Archeologists determined that Neolithic man, 8000 years ago used a primitive type of acupuncture tool called the bian-shi. It is a pyramidal shaped stone used to lance boils and stimulate certain points on the body to relieve pain. Later a sharp piece of bone was used for the same purpose and during the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC to 1100 BC), the metal acupuncture needle was invented. As they tracked their clinical results, they discovered acupoints with similar functions formed a line on the body and the sensation of the de - Qi would follow a certain pathway...a meridian or Jing-Luo.
There are 12 paired regular channels that relate to the organs and 8 extraordinary channels, 2 of which follow the midline. The Governing vessel on the dorsal midline and Conception vessel on the ventral midline. There are also collateral and divergent channels that are smaller branches of the major meridians that link the organs and meridians to one and other to form an intricately connected pathway throughout the body. I use 3 kinds of acupuncture in my practice : dry needle, electro and aqua acupuncture. Dry needle is simple insertion of small acupuncture needles. During electro acupuncture, the needles are connected to a battery powered stimulator to deliver a painless low voltage current to the meridian. For Aqua acupuncture, I inject a small volume of vit b 12 or glucosamine into the point. This causes a small blister and gives continual stimulation over a few days.
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Life with ponies is not always smooth sailing. One day they are superstars, the next they are dumping the kids in the ring. Some are tough as nails while others are hot house flowers. The key to a healthy and happy life with ponies is balance and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is one way to help. TCVM theory is balancing the the Yin and Yang in body and mind for health and happiness. Yin and Yang are opposing forces, hot and cold, dark and light, sympathetic and parasympathetic. TCVM has 5 branches, Acupuncture, Herbal Therapy, Tui-na Therapy, Food Therapy and Qi-gong practice. Acupuncture uses needles or laser to stimulate acupuncture points. Many points are at areas dense with nerves and vessels and some are in trigger points of the myofascia. Stimulation alerts cells to release chemical messengers that flow though the body and tell cells in other parts of the body to react. Veterinarians can use their knowledge of acupuncture points and their actions to help the body heal itself. Some examples of these actions are to release endorphins to reduce pain and decrease anxiety or to release nitric oxide to dilate blood vessels or to release histamine which mobilizes white blood cells to help fight off infection. Acupuncture is often described as energy medicine and indeed it is. We have many different forms of energy flowing through us. Depolarization of neurons by chemical gradients, like a battery, cause electrical impulses in our brain and spinal cord to control our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems which control all our body’s functions like breathing, heart beating, hormone balance, thought and movement. We have chemical energy in our cells breaking down molecules from the food we ingest and transforming it to the building blocks of our bodies. We have kinetic energy in our DNA that winds and unwinds to control translation, transcription and protein synthesis. By using acupuncture to stimulate or calm these reactions, we can balance the whole body from the macroscopic to the molecular level. Chinese Herbal Therapy uses formulas developed for medicinal purposes made from a variety of plants, roots, fungi, minerals and animal products. In modern herbology, most formulas are vegan and we do not use products such as rhino horn or deer antler velvet but some formulas contain insects, shells or bone from commercial livestock like cows, pigs and chickens. Most of our modern day pharmaceuticals are derived from plants and animals but then isolated and highly concentrated so they have a specific action, are stronger, work immediately and can have strong side effects. Herbal therapies are slower to work and gentler on the system because they have a wider range of action and the formulas are balanced to counter act the side effects that herbs in the formula may cause. They come in powder, pill and biscuit forms. Herbs are not supplements, they are medicine so they may be given for a short duration for an acute problem like hives or an upper respiratory disease or may be prescribed for longer periods for chronic disease like cancer, arthritis and for geriatric patients. Tui-na therapy is Chinese physical therapy. Chiropractic Care and physical therapy techniques have their roots in Tui-na techniques. Joint manipulation, stretching and massage techniques are used to restore range of motion and decrease pain and stiffness. The spinal nerves exit the vertebral column between a canal made by a pair of adjacent vertebrae. These nerves transmit signals to all parts of your body to control muscles, organs, heart rate, ect. If these vertebrae are not moving freely or moving too much, this canal can change shape and squeeze or pinch the nerve. You are aware of muscle contraction and pain but proprioception (the way your brain knows where your hands and feet are) is caused by information gathered at your extremities and sent back to your brain. You are not actively telling your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe