Interesting reading

Wally

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2000
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and nice to know my gut feeling and management with M&M over the years has been OK.

https://www.facebook.com/Freestepla...673854916497/1556329254384278/?type=3&theater

A 'good doer' is a consummate yo yo dieter, losing weight in the winter, because of a scarce or dwindling food supply with low grade nutrients is his thing!
Feeding hay meant for dairy cows, bagged food containing starch/sugars and giving him a thick layer of rugs through the winter months, triggers his gorging instincts about 5 months too early!
The instinct to 'eat everything in sight' should begin with the emergence of the spring grass, by this time his layers of fat will have dwindled away and though not dangerously thin his ribs will now be showing.
A winter of being over-indulged will cause him to lay down more fat on top of his summer supplies predisposing him to a metabolic imbalance with the potential for laminitis and EMS.
The most worrying fat store is the ‘cresty’ neck, which is not just a layer of fat but it is a hormone factory manufacturing at least 10 different types of hormones which set in place several mechanisms which eventually lead to the catastrophe of laminitis.
In humans, adipose tissue around the stomach has been found to contain large amounts of chemicals which are inflammatory in nature, the same chemicals have been found in the ‘cresty neck’ and tail fat pads of horses. These inflammatory chemicals have a massive impact on health with multiple complex interactions between glucose and lipid metabolism, control of appetite and energy levels to name just a few.

Countdown to Catastrophe

1. The first stage of the breakdown is the release of a chemical (MCP-1) from the fat pad to attract and recruit white blood cells (monocytes) from out of the blood stream into the adipose tissue . CP-1 is responsible for recruiting MCP-1 both can be found in blood tests but it may not been seen until obesity has been present for some time, this chemical is also breed specific to natives and cross breeds. The monocytes cause the fat cells to grow and to swell hence the hardness of a ‘cresty neck’ before an attack of laminitis.

2. Step two is the setting up of a low grade inflammation throughout the body, to achieve this effect the monocytes convert to macrophages and to a chemical called TNF-1 both alter the normal metabolism and signal the release of triglycerides from the adipose tissue which is a normal response to infection/inflammation and disease. Low grade inflammation results and chronic insulin resistance sets in.

3. The third step is the release of yet more insulin to deal with the transport of triglycerides, whilst in the adipose tissue IL-1 and IL-6 are produced and have a negative impact, producing greater insulin resistance, these immune cells also have an effect on the appetite and energy levels by producing a hormone called leptin. This hormone is often measured in a blood test as it is indicative of insulin resistance.
More tomorrow
Dr Carol Michael
https://freestepsuperfix.co.uk/product/lamalert-125g/
 
Yes interesting reading. I went to a lecture a couple of years ago on cushings and ems and my take home message was that it's ok for him to be rounder (nicest word I can think to use) going into autumn winter as long as he loses it. The movement in weight is more important than keeping him thin all the time.
I hold the view that my horse keeps well. Will always be cresty and have fat pads as he was cut late, and was bred for meat. I do my best by him and his weight varies by around 100kilos throughout the year. I know that seems a lot but he's a heavy and having just had him at the dick vet for two weeks, they have been very happy with him. Other folk will look at him and view him as far. But that's compared to their fine tbs and arabs.
 
I try really hard to have mine lean by spring, I celebrate the sight of ribs :D but if I want to ride in winter that normally means clipping and rugging but I'm careful not to over rug. though with that I can't let jess gain too much over summer or she doesn't loose enough over winter. Hank has fitted in with jess in terms of restricted grazing in summer and it seems to suit him, he gets a bit porky in summer and is ribby by spring :)
 
I have always allowed winter to take the fat off mine, I don;t feed an awful lot of hard feed in winter, a bit of chaff and sugarbeet, really to make them go into their stables if I get them in. Lat year, to slim Sparta down she got one wedge of hay at night and turnout all day. If they were out all night too they got no hay as there was enough grass for them to clean up.
 
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