dedicated to athletes in the equESTRIAN world
HEALTH FROM THE INSIDE OUT Let food be your medicine
ENG
If you take care of your body it will take care of you – Oprah Winfrey
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CONTENTS • • •
Pictures: Arnd Bronkhorst
Digishots
Erin Gillmore
Mara van Gils
The innate powers of the body 6 Laury de Wit talks about the immune system
Natural defences 8 The gut in the leading role
Myth or fact 12 Natural ingredients are always better
The difference is in the details 14
Ramzy Al Duhami on the immune system as the key to optimum performance
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Dear Horse Enthusiasts,
This issue of Valor focuses on the equine immune system – a subject that has always interested me and which, in light of recent events (Covid-19, Equine herpesvirus), naturally has occupied my thoughts even more. We often associate the immune system with physical resilience, but I believe there are mental aspects as well. Both influence health.
Good health is a valuable asset. Our resilience is tested daily, whether we are aware of it or not. For example, I travel quite a bit. Travel, especially flying, can put strain on our resilience and our immune system. It is both physically and psychologically taxing. On a plane, one can quickly become dehydrated, oxygen levels in the cabin are much lower than normal, and sitting for long periods can lead to swollen legs. This is how the body reacts to air travel.
Knowing this, I always prepare before I fly. On the day of my flight I like to run 10 km before departing. This ensures that I am physically fit. I also mentally prepare myself. Before I travel, I like to spend a lot of time with my family. We go out to eat together, we talk, we discuss our plans; this gives me a mental health boost!
Good health is important. We often don’t realize this until we fall ill, our immune systems are weakened, or we feel pain. This discomfort saps all our energy and we need a lot of strength to keep going. During these times, I am more aware of how important it is to feel healthy. Feeling well is different for everyone, and each of us has our own idea about what this means. A top athlete must deliver at the highest level and thus needs to be in top shape, both physically and mentally, but it’s not just top athletes who can benefit from fitness and endurance. Good health allows us to do the things we want to do, and so, we can all benefit. Because, ultimately, we are all top athletes, each at our own level. We at Cavalor have made this our mission: we want every horse to feel like a winner, no matter whether that horse is an Olympic champion or the family pleasure pony. That’s why, in this issue of Valor, we address equine resilience and how to maintain it. We wish you much reading enjoyment!
Stefan Versele
SALES MANAGER VERSELE LAGA
dedicated to athletes in the equESTRIAN world
HEALTH FROM THE INSIDE OUT Let food be your medicine
ENG
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THE BODY IS ITS OWN BEST MEDICINE A horse’s body can stand up to a lot when its immune system is strong. A strong immune system fights off nasty viruses, making the horse less prone to illness. A strong immune system starts with a healthy gut. Diet plays a significant role in gut health as well as in a strong immune system. Good natural defences will help your horse through a lot!
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KEEPING THE BODY’S INTERNATIONAL GROOM LAURY DE WIT TALKS ABOUT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
OWN POWERS STRONG
LAURY DE WIT IS AN EXPERT IN HER FIELD. IN HER 18 YEARS WORKING AS A GROOM FOR TOP RIDER PATRICK VAN DER MEER, SHE HAS ACQUIRED VAST EXPERIENCE. EVERY DAY SHE’S BUSY KEEPING THE HORSES IN TOP FORM.
At shows, she is a pillar of support for the horses as well as for Patrick. At home, she oversees the care of the show horses, horses in training, and the 60 additional horses boarded at De Hoeve Stables. “Part of my daily duties includes feeding all the horses. I believe that high-quality feed is one of the most important elements for healthy and fit horses.” A shiny coat means a healthy horse. How so? A horse can only give an optimal performance when it feels good. That starts with good natural defences. Your horse has to feel good in its own skin, and its coat should be shiny. Fit horses enjoy working, which is why I work with them every day. Good natural defences are the result of good care, but it’s really about the big picture. There are many ways to recognize that a horse isn’t feeling well. If a horse has a poor coat, little appetite, swollen legs, etc., I rely on what I know and what I see. I work with the horses daily and I know them inside and out, and so I immediately notice any change, even something very small. In terms of care, when do you focus on resilience? From the outside, one can’t always recognize when a horse’s immune system is being taxed. It helps to think logically: no horse feels good when it’s under stress. And that
will affect the immune system. I see this with young horses especially. When they arrive, I see that they first have to get acclimated to their new setting. They are not used to these new demands, their coats don’t look so good, and they are often a bit underweight. However, within six months a young horse should be coming to you and its condition should have improved. You see that it has adapted and is fit. If that’s not the case, you must look for the cause. Do you see differences in the natural immune systems of different horses? Every horse is unique. And I believe that every horse has unique natural defences as well. There are horses that are always in good form, always good-humoured, and never sick. And then there are horses that are quite delicate. I don’t mean in terms of injuries, but that they are the first to come down with a cold or the flu. They are similar to humans in this regard. The difference is that horses can’t speak, and I must immediately notice when they are not feeling well. I once told Patrick that one of his horses wasn’t in top form. There was nothing obvious about him, but I missed the gleam in his eyes. Patrick got in the saddle and needed only two steps to know what I meant.
