| For horses, pets, and people nutrition and preventative | | | | for such a good magazine! |
| health have never been more important than today. | | | | So we have talked about vaccinations and deworming |
| Imagine 100 horses in a herd exposed to influenza, | | | | - what about these "non toxic" chemicals? You know |
| some will get sick and some won't-why? Imagine 100 | | | | the kind for flies and such, that you, too, breathe each |
| people exposed to anthrax, some will get sick, some | | | | time you spray them or spot them on. Sure these |
| won't-why? I know it is scary to think about either | | | | substances are "nontoxic" but what about subtoxic? |
| situation, but similar scenarios are actually occurring | | | | After all, "toxic" is the amount of the chemical or |
| right now in each of our bodies. The battle is health | | | | substance that is needed to kill an animal or person. |
| versus sickness. This battle never stops. It is constantly | | | | What about the subtoxic effects that might increase |
| raging and we are the effect of it. Or could we really | | | | viral and bacterial infections by weakening the immune |
| be the cause of it? If everything were well and | | | | system "function", ie lowering the white blood cell count, |
| wonderful everyday then I imagine we would be well | | | | slowing white blood cell movement, destroying the |
| and wonderful but I think that it goes without saying | | | | mechanisms the white blood cells use to locate and |
| that that is impossible! | | | | destroy virus and bacterial cells, etc. What about |
| Stress is a major cause of illness but how does this | | | | lowering production of the essential immune system |
| relate to our horses? First let's define a working | | | | regulator interferon or weakening or damaging |
| definition of stress. My way to describe stress, right or | | | | antibody production? One such chemical on the |
| wrong, is "being the effect of something or someone | | | | market today is 65% permethrin. You can't use any |
| you feel you have no control over". Anybody stressed | | | | amount on you and you sure can't use malathion, |
| lately? Unfortunately for our equine friends stress is a | | | | lindane or even furacin - that yellow stuff for wounds - |
| part of life. Showing, trailering, training, breeding, it | | | | but it is OK for equines! By the way, PLEASE read the |
| seems there is always stress in horses' lives. But, since | | | | label on furacin - it has carcinogenic warnings all over it. |
| they ARE at the effect of us it is our responsibility to | | | | Again, I used to use it by the gallons. So please |
| keep them "less stressed" lest they will get sick. Let's | | | | understand I am not being critical, I guess I am just |
| face it, though, we can't quit showing , performing, | | | | trying desperately to spread the message that "if |
| trailing and breeding etc. etc. I guess some of us could | | | | there is an alternative, find it and use it". And if you |
| just be professional petters, myself included, but these | | | | can't find it .... Keep looking! Please .. we as practitioners |
| guys really prefer to work right? Probably just keeping | | | | don't heal anything, none of us do, the best we can do |
| them in a stall and not letting them perform or work is | | | | is trigger the body to heal itself. It is as simple as that! |
| the most major stress of all. So with reason let's | | | | The problem with so many drugs and chemicals is that |
| assume we keep going about our normal business. But | | | | they so badly confuse the bodies' healing by taking |
| are there other ways we stress our horses though | | | | over, leaving only another problem to deal with from |
| without knowing it? | | | | the compounding effect of NEVER having been |
| I absolutely think that we inadvertently stress our | | | | healed in the first place. I hope this makes sense and I |
| animals everyday, and the bad thing is we do so with | | | | hope you will help me keep looking. |
| the best of intentions. Take vaccinations for instance, | | | | Diets that we feed our horses are another major |
| are they really that important? Most folks in the "real | | | | factor in preventative health. Our horses did not eat |
| world" would argue YES, but I have to ask myself, | | | | grain in the wild, especially so much corn. Why do we |
| could the cure be worse than the disease, especially if | | | | have to add so much molasses to their feeds? |
| the disease is very, very rare? And what if the | | | | Perhaps because they don't like the feed? Or is it |
| disease were treatable anyway and what if I could | | | | because it is really not good for them? Corn, for |
| prevent it with good nutrition including antioxidants? | | | | instance, has the same glycemic index as sugar. In |
| What longterm effects could these vaccinations | | | | other words, a tablespoon of corn has the same |
| have? I ask these seemingly ridiculous questions | | | | effect as a tablespoon of sugar. Molasses essentially |
| because I think our horses have changed for the | | | | is a sugar. Just imagine the blood glucose rising after |
| worse since my 21 years in practice. I believe they are | | | | the first meal of the day. Now imagine the blood sugar |
| weaker today, less resistant than in the early 80's and | | | | crashing to a low level. Herein lies the problem- a sugar |
| just seem to have much more cancer, colic, founder, | | | | low equals "starving" to the horses' metabolism. The |
