Equilibrate Horsenutrition SA

Equilibrate Horsenutrition SA Equilibrate manufacture effective and affordable equine, canine and human nutritional supplements. Topical cream, joint supplements, probiotics and shampoo.

While our focus is Nutrition, we also offer Consultancy on all Equine related topics. Local Business

24/09/2025

There's far greater awareness and acknowledgement of the needs of horses in terms of space, turnout, companions, feed and forage. Training is being scrutenised and there's been the advent of several variations of "natural horsemanship", whose objective is to provide kinder and more empathetic methodologies to hopefully, encourage better understanding and communication between horses and humans. And to ensure longer relationships and injury free longevity.

Unfortunately there remain trainers that operate "behind closed doors" who use exceedingly abusive training methods. Once again its the very exploited, vulnerable, recycled, otherwise discardable Thoroughbred who are in this production line.
We are not necessarily talking rolkur or rapping,
but tack that is inappropriately applied and harsh bitting that results in injuries and even deaths.
This is often happening under people's noses and locally ignored due to ignorance and perhaps for convenience and certainly because people who may observe, will not speak out.
Who will educate the next generation of riders and horse owners if those with the knowledge to recognise incorrect and abusive practices, signs of pain and discomfort will not come forward?
Areas of concern:
Yards or trainers that do not provide adequate
turnout, with sufficient forage/ grazing to keep the horses occupied and plenty of palatable water. It should not need to be said but apparently it does.

And who do not provide
stables of correct size, with clean bedding forage and methods of enrichment.

Who use tack incorrectly. E.g. ill fitting saddles, overtight nosebands, harsh bits or reversed bits, overused spurs and whips.

Who do not get timely veterinary interventions.

Who do not permit personal trainers or don't allow observation of their training methods is exceedingly suspect.

Please have the courage and the morals to defend those without a voice. Or share with someone who does.

When one is commencing training or bringing a horse back into work it must be done gradually, slowly, with limitation  o...
19/06/2025

When one is commencing training or bringing a horse back into work it must be done gradually, slowly, with limitation on the amount of time in the saddle or even while working from the ground. Not only do the heart, circulatory and respiratory system need to accustom to increased work rate but muscles, tendons and ligaments do too. Even skin! Ensure tack is well fitting and not causing chaffing with resultant saddle sores and girth galls. After work the horse must be washed down and dried off. Sweat (salt) is caustic and exacerbates the problem.
This poor horse is showing evidence of a girth gall and lack of aftercare. He was still saddled up and worked!
Supposedly an "Endurance rider of experience ".

Many years ago in a different location and under very different circumstances I had to consult my bank manager regarding...
11/06/2025

Many years ago in a different location and under very different circumstances I had to consult my bank manager regarding my cash flow and difficulty in paying my bills.
Despite having a very considerable turnover and my thinking I had a healthy situation, my bank manager looking over my books, informed me that I had a hobby and not a business. At the time I was hugely insulted. As said my income was considerable. Unfortunately my spend was too. I was forced to reassess my inputs and outputs, partial budgets and my physical, mental and emotional approach.
It's a rare enterprise that immediately provides a return on startup and equine businesses in general do not provide a royal lifestyle despite horses being the sport of kings.
But if you have been slogging for years and not making headway, constantly struggling to make ends meet, not able to put back and invest in your horses, equipment, buildings and yourself, then like me you have a hobby. A lifestyle yes, but not a business. A business being an organisation or activity whose purpose is to make a profit.
If you need help in reconsidering your circumstances and finding a way forward, I'm here to help!

Consider necropsy. Don't just bury the "mistakes".  For closure and in the interest of research a necropsy can bring pea...
30/05/2025

Consider necropsy. Don't just bury the "mistakes". For closure and in the interest of research a necropsy can bring peace of mind and further education in situations where the cause of death is inconclusive.
A good example is colic. Colic is a symptom (ie digestive pain with multiple causes) and not a disease.
I was acutely reminded of this very recently when I fortunately noticed a neighbour dumping in excess of 6kg of fresh grass clippings into our field. As horse owners we know, don't we? that grass clippings can cause colic due to rapid fermentation (gaseous colic) and impaction colic. In my circumstances I'm confident that there is nothing in our grazing or in my management that might provoke a digestive colic. Had the ponies coliced without my seeing the evidence, I would most definitely have gone to all lengths to determine the cause.

Many years ago while living in Maseru I rehomed my horse as I was imminently departing the country. I was contacted and informed that he had colic. The new owner was away for the weekend and I undertook to call the vet. The colic was catastrophic and he was euthenased. I requested a necropsy and he was found to have a large hairball causing impaction. The vet said that while common in cows, that he had never seen a hairball in a horse. I didn't query how frequently he was asked to carry out necropsies on horses! I do know subsequently that not often enough.

