Nutrition to prevent diseases in horses (I)

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Nutrition to prevent diseases in horses (Part I)

“We are what we eat”

The famous phrase “we are what we eat” is by Ludwig Feuerbach, a German philosopher and anthropologist. Hippocrates said “Let your medicine be food, and medicine your food.” Feuerbach and Hippocrates agree indicating the importance of adequate nutrition in the maintenance of health.

This works perfectly for all living beings and in this case we are mainly interested in the case of horses. Since horses have changed sedentary habits in front of their ancestors their nutrition is more important. Likewise, horses decide how much, when and how to eat so we must learn to give them a good diet.

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The prevention of four (4) diseases through proper nutrition

Much of the prevention of different diseases of the horse reside in the diet, as can hygiene and control by a veterinarian. Through this series of articles we will learn more about the prevention of four diseases through food. In this first part we will know the first two: The horse bean and equine colic.

The Lampas on horses

Let’s start with a disease that we had not previously treated in our blog. The first on our list is the disease called Lampas . We are talking about an inflammation of the hard palate and gums, produced in the arch of the incisors. The bean is a palatogingivitis. It hinders the process of chewing the horse.

The cause of the Lampas is nutrition with poor quality forage. Use too fibrous or thorny forage which is embedded in the space between the teeth of the horse. To avoid this disease, it is recommended to select the forage properly and consult the veterinarian to tell us the anti-inflammatories that we will administer while the disease persists.

Horse colic

In previous articles we talked about equine colic and it is a very common gastrointestinal disease that can cause serious problems in the horse, including death. As you know, the horse has many digestive problems.

The horse has a large intestine and a small stomach that determines its ability to process food. This digestive system worked perfectly adapted to the customs of grazing and walking of the ancestral horse.

The current horse encased in stables requires modifications in its nutrition to avoid the multiple diseases that can be derived from the lack of care. Many times, colic is related to nutrition errors, derived from the quality and quantity in the food intake.

The dietary imbalance, either by shortage or by excess, can generate colic. Also the excess of foods rich in proteins, energy or whose fiber is indigestible. The amount of daily meals is also key to avoid this disease. The horse must eat many times a day and not a large meal. Paliando these food errors, it is much more likely that our friend does not suffer from this disease.

In the next article we will discuss the importance of nutrition to prevent two very common diseases: Equine disease on Monday and equine laminitis. I hope you follow us and take advantage to give a better life to your horse.