Zero carbs diet

✅ FIBER
Horses have developed over millions of years on a diet of mostly fiber. Grasses and plants contain fiber, oil (fatty acids), and protein (amino acids). They also contain vitamins and minerals. Everything a horse needs for a healthy gut, functional gut bacteria and the building blocks for healthy cells. This is how horses, like most herbivores are build. The ‘downside’ of this, is that horses need to consume these grasses and plants almost around the clock, to derive enough nutrients from them to stay in excellent shape.

ENTER HUMANS WHO PUT HORSES TO WORK
Alas, many thousand of years ago humans recruited horses to work for them in all sorts of areas. Thus when a horse needs to transport a human 12 hours a day, there is no time to eat for 20 hours a day. Humans, always finding solutions for self made problems, came to the idea to start feeding horses grains such as spelt (ancient wheat), oats and barley. This worked, the horses had energy and stayed in shape, without having to eat all day, every day.

👉 FOR THOUSAND OF YEARS THERE SEEMED NOTHING THE MATTER
Until the mid-20 century when horses started to experience more and more problems such as:
- Navicular syndrome
- Sweet itch
- PPID (Cushing)
- Obesities
- Insulin resistance
And later in the 21st century muscle diseases such as PSSM, which almost seems an epidemic.

❌ THE PROBLEM IS THE GRAINS AND STARCH IN THE FOOD
In my experience, the grains and starch in the modern horse feed is the problem. Grains and starch are packed with carbs which are to the body nothing else than sugars.
Consumption of constant sugars raises insulin resistance, which in turn messes with the hormonal balance (as insulin is a hormone), which as a result can cause all other sorts of problems with the immune system, of which the latest research in humans even suggests; cancer, but also many the same health issues as horses suffer. Next to that, horses are designed to function on gut bacteria formed from fiber, NOT sugar. A gut full of bacteria based on sugar functions differently and does not support the horse’s health and suppresses the immune system as well.

⚠️ WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM NOW, WHEN IT WASN’T FOR THOUSAND OF YEARS
👉 Different grains
The grains of the past were not ‘refined’ or altered (GMO), not grown with artificial fertilizer (which lacks important nutrients, the soil is now depleted off in many areas), not sprayed with herbi- and pesticides, and not processed into paper or plastic bags and packed with harmful food additives.
👉 Drastic decline of the daily workload
Horses of the past had to work many hours a day, burning off the much cleaner grains at that time. Still not ideal but better for the horse’s health, then the situation we have today.

✅ WHAT TO FEED INSTEAD
So, what do we feed instead then? Fiber, fat, protein! In my (vast and long experience) many health problems lessen or disappear after starting horses on a CLEAN DIET. No grains, no starch, no sugar, and no chemical additives. Check your horse’s feed label for the ingredients and the additives. Then decide you want to start your horse on a clean diet. Start researching which feeds are best and are available to you in your area.
- Preferably organic hay (not haylage)
- Safe and limited grass (I’ll do a post on that next Wednesday!)
- Linseed (flax seed)
- Beet pulp (organic where possible)
- Straw
- Alfalfa
- Sun flower seeds
Are a few good options to start with. You can add herbs such as curcuma, cinnamon and nettles to the feed and of course Himalaya rock salt.
🦄 Next week I will explain about safe grass.

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