What Exactly Is Inflammation, and What Does It Do To Your Horse? Article by Laramie Jackson Owner/Manager at FortitudeEquine.com

First, we should probably break down exactly what inflammation is to better understand its effects on the body. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, inflammation is a localized protective reaction of tissue to irritation, injury, or infection, characterized by pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes loss of function. And it can happen anywhere in the body. Not all inflammation is bad because it protects vulnerable areas, but knowing what causes bad vs. good inflammation can be a game changer when it comes to maintaining a strong & healthy performance horse.

How can we support healthy inflammation and get rid of unnecessary inflammation in the body?
The inflammatory process is highly complex. There are 3 main phases in the process that are helpful for horse owners to know to manage it properly.

Acute: Swelling, redness, heat, loss of function

Sub-Acute: Regenerative processes

Chronic: consistent low-grade inflammation can cause musculoskeletal injuries, lameness, metabolic & immune issues

Are there sneaky ingredients in your horse's feed that could be contributing to their inflammation?

Knowing what is in our horse's feed can help us understand where low-grade chronic inflammation is coming from. Does your horse take longer to heal soft tissue injuries than others? Does your horse seem to have a weakened immune system?
Does our horse have metabolic syndrome? In this 3-minute video, Erik Jackson talks about unnatural feed additives and the effects they play on the body.

Inflammatory Feed Additives

 
Artificial Flavors - By products of petroleum waste

Magnesium Stearate - Breaks down into stearic acid - loss in T-cell function (weakened immune system)

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) - Cancer and tumor growth in lab rats - The body can't naturally excrete it.

Sodium Benzoate - Mold inhibitor but converts to benzene in the body, a known carcinogen. Linked to chronic inflammation in animal studies.

Artificial Colors - Man-made chemical compounds, often by-products of petroleum waste and crude oil production.

There are 100% natural feed ingredients that can also cause low-grade inflammation in the body. As they say, "You are what you eat," and that rings true for our four-legged friends too. Cattle feeders feed corn to steers to fatten them before butchering. It's relatively cheap, and cows gain extremely well on the grain, but it's also highly-inflammatory due to the Omega 6's and lack of Omega 3's (anti-inflammatory). Horses need a 2:1 ratio of Omega 3's to 6's. Corn oil contains 50 times more Omega 6's than Omega 3's.

 Hemp contains the perfect balance of Omega 3's to 6's, making it a great anti-inflammatory addition to your horse's diet. Fortitude Equine's Complete Aminos & Cold-Pressed Hemp Seed Oil are anti-inflammatory and full of amino acids essential to muscle recovery and immune function. Our Full-Spectrum Hemp Pellets contain all of the same things with the addition of beneficial cannabinoids such as CBD.

As Erik stated in the video, please consult your vet if you have any concerns about your horse's diet. We are not vets, just people who are passionate about helping our horses feel their absolute best. We highly encourage you to go out and do your own research and be informed!

FortitudeEquine.com for morse information!

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