strength. If you always give immediate aid, their bodies will never learn how to heal on their own. This might sound a little like magic, but it isn’t. A horse has to be able to recover from a cold or flu. I don’t call the vet right away when one of our horses has a slight temperature. We keep an eye on his condition, of course, but we believe in the body’s healing powers. We give our horses detoxes twice a year; we also take faecal samples and have them analysed so that we can avoid unnecessary worming treatments. How do you view the outbreak of various equine viral and infectious diseases in Europe? Someone once said to me, if you don’t want equine herpesvirus, don’t keep horses. There have always been viruses, but it depends on how you deal with it. I think it is good that our horses come in contact with other horses. We take our horses to lots of shows. But we only take them when they are really 100% fit. If you have concerns about your horse’s health, you should keep him at home, both for his sake and for the sake of the other horses. Everyone must act responsibly. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
What preventive measures do you take to keep the horses fit? The body’s own abilities are often underestimated. Horses must learn to recover their
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THEIMMUN
A horse with a strong immune system can fight off harmful outside influences. The immune system has a sophisticated process of keeping harmful viruses and bacteria at bay. But how does a good immune system ensure that a horse will get sick less often, or not at all, or will recover quickly? And what does a good immune system require? Dr Wendy Wambacq is a veterinary specialist in the immune system. In this article, we discuss the immune system and its importance on gut health.
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NESYSTEM
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WENDY WAMBACQ COMPLETED HER STUDIES IN VETERINARY MEDICINE IN 2011 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GHENT. AFTER TWO YEARS OF WORKING IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, SHE BEGAN A RESIDENCY WITH THE EUROPEAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND COMPARATIVE NUTRITION, EARNING HER CERTIFICATION IN VETERINARY NUTRITION IN 2016 AND BECOMING AN ICREO-CERTIFIED VETERINARY OSTEOPATH IN 2018. IN 2021, SHE OBTAINED A PHD IN VETERINARY MEDICINE, FOCUSING ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NUTRITION AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. WENDY CURRENTLY WORKS IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR CAVALOR.
As Dr Sherry A. Rogers said in 2002, “The road to good health is paved with good intestines”. And she’s right! In recent years we’ve become increasingly aware of how important a healthy gut microbiome is to maintain a good immune system. It’s all about maintaining the right balance. A well-functioning immune system will detect and destroy pathogens like viruses and bacteria. It also creates a certain tolerance. It is important that the immune system “tolerates” the body so that there is no inflammatory response when it comes in contact with, say, a fat cell. At the same time, we don’t want the immune system to defend the body from nutrients, which are also exogenous, as you don’t want to be in bed for two days recovering from your immune system’s defence response to some yoghurt full of good bacteria. Good bacteria = good defences First and foremost, a healthy immune system must be able to differentiate between what’s good and should be tolerated, and what’s dangerous and requires a response. And if that weren’t complex enough, the immune system must also “remember” everything with which it has ever come in contact. A well-functioning
immune system forms a strong barrier to keep pathogens from entering the body easily. The immune system also consists of cells that are specialized in recognizing and destroying the pathogens that nevertheless make it through this barrier. So, you see, a horse with a good immune system is less susceptible to all types of infections and, if it does fall ill, will recover more quickly. The gut as a driving force What does the gut have to do with all this? The gut is the body’s largest immune organ. 80% of all immune cells, which recognize possible pathogens, are found in the gut. This also applies to more than half of all effector immune cells which subsequently respond to pathogens. “Good” bacteria, which exists in the gut naturally, have an important driving force; they are responsible for immune cell development. These gut bacteria can also steer the entire immune system in a certain direction, for example towards more tolerance or more defence. Gut bacteria communicate directly with the immune system. They also produce substances that strike up dialogues. Healthy gut bacteria produce short chain
(NATURALLY) STRONG DEFENCES: A BRILLIANT SYSTEM The immune system is influenced by many factors. The body is constantly fighting off intruders. This is the job of white blood cells. These may be viewed as soldiers protecting the body. Anything harmful that tries to get in, e.g., viruses, will be attacked by this army of white blood cells. The immune system is made up of two lines of defence. The first is a nonspecific and innate immune system that spontaneously attacks and destroys all invaders (penetrating pathogens). This defence is based on tissues that come into direct contact with the outside world, such as skin and mucous membranes. If a pathogen survives this first attack, it then faces the second line of defence. This involves a more specific defence mechanism which, with the help of antibodies, hunts down certain invaders. In contrast to the “soldiers” of the nonspecific immune system which attack all foreign cells, antibodies are specialized trackers
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tasked with the mission of destroying a certain invader. Antibodies are also stored in the body. They are quite adept at spotting their “enemies”, remembering them in order to make short work of the same invader the next time it comes calling. Vaccines, for example, provide long-term protection against certain viruses. The more antibodies present, the more virus particles the immune system recognizes and the harder it becomes for the virus to penetrate the cells. Which makes sense; the better shape your army is in, the less chance invaders have to make your horse ill. Keeping this army in top form occurs through good gut health (where 80% of all immune cells are found) and reduction of stress. A horse’s immune system relies on a healthy diet along with regular and frequent rest periods to function well.