| pulmonary disease, allergies etc. So I question: WHAT | | | | metabolic system does all it can to get the blood |
| HAS CHANGED? A good example of this change is | | | | glucose back up. The pancreas, adrenals, thyroid, all |
| EPM. Why after million of years does the horse | | | | kick in. These glands literally are worn out by the |
| suddenly have a problem with possum manure? I don't | | | | vicious cycle day after day of high and low sugar |
| claim to have the answers to this but I have some | | | | levels. Imagine asking your horse to act while on a |
| theories. | | | | sugar low. This is probably the number one cause of |
| Certainly we do vaccinate much more than when I | | | | moody and hyper horses. I also believe this daily |
| first started practice. We didn't even vaccinate for | | | | metabolic stress is the reason we have so much |
| rabies then, but then one or two horse came down | | | | founder and colic today. Even when a minor stress |
| with it and whammo ... millions vaccinated. The same | | | | comes along they have no reserves left, because of |
| was true for Encephalitis and Strangles and now | | | | the weekend adrenals and thyroid. The weak links are |
| West Nile and even EPM, with provisional vaccines, no | | | | the gut and the feet, hence colic or founder. This same |
| less, that may or may not even work when all the | | | | scenario even happens to dogs and cats. Have you |
| facts are gathered. Have you ever vaccinated a | | | | seen the amount of corn in pet foods lately? Based on |
| horse for influenza and it later came down with it? | | | | the number of doughnut shops, bagel shops and high |
| How about vaccinated for Strangles and in a few | | | | fructose soda pop machines around, a lot of people |
| short weeks it was leaking pus all over the barn? How | | | | are destroying their "stess resistance" with |
| about, heaven forbid, Rhino and the mares later | | | | carbohydrates and sugar, too. The answer for people |
| aborted. I have - plenty of times. In fact, so much so | | | | is 25 grams of protein first thing in the morning with |
| that now I don't vaccinate at all. We have about 30 | | | | fresh flax oil or virgin olive oil (two tablespoons). The |
| Rocky Mountain Horses and we are vaccine free for | | | | answer for horses is a good oil top dressed on the |
| almost four years now - and we very seldom get sick | | | | grain which slows the absorption on the grain and |
| horses. No more abortions after horse show | | | | prevents the high spiking sugar levels in the first place. I |
| exposure. No more strangles, knock on wood! Our | | | | don't use flax oil in horses only because I find it difficult |
| horses are just healthier! | | | | to maintain the freshness. Rancid or spoiled oil is |
| Another thing I don't do is deworm every 2-3 months.. | | | | worse. And heaven forbid if you know anyone using |
| Foreign substances like deworming chemicals and | | | | corn oil, alias syrup, please suggest they stop! For |
| vaccinations just confuse the bodies' healing | | | | horses I prefer a mixture of soybean and coconut oil. |
| mechanisms to where it has no clue what is supposed | | | | Our brand is called H2Oil, Hoof and Health Oil. Despite |
| to be part of the body and what is not. It seems to | | | | what you read in the press, coconut is both good for |
| just start reacting to everything. Take for instance the | | | | both man and beast. My favorite grain to top dress it |
| allergy tests on those horses with hives. Every one of | | | | on is oats. |
| them I have seen the results on seem to come back | | | | What else can we do to tip the scale to the side of |
| allergic to everything. Like hay, grass, dust etc. - you | | | | wellness? Use antioxidants! They are the scavengers |
| know, those things you can't keep horses away from | | | | of sickness, the buzzards that clean up all the messes |
| anyway. The best you can do in most of these cases | | | | in our bodies; the rustolium that prevents the rust in the |
| is wet the hay right? Anyone have a horse sensitive | | | | first place, or better yet that which stops the rust dead |
| to flies? Come on, horses are supposed to live with | | | | in its tracks! The rust, or oxidation, is what turns the |
| flies not break out in sores and hives. What has | | | | apple brown when you cut it in half. It is oxygen gone |
| changed? The answer to deworming, by the way, is | | | | bad, free radicals bombarding everything it finds. |
| to simply check to see if they even have worms | | | | Bottom line, if you want your animal friends to live |
| before deworming. All horse don't have worms - we | | | | longer and healthier lives, give antioxidants daily and |
| check hundreds of samples in our office. TRUE all | | | | take them yourself. It's already been proven that |
| horses are exposed to worms but guess what? | | | | antioxidants are beneficial. It has been since the 60's. |
| SOME ARE RESISTANT, or so it seems! In my early | | | | Every day our animal friends, as well as ourselves, are |
| years of practice we used to always check first with | | | | bombarded with pollutants. We eat them. We drink |
| a fecal sample because we had to pass that nose | | | | them. We breathe them. Even horse feed (not to |
| tube and that was potentially risky business. That was | | | | mention our food) has pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, |
| a "known" risk, I believe an unknown risk is even | | | | hormones, etc. in it! Water has chlorine, trihalomethanes, |
