The 28th KER Equine Health & Nutrition Conference
The recent KER Equine Health and Nutrition Conference, held in Ocala, Florida, was a much-anticipated highlight for nutritionists, researchers and equine professionals – and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
With a speaker line-up including renowned experts in their field, the content covered current areas of interest, including muscle atrophy, vitamin E, heat stress, the equine microbiome, asthma, musculoskeletal development and injury, growth in young horses, and fatty acids in the diet.
Dr Stephanie Valberg explored the causes, diagnosis and management of muscle atrophy. She noted that muscle mass, or the loss of muscle mass, impacts performance. Whilst muscle, particularly muscle fibre type, adapts to training, generalised atrophy occurs when there is a lack of fibre recruitment. The number of fibres remains consistent, however, the diameter of those muscle fibres decreases. Fast-twitch type II muscle fibres are most susceptible to this type of atrophy. This represents a decline in strength, size, and performance. A thorough assessment of the horse is required, including clinical history. Where possible, a video of the horse in work can be a great tool for comparison. In cases of generalised atrophy, diet analysis to assess caloric intake, protein, vitamins and minerals is an important part of the diagnostic process. Dental condition, pain/ulcers, and disease should also be investigated. Myopathies should be considered and investigated.
Dr Carrie Finno walked through the importance of vitamin E in equine diets. She stressed the importance of adequate vitamin E – this being essential for neuromuscular function. Deficiency is associated with 3 main diseases: Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy (eNAD), vitamin E responsive myopathy, Equine motorneuron disease (EMD). Where deficiency is suspected, blood testing is an important diagnostic tool. Dr Finno highlighted the need to have a baseline vitamin E measure prior to treatment and noted that, whilst there is a recommended range of vitamin E, requirements may vary greatly from horse to horse, based on the individual.
Dr Joe Pagan shared recent developments in heat dissipation and management in exercising horses. He noted that 80% of energy produced during exercise is released as heat and that exercising horses produce large quantities of heat in the muscle. The mechanism horses rely on to dissipate that heat is sweat. KER have been investigating muscle temperature response to various cooling methods, with continuous hosing being the leader in effective cooling. The use of misting and/or fans post exercise also significantly assists the horse’s cooling efficiency. Dr Pagan shared some recent research into nutrients that can potentially assist with cooling and recovery. KER is continuing to investigate these so stay tuned for updates.
Dr Aaron Ericsson presented very interesting research on the equine microbiome. He explained that the microbiome is unique to each horse, and that horses have one of the richest/most diverse microbiomes studied. It is estimated that the equine microbiome matures by ~60 days of life, however, the microbiome can change depending on many environmental, feed and management factors. Different microbial populations are found in the different regions of GIT: gastric microbiome, jejunal microbiome, faecal microbiome. He noted that the richer the microbiome, the more efficient the GIT was at fermentation. Many factors affect the microbial populations: diet, exercise, age, breed, stress (transport, intense training, excessive confinement). All these factors come together to shape the unique microbiome of each horse.
Dr Laurent Couetil shared recent developments in the investigation and management of equine asthma. His research team have been utilising a ‘dust sensor halter’ that detects and records the level of dust surrounding the horse’s airway. This tool allows researchers to identify high dust factors within the horse’s normal stable environment. Dr Couetil explained his recommendations for managing asthma. Reducing dust and providing pasture turnout is helpful, as is the use of low dust bedding and roughage. He highlighted that controlling the environmental factors is key to controlling the disease process. Their research has found that long chain Omega 3 PUFAs were very effective when used in combination with dust reduction – more so than dust reduction alone. O3 supplementation had a strong effect on reducing neutrophils in BAL even without changes in feed stuffs, most likely due to the specialised pro-resolving mediators EPA and DHA.
Dr Rosanna Marsella presented on the complex topic of allergies in horses. She noted that allergies can be quite common in horses, and that the resultant allergic reaction or itching can significantly impact quality of life. Statistically, the most common allergy in horses is related to insect bites (mainly the midge). Aside from insect bite allergies, environmental allergies occur. These are complex to diagnose and treat. Her research has found that the skin of allergic horses appears to have abnormal structure, typified by disorganised lipid material in intercellular spaces of the skin. She explained that when food allergy is suspected, an elimination diet is the most effective diagnostic tool. Dr Marsella highlighted the importance of considering other factors, such as storage and nearby feeds, when doing an elimination test as storage mites or other environmental contaminants may be the cause of a ‘feed allergy’
The conference was attended by nearly 250 industry professionals from around the globe, presenting a great opportunity to share knowledge and collaborate with peers. We’re looking forward to putting these learnings into practice and continuing to offer expert guidance to our equine customers.