fatty acids like acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. These short chain fatty acids strengthen gut health and increase the amounts of certain substances that stimulate the immune cells to enter the gut. They are also absorbed into the bloodstream so that their effects are distributed throughout the entire body. Tests have shown that this leads to improved natural defences in the lung and spleen. So, a healthy gut microbiome can improve the natural defences of the respiratory tract. That may sound strange, but it’s true! Naturally, the gut is also tasked with the absorption of nutrients. Along with energy, the cells of the immune system also need amino acids from proteins to produce antibodies. This production process also requires vitamins and minerals to act as catalysts.
or beet pulp. The good bacteria will thrive and produce short chain fatty acids, the best source of energy for your horse. However, forage alone won’t cover all of your horse’s nutritional requirements. Always make sure that your horse gets enough vitamins and minerals in the form of a concentrate, feed supplement, and/or a forage balancer. If your hay is poor quality, your horse may not be getting enough protein, which means you should supplement his feed ration. Is your horse going through a difficult phase and you’d like to give him some extra help? Then you can give him extra Omega-3 fatty acids.
Good health from within So, it’s clear that a healthy gut microbiome is important for a strong immune system. But how can you help your horse to have a healthy gut? Unfortunately, there’s no magic feed or supplement for this – the answer is looking at the big picture. Make sure your horse has plenty of available forage, such as grass, hay, haylage, lucerne,
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MYTH OR FACT
NATURAL INGREDIENTS ARE ALWAYS BETTER Myth
The word “natural” implies quality. But does it really mean that? We’re all unconsciously drawn to the word “natural”. But are natural ingredients always better than non-natural ones? As the name says, natural ingredients come from nature. Think of herbs, essential oils, or certain vitamins. But feeds may also contain many substances that are created in laboratories. These non-natural substances are called synthetic substances. Did you know that, in many cases, the equine body can’t tell the difference between natural and synthetic substances? Vitamins, for example. When a synthetic vitamin is identical to a natural one, it makes no difference if that vitamin came from a plant or from a lab. The molecules are identical and have exactly the same effect. There is also often no difference in how the body absorbs it. Another advantage of synthetic vitamins is their tolerance to environmental conditions. Synthetic vitamins are, for example, less sensitive to temperature differences, moisture, air, and pH values. At Cavalor, we choose nutrients that provide optimum stability and digestibility. We find that it is more important to judge a nutrient by its effectiveness than to choose solely based on its origins.
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XPE
ask the
T
The question “My horse had colic surgery. He came through well, but he’s lost a lot of weight. He had to fast for several days due to a wound infection with resistant gut bacteria and was on antibiotics for a few weeks. He is 1.84 m (18h) and putting weight on him has proven difficult. How can we get him back to a healthy weight? And what can I do to get him healthy again?” – Owner: Jasmijn de Bruijn, owner of Jip, Netherlands
The advice It may well be that the surgery, the antibiotics, and the fasting all had effects on your horse’s gut health. The gut plays an essential role in digestion and the absorption of nutrients. Your horse’s gut, and especially the millions of bacteria that live there, were affected by the colic surgery. So, it’s imperative to restore that balance for good gut health.
