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Hello
I came across your website by chance and have listened to you brilliant podcast presentation on Protein deficiency in horses. Something I have felt for a long time. My now 21 year old 18hh sports horse was diagnosed with PPID in autumn 2016 and is on 1 table of Prascend a day. A few months before I noticed he was losing condition and muscle and sought a feed that was low in sugar and starch but had sufficient protein. Having watched your online presentation I now realise he still isnt getting enough amino acids as I rate his score around TLS – C. I live in the UK and getting decent hay or haylage is hard where I live but hadnt realised the importance of alfalfa which I can easily obtain from feed merchants.
Your presentation confirms my thinking that its the nutrition.
My horse’s issues go back to May 2013 when he began showing minor lameness. However, as a 3 year old he had a serious fracture of his coffin joint and pedal bone and was on Newmarket joint supplement until he was 12. At the time of his fracture he also received comfrey and ad lib hay and some feed but he had very poor muscle. I nursed him through it and rehabbed him myself with little knowledge or support as it wasnt there. He had joint injections and remained sound until May 2013. X rays, work ups showed very minor bony changes in his coffin joint and he seemed to be compensating and lost muscle. But my vet never advised me much on nutrition.
To summarise a long story, its taken me 4 years of researching the internet, asking questions on facebook and coming across your website by chance to finally fit the final puzzle. I changed farrier as I realised his feet were unlevel and this has improved soundness except on a sharp turn. I know it is unlikely he will ever be 100% sound but I believe I can address his muscle condition as he has a poor and weak topline and this will explain why he tends to pull himself on forehand rather than use his behind and therefore overloading his arthritic joint even more. I do classical in hand work with him in walk only which helps but I struggle to get muscle on him. Thanks to your education I feel I can address this. Thanks you
Thanks Tracy – As you follow the blogs on decomplexicating Horse Nutrition, I hope you will discover the reasons for muscle loss and protein deficiency. In general, 1) feeding carbohydrates every day of the year (mitochondrial exhaustion, gluconeogenesis), 2) lectins causing leaky gut and 3) any medications especially protein pump inhibitors that alter the pH and therefore prevent proteins breaking down into amino acids.
Keep us all updated with your progress! Doc T