| If you have ever seen a horse suffering from | | | | started eating hay again this fall. |
| symptoms of COPD, also called heaves, then you | | | | I wanted to try feeding her hay again to see |
| know that the picture is not pretty. The horse can't | | | | whether she had truly conquered her COPD or |
| breathe properly, respiration is high, nostrils are flared, | | | | whether she was truly allergic to hay. For the first |
| and then there's the heave line, a sure sign of | | | | 4-5 days, she ate the hay and showed no signs of |
| respiratory distress. | | | | coughing. Then one day I began training all the horses |
| Although this used to be a horse health care | | | | for cowboy mounted shooting. This involved firing a |
| condition that affected mostly older horses, today it | | | | small revolver at a pretty good distance (about 500 |
| has become common in younger performance horses | | | | yards) from the horses so they could become |
| or horses under stress. While it has always been | | | | accustomed to the noise. |
| assumed that COPD or horse heaves is caused by an | | | | None of the horses showed much alarm, they just all |
| allergy to hay, dust, mold, or other allergens, I | | | | moved to the far end of the pen. However, Reyacita |
| recently discovered that this condition can also be | | | | immediately developed a deep heaving cough. The |
| simply a sign of stress. | | | | noise from the revolver stressed her enough that her |
| While many people feel that heaves is a permanent | | | | physical weakness, her lungs, immediately showed |
| condition, this case study demonstrates how the | | | | the effects. |
| symptoms of heaves can be alleviated with nutritional | | | | When I discussed her situation with Dr. Ward, she |
| support. | | | | pointed out that when Reyacita heard the sound of |
| Reyacita: A Case Study | | | | the pistol, she probably immediately flipped from the |
| Reyacita is a four-year-old mustang mare I adopted | | | | parasympathetic nervous system (the one we use in |
| about 8 months ago. She had a rattle in her chest | | | | normal life conditions) to the sympathetic nervous |
| when I brought her home, and the rattle always | | | | system (used when horses are in fight-or-flight |
| sounded louder when she was under stress (such as | | | | mode). Once the sympathetic nervous system kicked |
| when I started her under saddle). | | | | in, Reyacita's immune system became compromised |
| A few months after she came home, the rattle in | | | | and she started to have heaves again. |
| her chest developed into a full-blown case of heaves, | | | | Not convinced that Reyacita's COPD symptoms were |
| or COPD. She had difficulty breathing, and coughed | | | | due to a hay allergy, Dr. Ward suggested I |
| deeply and constantly. She was clearly suffering and | | | | supplement the mare with Eleviv, an herbal product |
| she could not eat her hay. | | | | that supports the adrenal system and helps restore |
| Since this happened in late winter, I could not put her | | | | the parasympathetic nervous system. I fed Reyacita |
| on pasture. Instead, I took her off hay and began | | | | 2 capsules of Eleviv the first day but gave her no |
| feeding her soaked beet pulp and a senior pelleted | | | | hay. The Eleviv calmed the COPD symptoms within a |
| feed. I also offered her grass hay cubes that had | | | | few minutes, and she improved more during the |
| been soaked. | | | | course of the day. On the second day, I fed her 2 |
| I supplemented this diet with Xango mangosteen | | | | more capsules of Elviv and offered her a few flakes |
| juice, blue-green algae, enzymes, and probiotics to | | | | of hay. Reyacita was able to eat the hay without |
| help heal her lungs. Within two weeks, the coughing | | | | any COPD symptoms. The third day was the same. |
| had stopped but the rattle in her chest always | | | | This indicates that Reyacita's COPD is the result of |
| reappeared when Reyacita was stressed. A prime | | | | stress rather than a hay allergy. While many horses |
| example is when I rode her through our small town | | | | with COPD or heaves are assumed to have hay or |
| for the first time. Although she showed no other | | | | dust allergies, this may or may not be the case. As |
| signs of stress, when we reached an intersection | | | | with Reyacita, these horses may simply be under too |
| that had traffic, she put her head down and rattled | | | | much stress, and their weakest physical link may be |
| with each breath. As soon as we turned around and | | | | their lungs, hence the COPD. |
| headed for home, the rattle disappeared. | | | | It would not surprise me to discover that many |
| The Veterinarian's Diagnosis | | | | performance horses operate primarily off their |
| When I consulted veterinarian Dr. Madalyn Ward | | | | sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system, which |
| about Reyacita's case, she told me that I was on the | | | | depresses the immune system and prevents healing. |
| right track with the mare's diet and supplements. She | | | | Bringing this horse back around to the |
| asked me to find out Reyacita's horse personality | | | | parasympathetic nervous system, as I did by giving |
| type by taking the online test at Horse Harmony. | | | | Reyacita the adrenal-supporting Eleviv, may allow |
| Reyacita turned out to be a Metal personality type, | | | | these horses to not only heal but also to feel a great |
| whose typical physical weakness is the lungs, so her | | | | deal more comfortable. |
| bout with COPD or heaves was not surprising. | | | | These days I give Reyacita Eleviv anytime I feel she |
| Recent Changes | | | | might be under stress, such as when I haul her to a |
| Once spring arrived I was able to turn Reyacita out | | | | horse event or when I started her on roping training. |
| on pasture, although I continued to syringe the mix | | | | So far, she has never shown any signs of COPD or |
| of mangosteen juice and other supplements into her | | | | stress when supported in this way with nutrition. It's |
| mouth daily. Her health improved to such a point that | | | | not for every horse, but Eleviv is definitely something |
| the rattle in her chest disappeared, even when she | | | | that stays in my first-aid kit in my horse trailer. |
| was under stress. Everything went well until she | | | | |