EVERY HORSE IS UNIQUE. EVERY HORSE HAS UNIQUE NEEDS. FEED YOUR HORSE ACCORDING TO ITS NEEDS. WOULD YOU LIKE A CONSULTATION REGARDING YOUR HORSE? THEN VISIT WWW.MYCAVALOR.COM OR CALL OUR CONSUMER LINE: +32(0)92202525.
A key factor in restoring your horse’s gut health is fiber. The bacteria living in the large intestine needs fiber to thrive, and they don’t like sugar or starch. The foundation of a good feed ration is plenty of roughage! We also recommend feeding your horse Cavalor FiberForce for at least six weeks. Cavalor FiberForce is high in fiber (25%) and low in sugar (3%) and starch (5%). This high-fiber, low-sugar and low-starch concentrate feed is ideal for restoring and maintaining good gut health. Cavalor FiberForce helps the gut to recover so that the horse can return to its normal weight. You can supplement it with 1 kg (2.2 lbs.) daily of Cavalor WholeGain for six to eight weeks after surgery to improve condition. WholeGain is a high-fat balancer made from rice bran and vegetable fats. This combination allows horses to bulk up quickly and easily. It also contains lots of vitamins and minerals. After two months you can phase out Cavalor WholeGain and continue with Cavalor FiberForce or a sport feed. Antibiotics have also caused your horse’s gut bacteria to become out of balance. This is because antibiotics not only kill off “bad” bacteria in the body, but they also go after the “good” bacteria. To re-establish the proper balance, we recommend a regimen of Cavalor VitaFlora after every course of antibiotics. This supplement contains prebiotics and probiotics to support the bacteria in the large intestine and therefore enhancing good gut health. – Fien Demeyere, Nutritional Specialist at Cavalor
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THE DIFFERENCE RAMZY AL DUHAMI ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AS THE KEY TO OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE
IS IN THE DETAILS
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SHOW JUMPING RIDER RAMZY AL DUHAMI FREQUENTLY TRAVELS THE WORLD WITH HIS HORSES. HE SPENDS HIS SUMMERS IN EUROPE AND WINTERS IN HIS NATIVE SAUDI ARABIA. HE COMPETES AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL AND HAS RIDDEN IN SEVERAL OLYMPIC GAMES. RAMZY DISCUSSES HIS METHODS FOR KEEPING HIS HORSES’ IMMUNE SYSTEMS STRONG. HE BELIEVES THAT A WELL-FUNCTIONING IMMUNE SYSTEM IS THE KEY FACTOR FOR OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE.
The best equine care is achieved through teamwork, when grooms, riders, and vets work together for the same goal. Since becoming a Cavalor Ambassador, Ramzy has added feed experts to his team. “It’s an important addition because a good diet is the basis for a well-functioning immune system.” Let horses be horses Horses are not designed to just stand in their boxes, which is why Ramzy’s horses get daily turnout or paddock time. Feeding on forage ensures healthy gut function, and it’s this gut function that’s so important for a strong immune system. Ramzy states, “When a horse feels good, he’ll work harder for you. That’s why I try to give my horses everything they need so that they feel well. When you need to deliver top performance, the difference is in the details.” Ramzy’s horses spend the winter months in Saudi Arabia and the summer months in Europe. The climate in Saudi Arabia is markedly different, with little natural-growing grass. Feed rations are therefore much different from those given to horses in Europe. When in Saudi Arabia, they are given extra forage, and concentrates are imported as these are not produced there. “Together with the whole team, we try to stay as close to the horse’s daily routines as possible. When we return to Europe, my horses always get two months of turnout. After all, pasture is the best thing for horses, so while we’re in Europe, I try to give them as much of it as possible.”
Custom feeding Horses need individualized care. He’s not a fan of giving horse only compound feed. That’s why he values his cooperation with feed experts and vets. One way the team can determine deficiencies is through blood samples and they include that as part of the customized feeding plan designed for each horse. “The smallest changes make a difference, and fast intervention by the team to correct any deficiencies will ensure that the horse returns to form quickly.” Ready to travel Ramzy’s team is frequently travelling. It is well known that travel puts strain on the immune system. Horses with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to viruses, which is why competitions require vigilance where there are many horses present. Preparations are made well in advance. “Two weeks before a long trip, we start to strengthen their immune systems. This process consists of supplements to reduce stress, because stress can have negative effects on the immune system. We also give the digestive system extra support before travel.”
