What is all the fuss about free radicals, and what does it mean for your horse’s health? A free radical is a very unhappy molecule. Although it was once stable, it is now missing an electron. Determined to become whole, it sets out in search of another vulnerable molecule and steals its electron. The original bad guy is now neutral and can relax. But in its wake, it has created another free radical that is just as desperate to steal and destroy.
In your horse (just as in humans) a small number of free radicals is normal, but factors such as stress, nutritional imbalances, illness or injury can cause these outlaws to multiply beyond the body’s ability to cope. Most commonly, we see the result as decreased immune function, inflammation and pain.
The only way to stop this destructive rampage is to call on a nearby “free-radical neutralizer.” This hero sacrifices itself by giving the free radical the electron it needs, thereby protecting defenseless cells from harm. Since our hero doesn’t seek his own stability, his own demise is without consequence. Without these noble molecules, free radicals would be entirely unchecked in devastating healthy tissue. These selfless champions are known as antioxidants.
Antioxidants should be part of your horse’s nutritional program. Vitamins C, E, and beta carotene are the most common, and are plentiful in fresh, healthy pasture. Once living grass is cut, dried, and stored as hay, it loses these precious nutrients, creating nutritional gaps that should be filled through supplementation.
A more extensive discussion on the antioxidant’s vital role in fighting disease, pain and inflammation can be found in Dr. Getty’s comprehensive resource, Feed Your Horse Like a Horse, available in hardcover and CD-ROM (PDF file) through Dr. Getty’s website and at Amazon.com.
Dr. Juliet Getty has taught and consulted on equine nutrition for more than 20 years. She offers frequent teleseminars; the next one, “Understanding and Avoiding Colic,” is scheduled for November 17—register at http://www.gettyequinenutrition.com, where you will also find a library of helpful articles, a forum on nutrition, and a calendar of appearances, interviews and teleconferences.
Dr. Getty publishes a free (and popular) monthly e-newsletter, “Forage for Thought”; subscribe through the website. Dr. Getty serves as a distinguished advisor to the Equine Sciences Academy, and is available for individual consultations. Contact Dr. Getty directly at gettyequinenutrition@gmail.com or at (970) 884-7187.