Feed & Stable
FARNAM INTRODUCES TWO NEW SUPPLEMENTS FORMULATED SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIOR HORSES
Today’s horses are enjoying longer, healthier lives, thanks to improved health care and advances in veterinary medicine. Because aging digestive systems aren’t as efficient at absorbing nutrients, most senior horses will benefit from a supplement designed specifical- ly for their unique requirements. Farnam recently released two supple-
ments designed specifically for horses in their golden years: Farnam® Senior Health & Well- ness and Farnam® Senior Active Performance ASU. Both were formulated by Ph.D. equine nutritionists.
Senior Health & Wellness was developed for older horses who are fully retired or used only for light work. It’s ideal for horses eat- ing a commercial senior feed who can’t be fed the recommended amount without gaining too much weight. It can also be added to an unfor- tified diet.
“Senior Health & Wellness contains ben-
eficial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will help fill in any nutritional gaps and helps meet the requirements of senior horses”
explains Richard G. Godbee, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAS, Director of Technical Ser- vices--Equine for Farnam, Vita Flex and Horse Health. “It also contains a prebiotic to aid in di- gestion. This helps promote healthy gut func- tion and digestion of fiber, so it helps the horse get the most out of the forage he’s eating.” For older horses who are still being ridden
regularly, Senior Active Performance ASU is a great choice, as it helps maintain the structural integrity of aging joints, as well as joint mobil- ity and muscle recovery, after exercise. ASU stands for avocado soybean unsaponifiables, a combination of natural vegetable extracts from avocado and soybean oils that has been shown in research to help maintain joint health. In addition to easing joint stiffness due to normal exercise and activity, Senior Ac- tive Performance ASU helps support normal recovery time after strenuous activity. It sup- ports healthy cellular activity and also protects against free radical damage and oxidative stress resulting from exercise.
Amino Acid Requirements for Horses In order to fuel, repair, and recover mus- cle, equine diets must optimally contain a su- perior amino acid profile, including all 10 of the essential amino acids. Most horse owners can quickly name the crude protein level in the feed they provide their horses. But, what horse owners really need to know about is the amino acid content. Protein is made up of amino ac- ids, similar to how a chain is made up of links. There are two basic categories of amino acids: Essential and nonessential. Essential amino ac- ids must be provided in the diet, as the horse cannot create them on its own in the digestive tract, where the nonessential amino acids can be made.
Another key point is that some amino ac- ids are known as “limiting” amino acids. This means that if a horse runs out of this type of amino acid, it can’t utilize any of the remain- ing amino acids present in the feed. If the horse has enough of the first most-limiting amino acid, but then runs out of the second most-lim-
14 SouthWest Horse Trader
iting amino acid, it can’t use the remaining amount of the third most limiting, and so on. In horses, the first three most-limiting amino acids, in order, are lysine, methionine and threonine. Generally speaking, if these three amino acids are present in sufficient quantities, the ingredients used also pro- vide the remaining amino acids in sufficient quantities. It is increasingly common to see these three amino acids listed on the guar- anteed analysis of horse feed tags, as it is an indication of the quality of the protein sources and the balanced nature of the feed. If you are looking for a feed that may help impact topline, be sure to look at the guaran- teed analysis on the feed tag. In specific Nu- trena feeds – SafeChoice products, ProForce products, and Empower Balance– the amino acid levels are called out and guaranteed on the tag. The amino acids included in Nutrena’s Topline Balance products are included in spe- cific amounts and ratios. Research has shown
June 2018
Both supplements can be given year- round and may be used with any type of feed- ing program, whether horses are on pasture, hay or a combination. Just mix the recom- mended amount into the horse’s daily ration; because the extruded nuggets are highly palat- able, horses eat them readily. Supplements are designed to work synergistically and may be given together.
Farnam® Senior Health & Wellness and
Farnam® Senior Active Performance ASU are available in two convenient sizes: 3.75 lb. re- fill bag and 7.5 lb. Farnam fresh keeper bucket. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. To coincide with the release of these ex- citing new supplements, a trial launch coupon can be found in the 3.75 lb. size that is good for $10 off the next purchase of a 7.5 lb. bucket. Farnam is also offering an instant $5 off cou- pon for any size of either senior supplement. Go to
www.farnam.com to print your coupon and learn more about the products. w
that this specific combination and type of ami- no acids help to support a healthy topline when fed correctly.
Guaranteed amino acids on the tag is a good starting point. You then need to let the horse tell you if the feed is working by regu- larly evaluating and noting changes in topline condition. To determine what nutrition best fits your
horse’s needs, take the Topline Balance (www.
toplinebalance.com) assessment for a custom- ized nutrition plan. w
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