Decades later my treasured elderly thoroughbred was suddenly very lame. I had my suspicions, but obviously had our vet scan and xray him. Nothing was identified. The situation declined to the point of necessitating euthanasia. On necropsy a lesion was found on his deep digital flexor tendon that explained his history. Given his age and the inability to determine the cause via diagnosic technologies, euthenasia was the correct outcome. However I was troubled as to the cause as I know that the degree of lameness usually indicated either a broken pedal bone or an acute abcess. I was nauseated at the thought that he may have been euthenased for an abcess!

The necropsy marginally eased my pain and increased my understanding and education and that of the vets in both the circumstances described.

David Frape wrote that despite an abundance of information that horse owners are now less knowledgeable than their grand...
26/05/2025

David Frape wrote that despite an abundance of information that horse owners are now less knowledgeable than their grandparents.
This because the information is often both confusing and contradictory and many owners are removed from the daily care and management of their horses with their horses in managed yards. But everyone can acquaint themselves with the needs of horses for health and happiness, enabling them to select yards that implement the type of management that ensures this. Geographic region ie climate and specific work demands may reduce the ideal of 24 hour turnout, but there is no excuse for lack of companions, inappropriate training and riding and deficiencies of nutrition.
All the metabolic diseases that horses are subject to including the very common laminitis and colic can almost always be prevented by correct nutrition and management.
Neither the cheapest nor the most expensive horse feeds may be appropriate to your horse and balance is always key. Be honest with yourself and your nutritionist or consultant about your own level of knowledge and understanding and about the duration, intensity and frequency of your riding so they can best advise you. All horses need a specific minimum amount of roughage, protein, carbohydrate, fat and minerals and vitamins. The amounts depending largely upon age and the amount of work. Beware of home mixtures that may be unbalanced, adding a variety of supplements that may block each other or unbalance the ration and single straights whether oats, maize, teff, lucerne etc.
Each feed ingredient has specific nutritional values and some may be in excess or deficit of requirement.
Examples are oats that provide ample energy fed at the correct quantity but that are deficient in lysine and calcium. Or teff that provides good quality protein and energy but contains phytates that blocks calcium and iron absorption.
Or Lucerne, a super protein and calcium provider that fed in excess ie more than a safe 2kg per day can cause bone formation problems particularly in young horses and later kidney and bladder (renal) disease. Shifting leg lameness, stiffness and difficulty urinating due to uroliths being symptoms.
Better to feed a balanced feed in the amounts specified by the manufacturer and a variety of forage sources such as grazing, teff, oathay and lucerne, than to alter the ratios of forage and hardfeed on your own unless on the advice of a nutritionist.
Essentially in all aspects of your horse's management including veterinary, farriery, training and nutrition, carefully consider whether if you are unable to meet the needs of your horse for whatever reason, if it's ethical to keep a horse?

There's a saying that You can't teach an old dog new tricks. There's another saying that You don't know what you don't k...
29/03/2025

There's a saying that You can't teach an old dog new tricks. There's another saying that You don't know what you don't know. And yet another, That the educated are those who are able to learn, unlearn and relearn.
The most damning of all, Horse owners are only marginally more intelligent than their charges. Ouch! Not withstanding that advances in scientific study have determined brain placidity that far out reaches our previous understanding of IQ in all species studies. Even more damning!

The horse industry is known as a "Grandad Industry". This is because there's much of
" We've always done it this way". Not ok.

Animal welfare and the Horse Industry in general is under scrutiny of SLO ( social licence to operate).
Education is now far reaching and even those with minimal knowledge of horses can be versed in what's clearly poor care and knowledge.
Failure to implement basic management that incorporates species appropriate lifestyles, technical and veterinary care, advances in bio mechanical recognition, riding and instruction detail and finesse, hasten the certain demise of riding disciplines of all descriptions.
Adapt or die. Sooner rather than later. Our choice?

Be ashamed ?
27/03/2025

Be ashamed ?

Try this at home.No not exactly the same or the same species . Facsimile? 1. Put a cord through your mouth . Have someon...
26/02/2025

Try this at home.
No not exactly the same or the same species . Facsimile?
1. Put a cord through your mouth . Have someone stand behind you and tug on either end.
2. Repeat accross the bridge of your nose and then lower over the cartilage.
3. This time across your windpipe.
Same amount of pressure applied each time.
What do you think and how do you feel?

Mob of mares
11/02/2025

Mob of mares

All the articles on this page are the outcome of my personal experience with my own horses and subsequently Client horse...
02/02/2025

All the articles on this page are the outcome of my personal experience with my own horses and subsequently Client horses over five decades. Resulting in investigation and interest in the conditions.
My specialisation in the field of nutrition and the preventative and positive effect that nutrition has on animals is the consequence.

