56 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
EE
EQUINE Health
Alessandra poses with a
Clydesdale at the convention.
II was very impressed by the way Purina works, and what I saw at
the convention made me realize the reasons why a lot of their
products have been industry-changing for the horse feed business.
Purina research is always ongoing and at the moment is covering
cutting-edge concepts like gastric support (Outlast supplement)
immunomodulary nutrition (ActiveAge® prebiotic), targeted
amino acid supplementation (Purina SuperSport) and equine
microbiome optimization. This last topic is undergoing a high
surge in interest, in both veterinary and human field because of links with
the immune system, the neurologic system and the glucose metabolism.
It was during the Purina event that I heard the quote “choose your horse
supplements to RIDE”, from PhD Dr. Mary Beth Gordon (Director of Equine
Research and New Product Development) who was talking about how
to recommend supplements.
Research (the R. in R.I.D.E.) always leads to an innovative understanding
of our world and beyond, so while the experts do their share to develop
products, we should do our part of the research to choose the food that
is best for our horse wellbeing.
From basic information like the importance of forage to more advanced
topics like the quality of the ingredients (I. in RIDE), the difference between
“digestibility” (percentage or proportion of nutrients in food available for
absorption from the GI tract) and “bioavailability” (amount of a nutrient
absorbed from the GI tract in a form the body can use) there is a lot to
always keep in mind when we make decisions about the diet of a horse.
It is important to read the details on the labels, and to feed the correct
product and amount (D. for dosage in RIDE). The result or the efficacy (E.
in RIDE) comes from making the right choice for the horse we are feeding,
which can be in different life stages, breeding or growing, performing, aging
or with special needs.
Body Condition Observation
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