In addition to being an active rider, Ramzy is also the organizer for the World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Here, too, good hygiene will be a top priority to prevent the spread of viruses. The show grounds will have quarantine boxes, each with its own stall management to be sure that the horses have everything they need. Upon arrival, the horses will have their temperatures taken under veterinary supervision. Horses that do not appear fit will be quarantined immediately. Cooperation with Cavalor “The Cavalor Team has given me a great deal of support for my horses. We must understand that we still have much to learn about horses. Cavalor provides me, as a rider, with lots of support in terms of science. In return, my team and I give them feedback from experience. The more exchange between science and practice, the more solutions we can find to help horses. The care of sport horses is becoming increasingly professional. A good feed expert is an important part of this care.”
Good hygiene is also important, especially when many different horses come together in one place. Upon arrival at (international) shows, Ramzy’s team will give the boxes an additional disinfecting. “Horses already have enough to cope with when they travel. Disinfecting helps to prevent having the added challenge of nasty viruses.”
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1 HOUR OF TRANSPORT EQUALS 1 HOUR OF WALKING
An absolute must-have in the stable and on the
go is Cavalor Emergency 911 which supports the microflora and the digestive system through pre and probiotics. A fast-acting supplement that’s easy to digest, Cavalor Emergency 911 helps to quickly bring gut flora back in balance through a wide spectrum of different microorganisms.
Sometimes you need to travel with your horse. Travel will have a significant impact on your horse’s body. It not only can be stressful, it’s also strenuous. Did you know that an hour of transport takes as much energy as an hour at a walk? In transport, loss of fluids can cause dehydration and the potential for impaction colic increases. Fatigue not only impairs performance, but it also makes the horse more susceptible to infections. 1 Keep your horse hydrated by giving him plenty of water and electrolytes. 2 Fight fatigue by giving your horse plenty of forage. 3 During travel, provide hay and water, placed at floor level. Want to know more about travelling with horses? Scan this QR code.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FITNESS
Cavalor Derma Spray is a solution containing pre and probiotics that assist the microflora of the skin to stay healthy and resilient. The pre and probiotics promote the restoration of good bacteria and help to fight off bad bacteria on the skin or in a wound. This allows the skin to regenerate and is an ideal cleansing spray for skin irritations.
A horse’s physical health is determined by its immune system with the gut playing the leading role. But did you know that mental fitness is also important in the body’s defence against pathogens? Stress can do great damage to the immune system. This is because a horse’s body reacts to stress by producing cortisol. Cortisol decreases the production of white blood cells. But stress can do even more harm. It can
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lead to decreases in gut flora and thus cause stomach ulcers. Chronic mental stress can have an enormous impact on physical health. It’s not enough that your horse is physically healthy, his natural defences depend on both his physical and mental fitness.
TIP FROM LAURY DE WIT The secret to a radiant horse? For Patrick van der Meer’s horses, Laury uses Cavalor OilMega. It provides a real health boost! The sport horses get a shot of oil in their feed every evening. It’s a balanced blend that’s rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Cavalor OilMega helps to maintain gut health and supports the immune system. It not only aids digestion, but it also gives your horse a shiny coat.
A young horse can often do with a little extra support. Young horses need all their energy for growing. Cavalor Juniorix not only promotes steady growth, but it also supports a strong and flexible musculoskeletal system, good digestive health, and strong natural defences.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM? • A healthy immune system begins to develop right after birth. The foal receives its first antibodies with its mother’s milk, but also the first intestinal bacteria. • When the bacteria first arrive in the gut, they are perceived as foreign antigens, causing a reaction in the immune system. As soon as the body recognizes them as good bacteria, they can settle in the gut. • Pre and probiotics can help to bring gut bacteria back into balance.
Concentrates must be easily digestible, and their nutrients easily absorbed. Cavalor Perfomix is a sport mix that provides peak energy two to three hours after feeding. Ideal for horses that do short, explosive work, for example show jumping, its energy comes primarily from sugars and starches (puffed cereals). These are quickly absorbed and converted into energy.
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A strong immune system is not always a given. Horses that come in contact with other horses, those that travel and very young or old horses – all are susceptible to weakened immune systems. They can often use a boost! The immune system is a complex network that faces continual challenges. At Cavalor, we believe that good health comes from within and depends on strong natural defences. Cavalor Resist Vit. C contains a mix of antioxidants, herbal extracts, essential oils, minerals, prebiotics, spirulina, and whey protein isolate. This combination supports the body’s natural defences and helps bring the immune system’s alarm response to a higher level. Want to best prepare your horse for a journey? Then start giving him Cavalor Resist + Vit C at least 10 days before travel.
HEALTHY. HAPPY. HORSES. 18 valor, Health from the inside out