Figuring out how to help our horses heal from bouts of disease is all part of the horse owner's experience. Fighting issues with tick borne diseases such as Lyme and Anaplasmosis, flare-ups of metabolic issues caused by the amazing amount of green grass we've had available all summer in the North-East, and figuring our how to help our older horses with hind gut issues and post-ulcer treatment support, is a constant battle.
To the rescue comes a ground-breaking new product, Grand Meadows Postbiotic, that rather wonderfully also currently has a free trial offer available to our fellow professional trainers. Here at Willowview Hill Farm, we don't often endorse products, but this feed supplement product does seem to be a game-changer.
Launched in March 2023, the triumphs of this product that are being hailed by many pro trainers that have already been using it, is that not only does it resolve equine digestive upsets caused by antibiotic administration, and lower ulcer scores and offer post ulcer treatment support, but also allows them to discard many other somewhat questionable medical practices and save money. With the major plus to all this, that the horses are performing better as a result of feeling so much better.
The amazing quantities of rain we have enjoyed in the North-East U.S.A. all summer, have created more issues than a poor hay harvest due to terrible weather. They also created an 'Emerald Isle' appearance to our landscape that had many horse owners scratching their heads as to how to mitigate the risk of metabolic flare-up issues in vulnerable horses.
Worth a look! |
When you begin learning more about the horse's digestive system and how best to treat the cause rather than the symptom of poor gut health then you realize we are often approaching the issue from back to front.
For us, anything that is a good quality product that actually does what it says it will do is something we're going to look at very seriously. Between the important NASC seal of approval (a strict audit process on feed supplements helps keep the industry straight), that offers a measure of trust and confidence in both the quality, quantity and provenance of ingredients in those laundry list product labels, and the research available evidencing why these formulation work, we are happy to give this Postbiotic a push.
The testimonials that endorse the product (many from trainers we know and even some we have trained), are proof positive that this company is on the right track. Here's just one of many testimonials shared with us by Grand Meadows. You'll see many more published on the Grand Meadows social platform and website. I love that they are 'owned,' and not simply a full first name and initial for surname.
“I tried on a very nice but anxious jumper. She was on Famotidine ( acid blocker) for nervous stomach issues. We started the postbiotic and stopped the Famotidine. She has been relaxed, focused, calm and responsive. Straight, moves off leg well yet doesn’t overreact. On cross ties exhibits a MUCH more relaxed demeanor. Shows greater patience. I have seen a profound difference. Very surprising results!” Lainie Wimberly, Loxahatchee, FL
In general, older performance horses are more prone to health issues than younger ones. Competing/training a Grand Prix level horse often means the animal is up in years. Perhaps like 'Tigger," they go on and can be ridden quite happily until they are 27 years young. Keeping our beloved horses going strong is always the goal, so finding the best methods to achieve that are always front and center in our minds as caring equestrians.
The wonderful Tigger! Who could do wonderful things.. |
It is true that many horse folks strive really hard to do the very best by their horses. Spending a lot of money on pots of products, investing tens of thousands of dollars to travel and compete and to improve themselves taking clinics and lessons. Making the whole thing work requires significant focus and dedication. Not just from the rider, but also from the horse.
As we all know it is pretty hard to focus and perform well if we are feeling under the weather or even a little bit off kilter.
In my international level career, bringing horses to peak condition and performance level at just the right time for competition has always been a difficult process to manage. Just when you think you've balanced everything to perfection, something inadvertently goes awry and you feel a bit lost and dumbfounded as to what caused the issue to occur.
So when I find a relatively inexpensive solution to a behavioral, often medically induced issue, I am one happy trainer. In dressage work you truly feel when your horse isn't quite connected with you. Sure, he may not be balking at a fence or slowing down on the corner at a run, but it is just as obvious to us dressage peeps that the horse is not quite right from the saddle. When we ask for the horse to offer expressive and relaxed gaits, with soft tension strides and work with us on the same mental plane and they are not 'on', we immediately know something is amiss.
Horses cannot live happily in a bubble. My fellow countryman Carl Hester, and fellow hometown rider Charlotte Dujardin, (congrats to them on the 2023 European Dressage Team Gold, I'll be touching base in the U.K. this Fall), very Britishly advocate strongly for horses at any level to have the opportunity to kick up their rather well protected heels and legs and enjoy a good graze. As do we here at Willowview Hill Farm. As many of you know, I truly believe that good grass, in all its forms including organically grown hay, are essential to keeping our horses in a tip-top state. I don't apologize for going on about it because I am passionate about it. So many of our repeat clients have seen hives, respiratory issues and gastric diseases disappear with the use of our organic forage.
Hay Season 2023 Is Completed at WVH. |
1st and 2nd Cut Organically Produced Horse Hay For Sale at WVH |
As time progresses I believe more and more competitors, and indeed horse owners in general, will come to realize that what their horses are ingesting such a preservative treated forage (even Standlee and other cubed product manufacturers admit to always adding chemicals to the mix), over-zealous quantities of various pastes, so called 'balancer' drugs and feedstuffs and somewhat randomly mixed herbal remedies without contra-indication testing, are all doing a lot of long term damage to the health of the horses in their care.
The Grand Meadows Postbiotic, is a grand place to start addressing these imbalances in our horse's health that we, ourselves, are often guilty of creating.
Comments
Post a Comment