or your intestines to digest food but any blockage in nerve conduction to these organs can cause systemic problems. In modern practice, Chiropractic care is performed by a DC or DVM to restore the normal motion of the joints. The massage and stretching portions of Tui-na can be done by the owner on a more frequent basis. You may be doing some Tui-na techniques already if you use a curry, hay wisp, rub down legs, do tail pulls or carrot stretches in your grooming routine. So your pony club DC was right, grooming is the first step to good health ! Food therapy is based on the energetics of foods and we classify them on different tastes. A good rule of thumb is crisp, refreshing foods such as cucumber, celery, watermelon rind and radish are good for Heat conditions. Warm foods are ones that take energy to digest so oats, sweet potato and pumpkin can help keep your pony warm in winter. Neutral foods are bland like potato, corn, cabbage, apples and carrots. The more processed a food is, the more heat it contains so raw is cold, while extruded nuggets are hot. Most ponies don’t need more than hay but you can supplement his diet seasonally with foods based on temperature. More in depth food therapy decisions are based on the 5 tastes : Sweet foods tonify the Qi(give you energy), which makes sense because they are filled with carbohydrates. Sour foods tonify the liver and helps regulate fluid balance. The sour tasting foods are the citrus fruits, rose hips, green tea, pomegranate which are antioxidants. Some sour foods contain tannins like dark beer which may help increase sweating and help grazing animals digest foods with high soy content. Bitter foods Tonify the Heart (circulatory and nervous system) and Clear Heat (reduce inflammation and infection). These are plants containing glycosides and alkaloids. Some common drugs made from plant glycosides are aspirin(anti inflammatory, anti pyretic), morphine (pain relief and sedation), quinine (antimalarial antipyretic) and digitalis (regulates the heart rhythym). Astringent foods are associated with the Metal element ie Lungs, skin, reducing mucous and opening the airways. Acrid foods have a burning feeling on the tongue because they contain essential oils like ginger, mentha, mint, cinnamon, and corriander. Salty foods Tonify the Kidneys and softens masses so we use salty foods in cancer patients, thyroid disorders, constipation and geriatric patients. Seaweed such as kelp and laminaria are commonly used. Qi-gong translates to Life energy cultivation. It is similar to Tai Qi by using gentle movements, breathing and mediating to relax the body and mind. Stress produces cortisol, an endogenous steroid that increases blood sugar, suppresses the immune system and decreases bone formation. So you ask, how do I get my pony to meditate ? We all know when we have a bad day you should just not ride because your pony will be bad and you will leave the barn frustrated. Horses are very in tune to our feelings and emotions. My suggestions for pony mediation are to do your grooming/Tui-na sessions with a relaxed attitude and rhythmic breathing, take a long trail walk on a loose rein enjoying nature or try centered riding. Incorporating TCVM practices into your pony’s daily activities is easy to do when you know a few basic theories and can help you live a long and happy life together. Ok people, you know I am a big supporter of whole foods for our animals but until now, there was no easy option for your horses. Anna Frensemeyer, has changed all that and now offers a whole food non-GMO alternative to processed horse feeds. Crypto-Aero (named after her OTTB) was developed by Anna when she had tried everything to help her horse with ulcerative colitis aka hind gut ulcers. He was a hard keeper, nervous, she could not build his topline and had chronic diarrhea and skin allergies. This a such a common problem for our animals and I deal with it on many different levels in my practice daily. This is a Stomach Yin Deficiency. The Yin is your air conditioner. When your AC is damaged, you can't get rid of Heat so your Yang (body's heater) takes over and causes damage. I look for the heat signs in the body to show me where the root of the problem is and how to treat it. Many diseases can be classified as inflammatory in origin, ulcers (Stomach Yin Def), cancer (Stagnation and Phlegm caused by whole body heat), arthritis (Kidney Yin Def), Skin Allergies ( Lung Yin Def), Tendonitis, Eye problems, irritability (Liver Yin Def), spooky in the show ring or afraid to be alone (Heart Yin Def) This is why in addition to my Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Herbal therapies, I always include Food Therapy recommendations. Foods have different energies based on the taste and amount of processing. Raw food is the coolest while processed foods are the hottest. Dr. Subhuti Dharmananda, PhD, Director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine in Portland, Oregon has written a great article about the 5 tastes in Chinese Medicine if you want to read more about it. If you are adding hot foods to the body everyday, you are damaging the Yin. We used to eat seasonally by necessity as did our animals. We associate summer vegetables as cooling foods while winter roots tend to be warming. In modern times, global agriculture and shipping has allowed us to eat whatever we want at any time. The same is true for our animals. We can feed them the same commercial feed everyday so if we are going to do that, let's make sure it is balanced in nutrients