Why Feed
Horses With Probiotics?
Almost
every article you read about probiotics will tell you that the
word itself literally means “for life”. Probiotics are
the live beneficial bacterial organisms that contribute to the
health and balance of the intestinal tract and because of this,
have become an increasingly popular ingredient in horse
supplements. The use of probiotics dates back thousands of
years. In fact, many people today rely on yogurt with
active cultures as their source of probiotics. But what
does that mean for the horse owner?
Horses
are by definition a repository of good and bad bacteria.
Managing the delicate harmony between the two is the key to
maintaining good digestive health. The equine athlete,
pony, miniature, trail horse and breeding stock all have
nutritional requirements that evolved from centuries of grazing
in lush pastures. With domestication, most horses now face
a diet of processed food, stored hays and grasses provided on
intermittent feed schedules. There are few grazing
opportunities, especially in winter months. Performance
horses are often kept in small stalls year round and rarely
turned out. Add to this the use of worming products,
rounds of antibiotics or other medications, regular vaccinations
and you can begin to see that the probability of naturally
cultivating an ample source of the friendly intestinal flora
found in probiotics is unlikely.
The
fragile composure of bacteria in the gut is also easily
disturbed by changes in weather, stall confinement, altering the
diet, and stress. The rigors of competition can cause
drastic shifts in the microflora brought about by the strain of
transportation, intense workouts, dehydration and nervousness.
Feeding
probiotics is a preventative therapy that utilizes good bacteria
to edge out the effects of the bad bacteria. This
balancing act is necessary to maintain maximum digestive
efficiency. Providing a consistent level of friendly
bacteria in the digestive tract has been proven to decrease the
incidence of gastrointestinal disorders, supports the immune
system and will effectively allow maximum absorption of all
other nutrients.
When
considering the beneficial health effects of probiotics, it’s
also important to contemplate the journey through the digestive
system that the product must survive in order to be
advantageous. The process of digestion begins by grinding
the food and mixing it with saliva. It then passes through
the esophagus, into the acidic environment of the stomach and
finally its destination within the gut. SMOOTH
RUN probiotics are microencapsulated which allows them to
survive oral ingestion and finally reach the intestinal tract
where it’s potential can be realized.
Daily
feeding of SMOOTH RUN
promotes efficient feed utilization and aids digestion while
improving general health, temperament and performance. Our
philosophy is simple: The reason the proprietary probiotic
and digestive enzymes of SMOOTH RUN
are so important to the diet is that what really matters when
supplementing your horse is how well he utilizes the nutrients
you take the time to give.
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“REVEALED
SECRETS OF COLOSTRUM”
For
more than 20 years colostrum has been extensively studied and
has had over 20,000 scientific studies and research articles
performed on one of nature’s most potent and invigorating
natural immune factors. Especially those who try it and
use it are discovering more health benefits every day.
Colostrum
is the pre-milk liquid produced from the mammary glands during
the first 24-48 hours after birth. During this short
duration of time, the immune factors and the growth factors are
still at their peak and contain several times the factors
compared to colostrum taken during later milkings.
Colostrum
contains over 37 different important natural immune factors and
more than 8 growth factors that work with the body to combat
illness and promote full health. While the immune factors
in colostrum work to fight off disease and protect the body, the
growth factors in colostrum work to repair and reverse the
damage caused by age, disease, stress and injuries. The
growth factors in colostrum have also shown to help rebuild and
repair cellular tissue, as well as help:
- Improve nutrient uptake
- Rebuild bone mass
- Return elasticity to the
skin
- Improve energy
- Build lean muscle
- Increase memory
- Balance blood sugar levels
- Burn fat
- Elevate moods
The
natural immune and growth factors found in colostrum also work
together to help with many health problems such as:
- Chronic
infections like sinusitis, cystitis and yeast infections
- Auto-immune
diseases like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome
Multiple
sclerosis, Lupus, Alzheimer’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis
- As
well as Diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, gout,
depression and resistance to colds and flu
- Digestive
disorders like leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome,
colitis and ulcers
- Respiratory
ailments like asthma, emphysema, and allergies
COLOSTRUM
IS THE SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO ANTIBIOTICS WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS
Colostrum
is a whole food and is completely natural unlike antibiotics.
In fact antibiotics can actually make us more susceptible to
illness. Antibiotics kill all bacteria in our bodies,
which not only causes other ailments and side effects, but also
throws the body off balance since not all bacteria in the body
are bad. By killing all bacteria in our body, it makes our
immune system work harder and leaves us more stressed and tired.
Antibiotics
are also not naturally occurring. It is another chemical
compound added to our list of symptom suppression. It has
been proven that more than 80% of the prescriptions written for
antibiotics are needless. Viruses cause most colds, sore
throats and congestion; antibiotics have no effect on viral
infections.