| worse. Could it be that overzealous use of pastes | | | | alum, lime, and potassium permanganates just to name |
| could be just as risky? Worse yet are daily | | | | a few! My goodness, just smell the air as you travel |
| dewormers! I have no doubt that some day we will | | | | down the polluted highway. I believe you get my "drift!" |
| have super worms that are resistant to everything! | | | | If I only had one thing that I could do to help tip the |
| Daily dewormers are not helping. Paying for a colic | | | | scale to wellness it would have to be to use the |
| surgery is a great marketing stategy, especially if it | | | | antioxidant and natural "antibiotic" Garlic. It is an |
| keeps you using drugs and chemicals, isn't it? I know I | | | | awesome antioxidant, a tremendous source of sulfur |
| am stepping on toes here but it may be time to | | | | for the body and a tremendous bug powder when |
| reevaluate. This is tough when one has blinders on and | | | | mixed with the a few other ingredients. Sulfur is one of |
| just follows the norm without question. I understand | | | | the most basic substances needed to rejuvenate |
| and I could be completely wrong, BUT....Understand too, | | | | tissue. Do you know that at one time garlic was used |
| that I used to make my living as a "conventional" | | | | successfully to prevent polio? It was also found to be |
| veterinarian using vaccinations, steroids, antibiotics and | | | | a more potent antibiotic than penicillin, ampicillin, |
| other such routine stuff. How could I have made such | | | | doxycyline, streptomycin, and cephalexin- some of the |
| a drastic change? | | | | very same drugs used to treat Anthrax. It was even |
| Thank goodness mainstream is now changing too! For | | | | effective against some strains of E. coli, staph and |
| example, small animal practitioners are being advised | | | | other micro organisms. [Fitoterapia Vol 5, 1984] Other |
| to no longer vaccinate just by the "calendar", ie yearly, | | | | sulfur-bearing antioxidants, Alpha lipoic acid, N-acetyl |
| but to consider the individual needs and actual likelihood | | | | Cysteine, Taurine, and Vitamin C have been shown to |
| of exposure. True, this is very controversial, but a real | | | | elevate levels of Glutathione. This, too, is a potent |
| step in the right direction. Such recommendations will | | | | antioxidant and also has been shown to counter the |
| be forthcoming for equines as well, but my concern is | | | | toxicity produced by antrax.[Molecular Medicine, |
| that all the fear about the "new diseases" will greatly | | | | November 1994; Immunopharmacology, January2000; |
| hinder this coming. A major equine publication just last | | | | Applied Environmental Microbiology, August 1979; Bill |
| year quoted "Looming Disaster with Our Current | | | | Sardi, Knowledge of Health]. And don't forget |
| Deworming Practices" siting such concerns as | | | | Grapeseed Extract, one of the most potent |
| chemical toxicity and the resistance factor I already | | | | antioxidants known to man.. |
| mentioned. But then another major equine magazine | | | | Well, I guess if you are still reading this you are either |
| said Garlic was potentially toxic because they didn't | | | | ready to shoot me, you are saying, "yea", or maybe |
| know the difference between an onion and garlic! So | | | | "boy, that guy is nuts!" Regardless, I ask you one more |
| go figure! Bottom line is, it is our responsibility, not the | | | | thing... if you are not familiar with homeopathy, I suggest |
| industry's in general, to do what is right for our horse. | | | | you please check it out. It, in it's truest form, is the |
| Everybody has their own agenda. In the later Garlic | | | | answer to our situation today. And yes, there are even |
| article, by the way, if you questioned it, you were | | | | remedies for symptoms of anthrax, smallpox, radiation |
| referred you to a major university toxicology hotline. It | | | | exposure, plague, etc. Though there are new strains |
| cost $ 45 for a consultation. While you waited for the | | | | now the symptoms these diseases produce are |
| veterinarian, the recording attempted to sell you a book | | | | nothing new. They were here last century and often |
| on Natural Toxins in horses. I paid the $45 for a search | | | | treated successfully with homeopathic remedies, even |
| on garlic toxicity - never had they had a reported case, | | | | then. I for one won't be lining up for vaccination - but I |
| plus, with ALL their research material at hand, they | | | | will be doing everything I can to help my body help |
| could not find one substantiated reference to garlic | | | | itself. The correctly chosen homeopathic remedy |
| toxicity -Onions yes (5 pounds), Garlic NO! For your | | | | simply triggers the body to do just that - heal itself. But |
| listening pleasure, my recorded conversation can be | | | | it goes without saying that all healing depends upon |
| heard on our website The $45 was worth it and it did | | | | good nutrition. If the body doesn't have the nutrition it |
| go to a good cause I am sure, but I didn't buy the book. | | | | needs, it is like a car without the gas, it simply won't run. |
| I apologize for being so sarcastic here but Horse and | | | | What do you say... Let's keep running! See you at the |
| Rider just blew that one in my opinion. Such a shame | | | | races! Hope this helps! |