and temperature, free from chemicals and toxins, and as fresh as possible. Most horses don't need much grain in their diet unless they are actively competing, growing or breeding. The average couch potato horse could do fine on hay, fresh treats (apples, carrots, cucumbers, mint leaves, ect.) and a hand full of grains for their supplements. People always ask what I feed my own horses. I feed average grass hay, chia seeds to add omega 3 fatty acids and Platinum Performance CJ as a supplement. My guys are old now and the CJ has boswellia and glucosamine to help their aches and pains. Now that I have found, Crypto Aero, I have made the switch so instead of alfalfa pellets or grass balancer, they get a hand full of whole grains. They love the rose hips and papaya ! It is balanced, non GMO, and made from whole fresh foods so fits in well with our philosophy of healthy living. For breeding and showing horses it is a great choice to help them stay balanced under stressful conditions and limits the amount of chemicals that lead to Liver Qi Stagnation, (aka pain, irritability, poor performance). Duke and Dante wish this was available when we were showing, then they could eat more ! For more about Whole Foods for horses, listen to our interview with Anna on the Driving Radio Show episode 218. Turmeric is a powerful anti inflammatory. Inflammation is the root cause of many diseases like arthritis, skin allergies, cancer, neuropathies and dementia. I recommend adding it to your home cooked pet foods, alternatively you can make "golden paste" see the recipe below with this great graphic made by Pet Nutrition blogger, Rodney Habib.
To find out more about the benefits of Turmeric, go to Australian vet Dr. Doug English's page Turmeric Life and join his turmeric users group on facebook and be inspired as pet owners share their experiences about new found health and wellness with food therapy. Equine Lameness ScaleWhat do those grades mean on your veterinary report anyway ? Use this chart to demystify the code and listen to the Driving Radio Show episode 214 to hear the discussion.
“ Hot Dog ” Base diet for Sarasota Dogs
1 lb ground beef 1 lb ground turkey 3 TBS Turmeric 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 5 carrots 1 bag of celery heart 1 TBS of fresh ground ginger 1 head of kale 1 bag of frozen spinach 1 lbs of Barley 3-4 tablespoons of Local honey __________________________________________ Chop carrot and celery Saute in large pot with ginger and coconut oil until soft Add ground meat, brown and season with salt Add 3 TBS Turmeric, 2 tsp Black pepper and Barley Stir, cover with water and season with salt Bring to a boil and then partially cover and reduce to simmer until barley is cooked (approx 30 min) Add other veggies, honey and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning. Yes taste. This is a healthy meal made from whole food ingredients. Would you eat canned dog food ? No, me neither, but then again, I don't eat hot dogs for the same reason :) Let cool and serve. Store for 1 week in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer. If you are going on a trip, freeze in individual servings and put in the cooler for travel. Make any dietary changes gradually over a 2 week period. You can start by top dressing it on regular kibble. If you want to continue with good quality kibble, that is ok too. Variety is key so as long as they are getting a variety of foods, they will be healthier than eating processed foods all the time. If your dog has medical issues, cancer, arthritis, hot spots, obesity, chronic vomiting, your local TCVM vet can advise you about food therapy or you can email or call for a consult. So now we know some of the basics of interval training but how do we design a plan for our horses ? First answer these questions : 1. What is my breed type ? 2. What is my discipline ? 3. How long do I have until peak fitness is needed ? 4. What is my horse's attitude towards exercise ? You need to know what your goals are, what will you be asking of your horse and how capable is he at achieving those goals while maintaining a healthy body and spirit. We are using Glenn and Scooter for our example so you can listen in on the driving radio show episode 198 to hear the discussion. Scooter is a hackney pony. He is currently very sound but was rescued 1 year ago and was severely malnourished. Glenn wants to train for a training level CDE at the Florida horse park in January 2016. Scooters attitude about work is good and he happily trots around the neighborhood. Currently Glenn trains to a lightweight 2 wheel cart with no passengers for a combined weight of about 500 lbs on flat ground, usually pavement. So What will we be asking Scooter to do at training level ? The max distance on marathon can be 12 km. Usually there is a 5 km sec A at 13 km/h, 1 km walk at 5km/hr, 10 minute rest and vet check and a 6 km B section at 13 km/hr with 4 hazards. Glenn's hazard times are not counted at training level but we know he is going to get in there and go for it so we need to plan on doing some training for sprints in the hazards so Scooter doesn't get too tired and/or sore after the show. Hazards are usually about 600 meters from start to finish flags. Some of the upper level singles can sprint as fast as 25 + km/hr in hazards. We will be challenging Scooter in his aerobic zone here and Scooter and Glenn rarely raise their heart rate high enough to train for this at home so we have to make a plan. This is the maximum that would be asked of him so if we set our training