Tip of the Week – Mushrooms to the Rescue for a Healthy Horse

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Cough, sneeze, sniffle!

Cold and flu season not quite over and horses too can fall victim to the runny-nose blues.

While humans can try to avoid contact with other ill people, cover their achoo-ing and attempt to wash their hands with the same germaphobic zeal as Howie Mandel; the fact is, horses simply can’t keep up.

Two critical conditions exist that make horses (and humans) sick:

First, the cold.

Now remember, it’s not literally the cold that causes a cold or the flu. It’s the body’s reaction to those decreased temperatures. Horses who are kept outside or in cold stalls during the chilly season exert more energy to maintain a core body temperature (through, for example, shivering). As a result, calories are diverted to temperature upkeep rather than immune system maintenance.

Also, as we recall from kindergarten, colds and the flu are extremely easy to spread. If your horse is kept warm and snugly indoors but is in close proximity to other sickly horses, especially with recycled ventilation, there is an increased likelihood of catching something.

Second, it’s darker.

While it would be fantastic to jet off to the tropics with your equine companion to soak up some extra rays, when you can’t do that not getting some much needed sun can be a problem. This means a decreased production of the “sunshine” vitamin D, a top contributor to a healthy immune system.

Not only is the sun more absent during winter months, but horses are also kept sheltered or covered by blankets and sheets. Combined with their darker skin tones (which naturally produce less vitamin D), these factors can result in vitamin D deficiency and lead to a greater susceptibility to infection from viruses and bacteria.

So, what’s a horse owner to do?

Before dishing out hundreds of dollars in vet fees, Dr. Marvin Hausman, medical scientist and clinician, advocates an all-natural, preventative solution: mushrooms.

While mushrooms have been used in natural medicine for thousands of years, Dr. Hausman has taken speculation to some of the most prestigious research facilities in the world – Penn State and University of Texas to name a few – and has validated the powerful health benefits of mushrooms for both animals and people.

Here’s what he found: mushrooms contain some of the most powerful anti-oxidative and probiotic properties known in any food product. They have strong anti-viral properties, excellent anti-inflammatory active ingredients and other natural healing elements.

So remember, mushrooms are not just delicious sautéed, they are healthy for horses too!

This tip was brought to you by Dr. Marvin Hausman (http://totalnutraceutical.com/) and KAM Animal Services, home of KAM’s “Equine Learning Circle” FREE webinars, which take place twice a month.  Go to www.kamanimalservices.com to sign up for the March 28 webinar (targeting worming, trailering, stall rest and fungus).  And while you are there signing up for the webinar, you can also sign up to be notified each week when a new tips goes up.

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