ASSURE^® Guard

By L.A. Pomeroy for Arenus

 

Legendary stage and screen actor Sir Lawrence Olivier once confessed, despite decades of accolades, he still felt stage fright to the point of nausea before each performance.  Beneath a professional facade the seasoned veteran was steeped in stress.

 

Stepping into the show ring is not that different from stepping onto a stage.  In horses, as in humans, high stress can negatively affect the digestive system.  Unfortunately, since nature designed the equine esophagus to meet the stomach at a greater angle than our own, horses cannot resource the same stress-relieving technique as Olivier.  They cannot throw up.  When stress strikes, you could say horses have no choice but to swallow their anxiety.

 

So is it little wonder that the incidence of stomach ulcers in highly stressed performance horses may be as high as 87%?

 

Among the daily stresses that can trigger stomach and/or digestive upsets:

 

• Horses confined to pens, paddocks or stalls for much of the day

• Feeding restricted to 2-3 meals daily

• Less than optimum roughage intake

• Rations including grain or other concentrated feeds

• Limited interaction with other horses

• Controlled exercise

 

“These numbers clearly show that digestive function is a major health concern for horses,” says Jay Altman, D.V.M. and Arenus Veterinary Management Consultant.  Dr. Altman worked his way through two degree programs -- as a certified farrier and managing a referral surgical facility – before developing, testing, and launching the Arenus ASSURE^® line of digestive aids, including ASSURE Guard for ulcer-prone horses.

 

Clinical signs that a horse may be suffering from digestive upset include diarrhea, anorexia, or colic.  All these symptoms can impact your horse’s overall comfort and lead to decreased focus, trainability, and performance.   While pharmaceutical solutions are available to cure existing ulcers, a horse owner’s real goal is to sidestep ulcers before they start. 

 

“Nutritional management to help reduce the incidence of new or recurring ulcers is possible,” assures Dr. Altman, “with the proper ingredients.”

 

That begins with feeding supplements that support hindgut health. Calcium carbonate can help support normal stomach pH and neutralize acid. Probiotics and chelated zinc have also been shown to support normal digestive function in horses with stomach ulcers.

 

ASSURE Guard uses GST^® (Gastrointestinal Stabilizing Technology) to deliver those key ingredients, starting with direct-fed microbials and whole blond psyllium husks to boost microorganism activity, MINTREX^® chelated zinc for intestinal cell health and nutrient absorption, and calcium carbonate, and probiotics.

 

“Healthy horses start from a stable gastrointestinal system,” says Dr. Altman. “The ASSURE product line was created based on this very simple concept.  It is designed to help horses cope better with lifestyle stresses, like competition, training, and feed changes.”

 

When the spotlight is on your horse’s health and wellbeing, don’t let ulcers steal the show.