goals here, we can rest assured that he is prepared for the challenges we are asking of him. We need to monitor heart rates and recovery rates to make sure we are training in the right zone. Resting heart rate is 25-40 b/m Aerobic range is 150 b/m and is currently where Scooter is when he is trotting down the road at about 10 km/h Anaerobic range is 180 b/m - this is his orange zone and at this heart rate, he starts to build up those fast twitch fibers and produce lactic acid in his muscles so he doesn't need to be here long. This will be a strong road trot or canter. max heart rate for horses is 220 - 240 b/min. Too much for Scooter. Don't go here. Time of recovery rates decrease as our fitness increases. A really fit horse's heart rate will quickly drop back to down when walking or slow trotting between hazards. A good rule of thumb is that after 2 mins, the pony's b/min should drop from 150-180 during exercise to about 100 b/min and after 10 min should drop down to about 60 b/min. This is what they are looking for in the vet checks at CDEs. They want to see significant recovery rates. Make sure to note the temperature, humidity, footing and carriage weight as these factors can all affect your pony's work load. To take the heart rate, feel the pulse at the base of the neck in the jugular groove, under the chin or listen with a stethoscope on the left side of the chest just behind the elbow. Count for 15 sec and multiply by 4. So now we need to develop our work out sets. Glenn needs to start out slow. If you ever had tried started jogging yourself you know you can just go out and jog 5 K. You jog for a minute or so and then you are out of breath so you walk for a minute then resume. We will do this for Scooter. We will either mark out some Ks on our road to do distance sets or use our watch to do timed sets. If you are doing timed sets, remember 12 kph is 5 minutes for 1 k, 13 kph is 4:36, 14 kph is 4:17 and 15 kph is 4:00. This is a basic example of a work out set for the endurance phase of training. Start with a 10 min warm up of walk and slow trot to get the blood flowing and warm the muscles. Trot for 5 minutes, then walk for 2 minutes. or Trot for 1 k, then walk for 200 meters Do 4 sets Walk and measure recovery rate after 2 minutes Walk for 8 more minutes and measure recovery rate after 10 minutes. Do this 2-3 times per week and follow it with a day of rest or an easy drive down the road. This will give you your baseline and you can increase or decrease the workload or number of sets to match your pony's current level of fitness. This is about a 45 min workout or about 5 km drive. Try to gradually increase either the number of sets or the trotting distance each week with the goal of working up to 12 k. If you are starting from no exercise what so ever. Start with walking and slow trotting for 4-8 weeks to give your pony time to strengthen muscles, tendons and bones before attempting an interval training plan. After 6-8 weeks or however long it takes our pony to be able to easily do 12 k with good recovery rates, we can add the anaerobic phase of our training. This will be short bursts of strength and speed training to build our fast twitch fibers. You can modify your current interval training routine to include the sprints Warm up 10 min Set 1 Trot for 10 min : walk for 1 min Set 2 Trot for 10 min : walk for 1 min Set 3 Trot for 3 min : strong trot or canter for 1 min : walk for 2 min Set 4 Trot for 3 min : strong trot or canter for 1 min : walk for 2 min Walk and measure recovery rate after 2 minutes Walk for 8 more minutes and measure recovery rate after 10 minutes. Do this no more than 2 times per week and follow it with a day of rest or an easy drive down the road. If you have access to hills, you can substitute hill climbing at slower speeds for the strong trot or canter. You can also achieve the strength training by using different footing. If you always drive on hard ground, driving on long grass or in arena footing is much harder work. Make sure your pony is ready to pull in deeper footing if you attempt this as this can be very hard on tendons and hind limb and back muscles. As your pony gets stronger, you can increase the number of sprints or work load. For our example we want Scooter to be able to comfortably work up to 5 or 6 sprints over a period of 6-8 weeks. As we said earlier, the maximum asked of Scooter at the CDE will be a distance of 12 km with 4 hazards. We know he can easily make this distance walking and trotting and can easily do 6 sprints. At the show he will have a 10 min brake after the first 5 k. We are now totally in tune with his recovery rates so at the vet box we can assess if he is at the top of his game and ready to continue. A tired pony does not have any fun on marathon but a fit pony well trained to handle the challenges you ask of him will be happy and healthy for many show seasons to come. I just joined Orange Theory fitness with is interval training for couch potatoes with heart rate monitors so you can get into the "orange zone" to increase your aerobic fitness and burn more fat. As I was on the tread mill, listening to the trainer say "keep going, this should feel uncomfortable", I thought about our horses and how important it is, even more so than for humans, to be properly conditioned so they can not only perform safely at their best but be able to perform at a higher level than we compete so they don't feel uncomfortable ! We can't inspire them to push on with motivational quotes, dance music and the hopes of 6 pack abs.
