I am Dr. Anthony R Scheiber a Veterinarian and Nutritionist and have been investigating Equine Nutrition for the past 30 years. As a Veterinarian I have always been concerned about how to prevent health problems in horses. It is with this interest that my wife Lin, and I own and operate an Equine Nutrition Research Facility in Cody, Wyoming. This facility has allowed Stamina Plus to design products for horses that help prevent health problems and keep the horses healthy into their 30′s.
I have written a few comments over the last year about Equine intestinal parasites. I thought it was important to answer the question are Equine De-Wormers 100% effective, that is do they kill 100% of the intestinal parasites (Worms).
The answer is no.
No De-Wormers are 100% effective in killing all the worms.
That is why it is important to have a program for De-Worming that is frequent enough to not allow a buildup of intestinal worms.
Your Veterinarian can help you with the best program depending on how many horses you have, your location and problems in your area.
Stamina Plus has not seen Pin Worm infections in its research horses for the last 25 year, even though horses are purchased yearly.
This week one of the horses purchased 6 months ago and housed in a pen with one other horse developed a Pin Worm infection with classic signs of irritation to the perineal area, with severe rubbing and loss of hair. This horse has been wormed with both Ivermectin and Panacur over the last 6 months.
There have been reports of resistance to both of these products.
If your horse develops signs of Pin worm infection it would be advisable to contact your Veterinarian for treatment options.
Trace Minerals required by the horse are; Zinc, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Magnesium, Colbalt, Iodine and Selenium.
These trace Minerals are necessary for; Nerve Function, Muscle Health, Thyroid Function, Reproduction, Skin and Hair Health, Bone Development, Blood Cells and Fetal Development.
As you can see Trace Minerals are important for all body functions. You have to be careful because in excess these Trace Minerals can also be toxic. These Trace Minerals also have to be in the correct ratio to each other to function correctly and not be toxic.
There are in general two types of Trace Minerals, Inorganic and Organic. Stamina Plus has developed a unique formulation of these Trace Minerals using both the Inorganic and organic forms, to be in the correct ratio, are safe, and maintain a healthy horse and allows performance horses to perform to their potential.
B Vitamins include; B1, B2, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, B6, Pyridoxine, Biotin, Folacin, B12 and Choline.
These B Vitamins are important in converting energy and protein into usable forms by the horse, hair and hoof growth, reproductive functions and blood builders.
Adequate amounts of B Vitamins insure good digestion of feed stuffs so that the horse can actually be fed less feed.
Stamina Plus through research has shown that the amounts of B Vitamins in its Supplements decreases amount of required hay by 15%.
By feeding Stamina Plus Equine Supplement or Equine Senior Plus horse owners can be assured that the correct amounts of B Vitamins are being fed daily.
Miniature ponies have been known to be especially prone to laminitis and Insulin resistance.
It was with this in mind that Stamina Plus decided to study miniature ponies feed requirements and develop a practical feeding program for them.
This study was carried out in the fall of 2011. The results showed that as with standard size horses hay and grain can be feed to these ponies at about 1.5% of their body weight. In previous studies with standard horses Stamina Plus found along with its Equine Supplement the standard hay intake is about 1.5% of the body weight as long as the Equine Supplement is fed with the oats.
The miniature ponies were fed 4 lbs of grass hay daily along with ½ ounce of Stamina Plus Equine Supplement and 4 ounces of oats per day. No ponies developed laminitis nor any signs of Insulin Resistance.
The take home message from this study is that by being careful on the amount of hay and grain the miniature ponies can lead a normal life with no fear of developing metabolic problems.
Stamina Plus has been study Cushing Horses at its Research facility in Cody, Wyoming for the past 4 years.
Cushing horses have a chronic excess of Cortisol usually from a malfunctioning Pituitary Gland in the Brain. This condition usually affects older horses that exhibit long hair that does not shed and a pot belly appearance along with bouts of laminitis.
I have found that by feeding Stamina Plus Equine Senior Plus along with Stamina Plus Flex Plus and a normal amount of oats and hay that the condition can be controlled.
These Cushing horses in the Research Facility have not developed laminitis and have limited the signs of Cushing Disease and lead a comfortable life.
Stamina Plus has been studying Insulin Resistance at the Research facility in Cody, Wyoming for the past year.
I believe that most Insulin Resistance horses develop the problem from over feeding. If horse owner will stick to the basics and feed a complete Supplement like Stamina Plus Equine Supplement along with 1 pound of oats and 1.5% of Body weight of hay (15 lbs per 1000 lb of Body Weight) Insulin Resistance can be avoided. This level of feed is for horses at rest. When horses are asked to work the level of feed has to be increased.
If horses are on pasture and develop a weight problem then they have to be limited to how much pasture they get per day
I have been working with horses that have developed Insulin Resistance and have found they can be brought back to a healthy weight by limiting the amount of hay and feeding Stamina Plus Senior Supplement along with Stamina Plus Flex Plus and 1 pound of oats per day. Once the weight is under control they can then go back on a normal diet.
Vitamin E is extremely important for muscle and nerve functions in the horse. Horses have a large muscle mass that is asked to do an extra ordinary amount of work in many athletic activities.
There is Vitamin E in many feed stuffs but it rapidly deteriorates after harvest. There are specific conditions that have been described that are related to a Vitamin E deficiency both in muscle and nerve function. When a Horse exercises the requirement for Vitamin E increases many fold.
Stamina Plus has studied these requirements at it Research Facility in Cody, Wyoming and includes the necessary levels for your horse in its Supplements. In the last ten years Research has shown that the requirement for Vitamin E has increased 5 fold.
Vitamin D is essential in Calcium balance and is used by the Intestine, Kidney and Bones. Vitamin D also influences cell growth which is important in tissue and joint damage. Vitamin D level is low in feed commonly fed to horses. Vitamin D can be synthesized by the skin from ultraviolet irradiation. The assumed requirement for Vitamin D may be met by sunlight but many factors can increase the level needed for a balance of Vitamin D by the body. Therefore Stamina Plus does add Vitamin D to its Supplements so that a deficiency does not occur. A deficiency is most likely to occur with growth, tissue damage and an imbalance in Calcium and Phosphorus intake.
At Stamina Plus we have been studying Vitamins manufactured in the US compared to Vitamins manufactured in other Countries. The response of the horses In the research facility shows us that there is a difference in quality and response from different manufactures. Therefore in Stamina Plus products where ever possible only US manufactured Vitamins are used. This is one of the ways that Stamina Plus continues to offer the highest quality products with proven results.