With
the use of colostrum, you can naturally help eliminate symptoms
by combating the actual problem, the virus. Strengthening
your immune system naturally is your best defense against
illnesses.
COLOSTRUM
CAN BUILD LEAN MUSCLE MASS, INCREASE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AND
REDUCE RECOVERY TIME BETWEEN STRENUOUS WORKOUTS
For
horses that work out regularly and strenuously, colostrum is a
good choice for supplementation. Not only does it help
build lean muscle tissue, colostrum helps slow protein breakdown
and speed up protein synthesis. In fact, many body
builders say that colostrum is the most effective
muscle-building agent they have ever used – and it’s
completely natural!
Colostrum
Builds Lean Muscle
One
of the real problems with achieving muscular development lies
not just in harnessing anabolism (growth) but also in preventing
catabolism (breakdown.)
Colostrum
contains two important compounds which work synergistically to
accomplish the building of lean muscle mass. The first of
these, called IgF-1, is a small peptide with a more anabolic
effect than any known compound. Research has shown that
during exercise, 1gF-1 is the signal that triggers muscle cell
proliferation. IgF-1 works hand in hand with growth
hormone (GH) for the building of lean muscle mass.
COLOSTRUM
AIDS METABOLISM FOR A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF FUEL & GREATER
ENERGY
In
order for your horse to compete successfully, it is important to
have both strength and stamina. Anything that will enhance
endurance while maximizing fuel is certainly an asset.
During
heavy workouts and in times of hunger, the body burns its own
protein instead of fat. Studies have shown that colostrum
shifts fuel utilization to fat, actually preventing the body
from burning glucose for energy. The additional growth
factors keep GH levels in the body high enough so that protein
(muscle) is not compromised during heavy workouts. It also
stimulates glucose transport in the muscle, making more
efficient use of the available fuel. Athletes and body
builders often report they lose weight while gaining inches.
COLOSTRUM
REPAIRS TISSUE AND SPEEDS HEALING
Each
time your equine athlete exercises strenuously this causes tiny
tears in muscle tissue. The muscle-building factors in
colostrum repair this damage quickly while strengthening
muscles.
The
regenerative effects of colostrum extend to nearly every
structural cell of the body. In fact, IgF-1 is the best
know compound for synthesis and repair of cartilage. Other
compounds known as Transforming Growth Factors A and B are known
for their ability to enhance healing in the synthesis and repair
of RNA and DNA. Colostrum works to heal athletic injuries,
from those that occur on a day- to-day basis within the muscle,
to those of a more serious nature.
COLOSTRUM
HELPS WITH NUTRIENT UPTAKE
Colostrum
helps heal the lining of the small intestine where nutrient
absorption takes place. Not only does this enhance
nutrient uptake, but it also seals out invading organisms which
otherwise slip through the intestinal lining into the
bloodstream. This accounts for the boost in energy when
you or your horse receives colostrum.
Colostrum
benefits the athlete in so many ways that it is quickly gaining
popularity – especially amongst those who prefer to stay with
natural substances.
PERHAPS
MOST IMPRESSIVE IS COLOSTRUM’S HEALING EFFECT ON AUTOIMMUNE
DISEASES
Autoimmune
diseases include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, Addison’s disease, childhood asthma, fibromyalgia,
chronic fatigue syndrome, thyroiditis, vasculitis, Chrohn’s
disease, colitis, Raynaud’s disease and there are many more.
Autoimmune
disease result when damage is done by autoimmune system, which
cannot turn itself off. The substances that trigger this
hyper-response of the immune system are known as allergens.
Leaky gut syndrome, which responds to non-denatured colostrum,
is almost always associated with autoimmune disease.
Reversing the direction of a disease depends upon healing the
lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Any other treatment
is just symptom suppression.
Not
surprisingly, colostrum’s many beneficial factors focus their
efforts in the area where an overwhelming majority of diseases
and infections enter the body in the intestines. Colostrum
contains several substances that play a role in the healing of
the whole gastrointestinal tract.
The
immune factors in colostrum can have an immediate effect,
attacking pathogens in the intestines, inhibiting their
reproduction and preventing their attack on the intestinal wall.
Several growth factors have an anti-inflammatory effect, which
is a big factor in the initial healing of leaky gut syndrome.
Other growth factors repair damaged tissue and seal the mucus
layer of the intestines, making it impermeable to toxins and
parasites.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU START TAKING PURE COLOSTRUM?