Interval training is a workout composed of short burst of intense work followed by partial recovery periods with the goal of increasing cardiovascular fitness, strength and speed. Interval training increases aerobic fitness faster so the horse can exercise for longer periods of time before lactic acid and fatigue set in (pre-tying up). To understand the benefits of interval training we need to know about slow and fast twitch muscle fibers. Slow twitch fibers (type 1) are for long, slow work. They use oxygen to produce lots of energy for long periods of time, aerobic metabolism. The muscles you use for standing, or sitting up are mostly slow twitch fibers. For example the intrinsic muscles of your spine. They are happy to stay engaged at low level for the day. Fast twitch fibers (type 2b) are for high speed, strong contractions, like sprinting or hill climbing. They generate energy without oxygen, anaerobic metabolism. They use the glycogen stored in the muscles for energy and produce lactic acid as a by product and can lead to pain and cramping (tying up). Your gluteals and thighs have lots of fast twitch fibers. Do a few squats or run some stairs and the burning you feel is your fast twitch muscles fatiguing. Then of course, there are some muscle fibers that have both characteristics (type 2a). These are use both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. Your gluteals and thighs also have lots of intermediate fibers to so you can run or ride for long periods of time. Different breeds have have different ratios of slow and fast twitch muscles. Most TBs and Qh have around 90% fast twitch fibers to 10 %. They are bred for sprinting. While most draft breeds are more like 60%:40% fast to slow so they can walk all day. Arabians are somewhere in between, 75%:25% fast to slow which is why they excell at endurance racing. Exercise can't change the amount of fast twitch to slow twitch fibers but it can increase the size and working capacity of the types of fibers we want to train for. Say we want to get ready for our first CDE, interval training can help us build our slow twitch for endurance and our fast twitch for speed and strength in the hazards. Just road work at a 14 kph trot will improve endurance but not improve your times because it targets your slow twitch muscle. A workout that includes a 15 min walk/trot warm up with some 3-5 min trot and canter sets at varying speeds with 1 min walk breaks can rapidly increase fitness by building up those fast twitch fibers too. Now we have some questions we need to answer before we design our workout plan. 1. breed type 2. discipline 3. time line 4. Attitude In part 2, we will walk you through an exercise plan. What is equine and canine rehab ? No, it is not a support group for animal hoarders. It is physical therapy for our animals. Physical rehabilitation's main goals are to reduce pain and bring the body back to its normal function. That is why Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care work so well together. Acupuncture restores the pain and brings the body back into balance and chiropractic mobilizes the joints and restores the body's normal functions. We can also use manual therapies like tui na (meridian massage), passive and active range of motion and exercise. We teach many of these exercises to the caretaker so you can become a partner in your pet's recovery. Whether the injury is acute, like an accident or post op, or chronic like arthritis or compensation from an old injury or poor conformation, a solid rehabilitation plan is the fastest way back to normal function and performance. We all know that a weak core leads to lumbar pain, that is why Dr. Kyle sends his human patients home with core stabilization exercises and yoga moves. We design exercise programs for dogs and horses to help them develop these muscles too. For horses, the exercises can be done under saddle or in hand. For dogs, we do positional exercises and even use tiny cavalettis for strength and paw awareness. One big difference in core strengthening in animals is...they get to eat treats during exercise ! Think about that next time you are doing crunches. People ask me, does my animal need rehab ? Well in a way yes, all animals need a baseline amount of exercise and a healthy diet, just like people to stay healthy well into their golden years. Many diseases are caused by a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes, tendon injuries because they lack the muscle to protect themselves in a stumble, even general stiffness or a poor gait. Did your older horse go from an 8 mover to a 6 ? Does your old lab not want to jump in the truck anymore ? Maybe its not just that he is old. Maybe he needs some help to keep his joints moving and muscles firing so you can keep enjoying the company of your