many companies do invest in it, there are many that do not make it a priority. So prior to purchasing a product, investigate their claims and don’t hesitate to reach out to the company to ask about the science. If they invest in research, they will be eager to share it!
Taking A Structured Approach
If nutritional issues or concerns arise with your horse, try taking this structured approach to dietary supplements.
1) Review their foundational diet.
Ensure that your horse’s base nutrient requirements are being met prior to purchasing supplements. Start with a weight estimate of your horse and review the recommended feeding rate on the products you are feeding. At a minimum, every horse should have a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral premix fed at the recommended rate for their body condition. Be cautious to follow the recommended feeding rate when feeding performance feeds to ensure that their nutritional requirements are met, as it is common for these products to be fed below the recommended feeding rate.
2) Think about a specific nutrition goal.
Once you have reviewed their foundational nutrition, think about specific goals that you would like to focus on. For example, would you like to improve circulation, hoof health, or support more muscle development. There are many options that will be specific to your horse and their unique situation.
3) Invest time into researching products.
There are many companies that do not invest in research, but there are many that do! Use the money you are spending on supplements to support those that do invest in equine science. Taking the time to review the science and inquire with the company about their research can also ensure that your horse is being fed a product that will be more likely to provide a health benefit!
4) Monitor their progress
Try to make one change at a time. If you are adding a dietary supplement, start with one and observe your horse for a few weeks to see if you can track any positive changes. If there are no noticeable differences don’t be afraid to try something else! Many horse owners will get stuck on a supplement simply because they started feeding it, which is why this step is so critical, as you do not want to continue with products that aren’t beneficial to your horse.
To conclude, when you are considering adding a supplement to your horse’s diet to remedy an issue, try to take a structured approach. Often, a properly balanced diet that is meeting their nutrient requirements will go a long way in optimally supporting their nutritional well-being. Invest the time into ensuring their diet is balanced, investigating the science behind the supplements, outlining clear goals, and then monitoring progress. It can save you money and improve your horse’s nutrition.
If you have any further questions about your horse’s diet, or any supplements it is recommended to reach out to a qualified equine nutritionist.