Depending
on how much colostrum you begin giving your horse and how
healthy or ill your horse is, depends on what may be experienced
when you first introduce the body to the healing ingredients of
colostrum. The following is some information on what to
expect when supplementing your equine with colostrum:
Colostrum
begins working immediately
Colostrum
begins its work by being absorbed into the bowel mucosa.
It produces a healing there, which provides benefits throughout
the body. You should notice your horse beginning to feel
better right away.
When
taken at the recommended rate of 10,000 ~ 20,000 mg (10~20
grams) per day for your horse, you should often see a difference
in a week. However, each horse is unique and some stresses
that have been endured may mean that relief (of serious
ailments) will not come immediately. The long-term
benefits of colostrum are definitely worth any minor wait you
may experience.
How
much colostrum should you feed?
The
optimal amount of colostrum will vary from individual to
individual and will depend on the reasons receiving colostrum.
Factors to consider are age and overall health.
Many
people build up to a higher dosage for a period of time and then
reduce to a maintenance level when the desired effects are
received. More colostrum can be taken during times of
stress and illness to move through the symptoms quickly.
Colostrum is completely safe (considered a whole food) and
contains no toxicity levels so that you can safely feed as much
as you want without side effects. There have never been
any reported side effects from taking too much.
When
should you feed colostrum?
Colostrum
is best taken on an empty stomach. It is made up of large
protein chains, which are designed to pass through the stomach
and be released in the small intestines. As we know it can
be difficult to feel your horse on a schedule such as this, but
when there is food in the stomach, it may not be as adequately
digested and food in the intestinal tract can compete with the
colostrum for binding sites, making it not as effective as with
an empty stomach.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
‘Rising
to the Occasion’
Beta-1, 3-D-glucan – immune
activator
By
James J. Gormley
Despite
the “advances in modern medicine, we are living in an age that
presents staggering risk to our immune system.” Warns
Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D. in his 1997 book, Intelligent
Medicine (Fireside/Simon & Schuster). True enough.
It’s sometimes quite challenging to keep on top of all of the
compromises posed to our immune defenses via the environment
such as chemicals in our foods, antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
insufficient sleep and disease.
But
the good news is that surprising immune-boosters are being found
in the most unlikely places. Would you believe that a
complex sugar (polysaccharide). Beta-1, 3-D-glucan –
found in the cell walls of baker’s yeast (and other sources)
– is proving itself to be a top-notch immune charger?
Believe it.
Beta
What? Like other glucans, (special complex sugars or
polyglucose). Beta-1,3-D-glucan is made up of sugar units
linked together.
In most
cases, Beta-1,3-D-glucan is taken and purified from common
baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Other Beta-glucans
are found in a variety of fungal cells including sources as
Maitake mushroom, Reishi mushroom, Sacred Mushroom tea, barley
and oats.
The
immune “connection” comes into play when we realize that
there is a specific receptor site on a very important immune
cell called a macrophage. When Beta-1,3-D-glucan attaches
to the receptor site on the macrophage this immune cell is then
“activated” allowing it to go about its business of
attacking and destroying invading organisms.
So
what exactly is a macrophage? It’s a potent cell that
stems originally from a genetic “soup” of DNA in bone
marrow. After this “pre-macrophage” travels from the
bone marrow into the blood it becomes a monocyte (a special
white blood cell of leukocyte) and then as a macrophage gets
distributed into many different tissues and organs.
Macrophages:
Pac-Man to the rescue? Sort of, just as our hungry virtual
friend goes his own little way by devouring invaders,
macrophages engulf or phagocytose those nasty troublemakers.
Infection:
Macrophages play a key role in fighting infections because they
rapidly mobilize the infected sites and also help to recruit
immune T cells to sites of infection, injury and cancerous
growth. In additions, they respond to bacterial infection
by undergoing changes, which enable them to make use of
“supercharged” anti-microbial (antibiotic) function.
In
contrast to the inflammatory macrophages brought on by irritants
or tissue damage macrophages recruited for immune response
specifically display an increased capacity to kill a broad range
of neoplastic (pre-cancerous) and infectious targets.
“William E Paul, M.D. clarified in Fundamental Immunology.
A
complex molecule: Superimposed on the macrophages more
traditional role as a phagocytic scavenger cell is the growing
realization that these cells secrete an enormous array of
biologically active products. Not only do macrophages eat
up trespassers and offer their own (innate) antioxidants power
against free-radicals (the hydroxy radical, especially) they
release a dizzying array of critically important enzymes,
proteins, lipids and other factors an energy-draining process
which decreases levels of vitamin C in activated macrophages.