best pal. Ellen Ettenger joins us to talk about the new website, DrivingEntries.com, Wendy has exciting news and we learn that Chia is a healthy thing, not just a Christmas gift. Listen in..... The TCVM segments starts at 35:11 Cha Cha Cha Chia Pet ! We all know the benefits of Chia. It makes a great last minute gift for your buddy who has it all and it has a great jingle but did you know that Chia was the Aztec Warrior's superfood and can help your pets too ? In TCVM terms, Chia tonifies the kidney qi. It is cool and damp so it also tonifies the lung and large intestine Yin. This means we would recommend Chia for lethargy and inflammatory issues, like arthritis, skin inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pain. The properties of Chia that made it the ancient cross fitter's superfood to give them endurance and stamina are what makes it my number one choice for a supplement for pets and horses. 1. Chia is a complete protein : A complete protein contains all 9 of the essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are amino acids must be ingested because the body can not make them itself. Meat, fish, dairy and eggs are great sources of complete proteins but in our modern world, pet food has a very limited amount of meat (unless you home cook, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more). Horses are vegetarians so must have a high quality protein source to get their essential amino acids. Vegetarian sources are soybeans, hemp,quinoa, seaweed and spirulina. Chia is around 20% protein so helps to build lean muscle mass and stimulate the metabolism. 2. Chia is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids : in the Aztec language, Chia means oily. Chia oil is 63% omega 3 and has the proper 3:1 ratio of omega 3:omega 6 fatty acids. Chia's omega 3 oil is in the form of Alpha linolenic acid (ALA made famous by Dr. Oz on Oprah). ALA is an essential fatty acid so it can not be made in the body and must be consumed. Fats give you endurance and stamina. Supports the immune and nervous system ( bone marrow and brains are made of fat ). Hormones are also derived from fats, so a healthy amount of fat in the diet can help the body regulate it's hormone balance to increase fertility, soothe endocrine dysfunction and irregular cycling. Omega 3s are also a natural anti inflammatory so can reduce the pain of arthritis, nerve pain and decrease the severity of allergies. 1 tablespoon of chia has 2g of ALA, which is the recommended daily amount for a 150 lbs person. 3. Chia is high in fiber : Chia seeds can absorb 12 times their weight in water and quickly turns into a gel. Our 3 biggest digestive problems with horses, ulcers, colic and metabolic disease can all be helped with Chia. The gel can soothe stomach ulcers and protect the stomach lining. The gel hydrates the intestines so can help reduce the incidence of sand and impaction colics. The gel slows the breakdown of carbs into sugar so reduces sugar spikes and regulates insulin levels. Chia gel also keeps the body hydrated and keeps electrolytes in the body longer. 4. Chia is high in Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin B and antioxidants : Helping the body regulate its own vitamin mineral balance along with an even carbohydrate absorption will greatly enhance mood leading to better performance in the show ring or be better able to deal with separation anxiety. Commercial supplements that claim to calm animals by overdosing them with minerals just puts the body more out of balance robbing Peter to pay Paul. Giving animals a balanced whole food supplements allows them to have access to the building blocks they need be healthy and happy. 5. Chia oil has a long shelf life, even in Florida. Chia's high levels of antioxidants keep it stable from -20 to 110 degrees for up to 5 years and unlike flax seed, Chia does not need to be ground for the body to absorb the oils. This makes it very practical to keep in the barn and to buy in bulk. 6. Chia is now grown in America : A strain of Chia has been developed in KY that thrives in US climates so now we can support US farmers and purchase Chia from a reliable, non-GMO source. Click here to go to US Chia No wonder Chia was the Aztec Warrior's super food, high protein, high fat to give them energy. High fiber to keep them hydrated and give them endurance. High in minerals and vitamins to keep the body in balance. Easy to store and carry while pilaging neighboring tribes and it grew in abundance locally. Thanks to the smart folks at US chia for giving our animals a local, healthy source of Chia. Want to hear more about Chia from Zack Pennington, CEO at US Chia ? Listen to our interview on the TCVM segment of the driving radio show on the horse radio network. |
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