Michaelahorsenutrition@gmail.com
082 469 6650

Seizure or fit is used to describe convulsion in which there is a powerful contortion of the body, limbs or both. Furthe...
02/02/2025

Seizure or fit is used to describe convulsion in which there is a powerful contortion of the body, limbs or both. Further symptoms may include sudden involuntary change in behaviour, muscle control, consciousness, and or sensation, gait problems, collapse and blindness.

Many factors may trigger seizures in susceptible horses such as hyperthermia and excessive exercise (poor electrolyte balance) and allergic reactions including chemicals and preservatives. They may be caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain, brain tumour, injury to the brain, an allergic reaction to a drug or toxins, or inflammation of the brain due to bacterial or viral infection. Other causes are flashing lights, bright lights and fireworks and abuse or neglect.
Research has shown that more seizures occur in the autumn. This may be due to mould and bacteria in the air and may also be associated with reduced light (photoperiod) affecting the pineal gland (produces melatonin) hypothalamus, pituitary gonadal axis.

A condition called Juvenile Epilepsy primarily affects Arab foals but they usually cease having seizures by the time they are 12 months old. Appaloosas and Thoroughbreds also seem to have a higher incidence of idiopathic epilepsy and there may be a genetic factor involved so affected stock should not be used for breeding.

If the cause of a seizure cannot be diagnosed, it is termed epilepsy.

A review of relatively modern literature says that seizures are uncommon in the horse and Hayes (1987) states that epilepsy in the horse does not occur. Reference to older tomes shows that epilepsy and megrims were considered commonplace, are well described, and completely recognisable to any owner or trainer who has observed a seizure or convulsion taking place in their horse.

The seizure is an electrical storm in the brain and can be categorised by two types:

A generalized Grand mal, major motor or tonic-clonic seizure is the most severe.
The seizure begins with contraction of all skeletal muscles and loss of consciousness. The horse usually falls on its side with the legs stretched out and the head back. Sometimes it will vocalize or have facial twitching and may salivate, urinate and defecate.
The tonic portion of the seizure is usually brief and gives way to the clonic phase of the seizure. During the clonic phase rhythmic movements occur e.g. clamping the jaws and jerking or running movements of the legs.
The seizure may last a few minutes and following the seizure, the horse may lay motionless or will get up onto its feet and may appear to be perfectly normal, but typically will show signs, including blindness, disorientation, pacing or running. This behaviour can last anywhere from hours to days after a seizure.

Infrequent or partial motor seizures or petit mal focal seizure is a less severe form of seizure that begins in a small area of the brain. Because the seizure starts in only a part of the brain, an underlying disease or injury may be suspected. Usually the face is affected. This result in twitching or blinking and mostly affects one side of the face. The horse may appear sleepy (narcolepsy).

A diary of all seizure activity (dates, description, duration, drugs) should be kept by the owner.
A complete history should be taken by your vet that will help to eliminate other health problems.

Diagnosis is based on signs and blood tests, (cell counts, immunoglobulins, protein, enzymes, hormone levels, poisons), X-rays, cerebrospinal fluid taps, electroencephalograms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurological and ophthalmic examination that may help to diagnose a cause for the seizures. Due to the size of the horse, its temperament and psychology, the present limitations and availability of the technologies, not all the possible diagnostic technologies may be available to your horse.

Although drug therapy can be very effective, some may cause side effects that may cause other problems.
Many owners and their vets are receptive to complementary methods of treating seizure disorders. These include homeopathy, chiropractors, acupuncture, herbal medicine and alternative nutritional management and should be discussed with your vet as to suitability for your horse.

If using anticonvulsants the dosage may need to be lower when using herbs and supplements. Standard commercial diets containing synthetic chemical preservatives are replaced with naturally preserved foods. The replacement food must be of good quality and preferably of relatively low protein content. Increasing carbohydrate and reducing protein content, while maintaining high quality protein, has been shown to be beneficial for many affected horses and is also believed to have a positive effect on behaviour.
A balanced supplement with good levels of vitamin B6, folic acid, pyridoxine, vitamin C and E and manganese, zinc, magnesium and selenium as in CHF are appropriate. Dimethylglycine (DMG) and MSM relieve a variety of ailments by reducing inflammation and enhancing blood flow.
Multi-strain probiotics such as BB are useful to ensure the health of the digestive system.

Michaelahorsenutrition@gmail.com
082 469 6650

01/02/2025

And finally...after careful selection we have our little band of mares. Welcome Kayleen with Serendipity and Aurora

Address

11 Kerk Street
Great Brak River
6525

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

0824696650

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