Protecting Your Senior Horse

Senior horses face the same health challenges as older people. 

• Loss of muscle mass, leading to frailty, difficulty getting up and down or standing for the farrier, and a risk of falling.
• Stiff, sore, inflamed joints, especially if they are retired performance horses.  Stiffness and soreness can increase the risk of falling, having difficulty getting up and down, struggling to stand for the farrier.  Uncomfortable horse move less and lack of movement result in more loss of muscle mass, impaired circulation that increases discomfort, slowed gut motility, and deterioration in hoof quality.
• Digestion may become less effective, leading to poor nutrient absorption that, in turn, increases the tendency to lose muscle mass, complicates the maintenance of joint health, and can result in fatigue.  In horses with joint discomfort who are not moving freely, gut contractions may become less synchronized – further impairing digestion.
• The immune system may weaken, creating vulnerability to infections. 
• The ability to regulate body temperature may become impaired, resulting in difficulty staying warm in cold weather or staying cool in hot weather. 

Core Complete's full-body support includes nutrients to combat all of these issues in senior horses. 

Essential amino acids:  These key protein building blocks cannot be made by your horse’s body – they MUST be fed – and they are used to maintain most body systems.  When the supply of these key amino acids is inadequate, horses will break down their existing muscles into amino acids to create a supply.  This breakdown fuels the cycle of increasing muscle loss and frailty – and indicates that all of the body systems that need these nutrients also are struggling.  Older horses may be especially vulnerable to lack of essential amino acids because the needs of the 20+ year old body are usually greater than for younger horses.  These nutrients are critical for:

• Maintenance and formation of muscles
• Healthy feet, tendons, ligaments, and skin
• Immune system strength and competence
• Gut health, including protection from ulcers and maximizing nutrient absorption
• Mobilization of energy to maintain all body tissues, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments
• Support of blood flow to muscles, legs, and feet

Bioavailable trace minerals: These key minerals – copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine, and selenium – work in synergy with amino acids to support maintenance and repair processes, energy mobilization, blood flow, and immune system strength.  All of these processes tend to decline with aging; targeted support can offset diminished function.  Specifically, they are needed for:

• Strength, elasticity, maintenance, and repairs of skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles
• Maintenance of cartilage and internal foot structures
• Mobilization of energy for tissue maintenance and repairs – critical to prevent tissue breakdown
• Prompt and competent activation of the immune system
• Creation of the red blood cells that deliver oxygen to all body tissues
• Protection of muscles, joints, and the gut from inflammation
• Balanced thyroid function to maintain normal temperature regulation

B vitamins:  Although your horse’s gut flora can make the B vitamins, in older horses the need for these nutrients may be greater than the amounts produced.  These important vitamins work with amino acids and trace minerals to support:

• Energy mobilization, allowing the use of carbohydrates and fats as energy sources for all body needs including maintenance and repairs of all structures
• Red blood cell formation, the crucial cells that carry oxygen to all body tissues, including the muscles, bones, feet, and gut; without adequate oxygen, the cells that make up these structures cannot function

Gut support: The most delicate system in the horse’s body is the gastrointestinal tract; this system is especially vulnerable in older horses who may not chew well, may have difficulty with nutrient absorption and motility, and may have trouble maintaining populations of “good” flora that protect the gut.  About two-thirds of the immune system resides in the gut, making gut health the key to immune strength.  Core Complete targets gut health with ingredients that:

• Optimize small intestine nutrient absorption, important to prevent malnourishment
• Minimize entry of undigested starches/sugars into the hindgut where they can cause discomfort, excess gas, and risk for colic
• Support formation of a robust mucus barrier to protect the stomach and small intestine from excess acid that causes discomfort, may result in ulcers, and disturbs the colonies of “good” flora
• Decrease gut inflammation and protect from the development of “leaky” gut
• Provide nutrients to support desirable flora that digest efficiently
• Protect the gut from undesirable organisms that can initiate and maintain ulcers
• Bind toxins

Joint Support:  In senior horses, joint discomfort is a common reason why horses start to have difficulty getting up and down – and this type of frailty can lead to that hard discussion about when is it time is to say goodbye.  Providing nutrients that support joint repair and maintenance and inflammation control is the key to managing joint health and maximizing your older horse’s ability to enjoy life safely and comfortably.   Core Complete contains joint-focused ingredients that:

• Decrease inflammation
• Support joint mobility
• Improve gait smoothness
• Provide raw materials for collagen, a key component of tendons, ligaments, and cartilage
• Support synthesis, maintenance, and repair of tendons, ligaments, and cartilage
• By reducing inflammation and discomfort, support proper posture and muscle engagement, helping to offset age-related muscle loss and weakness

If your senior partner has experienced moderate to severe loss of muscle mass, has been sick, or is struggling with weakness, fatigue, or persistent soreness, then consider adding Core Builder to the feed bucket.  Builder uses muscle-specific amino acids and nutrients that synergize with the full-body actions of Core Complete to improve energy delivery to muscles, enhance new muscle formation by providing additional amino acids that can be used as raw materials, and protect existing muscle mass.  The B vitamins in Builder provide greater energy mobilization to repair and protect all body tissues and enhance blood flow – the key to nutrient delivery, inflammation control, and all body maintenance processes. 

Is your best older friend struggling with moderate to severe joint issues from a long performance career?  Then also consider adding Core Motion Plus for additional targeted joint support.  Core Motion Plus contains the highly effective nutrient hyaluronic acid (HA).  HA thickens synovial fluid.  Thicker synovial fluid means better lubrication, improving comfort, reducing swelling, decreasing inflammation, and enhancing the strength and elasticity of cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.  Oral dosing of HA has been shown to be as effective as injections directly into the joints.  An additional benefit of HA is that it supports a healthy gastrointestinal lining, healthy skin, and a healthy coat.  In addition to the benefits of HA there are five joint-protective ingredients; glucosamine, MSM, natural vitamin E, curcumin, and bioperine.  Glucosamine is needed to make and repair all joint-related soft tissues – cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.  MSM has extensively documented inflammation-controlling and joint-protecting actions.  Vitamin E protects joint tissues through its anti-oxidant actions that buffer the destructive actions of inflammation. Curcumin is the most potent anti-inflammatory compound in turmeric – a widely used and well-studied herb in horses.  Bioperine, a black pepper extract, enhances the bioavailability of curcumin, allowing the horse to access the full benefits of this powerful compound. 

Need help deciding exactly which Core Balance products your horse needs?  Reach out with your questions.