Some
key products released by macrophages include: enzymes that break
down cholesterol, triglycerides and protein: interferon-alpha
and interferon-beta (“green berets” of our immune
expeditionary forces used against AIDS and other diseases):
other immune cells: interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor
necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha: chondroitin sulfate (proteoglycans)
– critical for injury and arthritis and cyclic AMP part of our
bodies’ energy equation).
Wound
Healing and Inflammation: Macrophages also participate in
reducing inflammation and in the healing of tissues following
injury. The role of macrophages in inflammation is
complex, involving the release of molecules that regulate
activity of connective tissue cells. In addition,
macrophages secrete angiogenesis factors, that is, factors that
bring on the development and growth of new blood vessels.
The same molecules promote growth of endothelial tissue and
smooth muscle tissue. Reducing the number of macrophages
in tissues results in poor wound healing.
Tumor
Cells: Activated macrophages can be powerful weapons
against many unrelated tumor cells, as can macrophages’
“children” such as interferon mentioned above.
Interferon:
Not
only is interferon released by macrophages, it, in turn,
increases the anti-bacteria and anti-tumor capabilities of
macrophages and boosts their innate immune powers.
In
conjunction with antioxidants (including vitamin C)
Beta-1,3-D-glucan – this yeast-derived sugar – can certainly
“rise to the occasion.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOW
SMOOTH RUN PLUS CALMING FORMULA
WORKS FOR YOUR ANXIOUS HORSE
Studies
show that the therapeutic effect of synergistically blended
nutrients can work better together than one nutrient on its own.
That goal stands at the forefront of the Smooth Run product
line. The principal foundation of Smooth Run is a
specially blended base of probiotics and digestive enzymes. This
blend is so important because what really matters is how well
your horse utilizes the nutrients you take the time to give.
Without the proper digestive enzymes and beneficial intestinal
bacteria, food is not 'fermented' in the way it was intended as
it passes through the digestive tract. Instead of being
digested, it remains undigested. As you read on, you will
see how important the digestive process is to maintaining a calm
horse. The Smooth Run recipe is then complimented with a
full spectrum vitamin formula, minerals and a joint complex,
which acts as a major building block to cartilage repair.
It is truly an all-in-one supplement.
Smooth
Run Plus Calming adds a combination of Valerian Root, Chamomile
Flowers and Ginger Root to the basic nutrients in Smooth Run
Plus:
- Valerian
root is an herb that has been used for centuries in Asia and
Europe to relieve anxiety, depression, and is also used to
lessen stomach cramps. Studies of valerian confirm a mild
sedative effect, one that is calming but does not usually
result in sleepiness.
- Chamomile
flowers are used in alternative medicine to soothe nervous
excitement, as an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic.
- Ginger
contains many antioxidants and is perhaps the herb best
known to stimulate digestion. Because Ginger also
relaxes the muscles surrounding blood vessels it has a
wholesome effect on the circulatory system, facilitating the
flow of blood throughout the body.
These
completely natural herbs have proven time and again to help many overwrought
horses conquer their distress and still make it to the pay
window! Please remember that anxiety (or what appears to
be anxiety) in your horse can be the result of many factors.
- Performance
Anxiety. It is common for angst about competition to
generally be played out in the gastrointestinal system.
This stress response causes muscle tension, excess acid in
the gut and even physical signs such as trembles under the
skin. For these horses, Smooth Run Plus Calming
definitely helps.
- Pain.
Other horses that become anxious before going into the arena
may simply be in pain and are exhibiting symptoms of stress
because they know the run might hurt. This is often a result
of discomfort in a joint. While supplementation can
help to repair damaged cartilage, if you suspect your
horse’s anxiety is the result of pain, a consultation with
your Vet would be in order.
- Excitement
sometimes manifests itself as anxiety. Some horses
love to run and are so fired up they seem to be acting out.
If he is merely anticipating your run but has not “run
off” then he is probably eager to do his job. Often,
just by taking a little bit of the edge off, your horse will
be better equipped to concentrate on the job ahead.
Our
professional formula, Smooth Run PRO Plus Calming, has become
very popular with skilled barrel racers who find that the
constant grind of long-distance hauling, unfamiliar stalls and
the strain of competition puts even more pressure on their
athletic horse. Smooth Run PRO Plus Calming combines
the benefits of Smooth Run Plus Calming, Ulcer Relief, Breathe
Smooth in one easy to feed supplement.
We've
seen our product work wonders. Not just on attitude, but
also in hoof and coat condition, muscle tone (the colostrum in
our formula helps here) and you'll notice that when your horse
feels better, he'll generally be a better teammate. After all,
Barrel Racing is a team sport.
Whether
you choose Smooth Run Plus Calming or Smooth Run PRO Plus
Calming, you’ll be helping your anxious horse find his peak
performance level.
“When
you want the best, feed the best.”