Supplement Scare: Communuity Story
Part of the work we do here at Revolution Equine Nutrition is consumer education around supplements.
The following story was shared with me by someone in my community. This horse is not one of my clients, and Revolution Equine Nutrition was not involved in managing this horse or making feeding decisions. I am sharing it simply as an example of why supplements are not a "free for all" and natural doesn't mean safe.
A 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare (approximately 1,100 lbs) was given 10 grams of an organic herbal powder in her evening feed at approximately 8:20 p.m.
Within minutes of beginning to eat, the mare became agitated, pacing and sweating. She did not finish her feed.
The agitation continued to worsen. When she was turned out in an attempt to calm her, she began pawing and kicking out with her hind legs. She did not go to eat hay normally, although she would still take alfalfa or plain feed from her handler. The veterinarian’s emergency line was called at approximately 9:00 p.m.
Shortly afterward, the mare began turning to look at her sides. Hand walking was started in the indoor arena. She repeatedly stopped to look at her sides, swished her tail, pawed, and attempted to roll. Her interest in food declined.
Initially the rolling appeared to be an attempt to itch herself, as she would get up and shake afterward. However, the attempts became more frequent, and she began lying sternal for short periods after rolling. At that point it became clear the situation was progressing toward colic, so further rolling was prevented. Interestingly, her pulse remained normal despite the level of agitation.
By approximately 10:30 p.m., it became difficult to keep her moving through hand walking alone, so she was placed on a lunge line. She walked vigorously and occasionally trotted on her own. This activity appeared to help keep rolling attempts minimal until the veterinarian arrived shortly before 11:00 p.m.
On examination, the veterinarian noted overactive gut sounds, mild bloating on the right side, and several hives over the top of the rump. At that point the mare was standing quietly and alert and had regained interest in treats.
She was treated with pain medication for the colic, a small dose of steroid for the hives, and was lightly sedated due to difficulty stalling. Feed was withheld overnight.
The situation was understandably frightening for the owner. The episode occurred late at night, the veterinarian was traveling from an hour away in poor road conditions, and the horse later developed anxiety about returning to the barn for meals.
This story is not intended to scare anyone or single out a specific product. Many horses tolerate supplements without issue. However, it illustrates an important point: whenever we introduce a supplement or new ingredient into a horse’s diet, there is always some level of risk for unexpected reactions.
If you choose to use supplements, monitor your horse carefully and involve your veterinarian whenever possible.
Revolution Equine Nutrition and Annie Emery do not guarantee the safety of any individual product and are not responsible for decisions made regarding supplement use.
