Stress and Horse Health

Stress is both an angel and a demon: On the one hand, it pushes us forward to
adapt, achieve and strengthen muscles, and on the other hand it can kill us
prematurely. How does stress shape our body and how can we manage it for
optimal health?
A vital key to making sure that stresses make us better and not worse is to maintain an appropriate
balance between tension and relaxation. If you keep pushing and stressing a muscle without
appropriate recovery time the muscle gets injured and inflamed. In a work environment it can lead
to Repetitive Stress Injury. In an athlete or horse it can lead to acidification and tissue breakdown.
When we are tensed and in the fight or flight mode we are said to be in the sympathetic mode.
This is when the blood rushes to extremities ready for quick-twitch muscle firing to escape danger or
to fight the predator. During this phase the digestive system stops, as does the cellular detox and cell
building systems. When the danger is gone and we are relaxing again we move back to the
parasympathetic mode (sometimes called grazing or rest and digest mode) where digestion and
other systems return to normal.
The maintenance of good health is therefore dependent on environmental conditions. For muscles
to have a good tone with strength and flexibility they need to be trained with exercise and they
need to have sufficient recovery nutrients like magnesium. Playful exercise helps to push around the
lymphatic system to eliminate wastes. This is particularly important for horses. Lack of exercise can
cause severe stress (the bad kind).
Horses love to run or walk long distances. For thousands of years they have served humans well as
modes of transport. Today they are more prone to stress from confinement and lack of exercise. The
hoof wall acts like a pressure container for filling and emptying of lymphatic initial vessels via the
ground contact and suspension of the moving foot. If movement is restricted it can cause problems
for the lymphatic system such as filled legs/stocking up, which may eventually lead to
lymphangitis. Stable and exercise bandages, steel horse shoes and lack of regular and correct
trimming of hooves (maximum 4 weeks) have been shown to adversely affect the blood and
lymphatic circulations of the leg. See Dr Professor Bowkers research at
www.thehorseshoof.com/Art_Bowker.html and www.gravelproofhoof.org.

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Other sources of horse stress to be aware of are inclement weather, travelling, performance,
bullying by horses or humans, not being able to graze, chemicals and nutrient deficient food, and

Horses evolved from small mammals whose survival depended on their ability to flee from
predators. Their first instinct when frightened is to escape. If running is not possible, the horse
resorts to biting, kicking, striking or rearing to protect itself. Many of the horses natural behaviour
patterns, such as herd-formation and social facilitation of activities, are directly related to their being
a prey species. This means they are easily spooked and subject to stress - especially if they dont get
enough attention and feel lonely. They are intensely social creatures, relying on relationships to give
them confidence and the ability to relax and rest.

isolation (no equine companionship). Unrelenting stress can cause colic, irritability and even
deteriorate into diseases of diabetes and laminitis (hoof disease). Horses have a sensitive digestive
system which is easily disrupted by stress. Take care to ensure they are not exposed to pesticides on
their grazing pastures and in their drinking water from dams and waterways. Grains can also cause
acidosis because they share the same acidic by-product as sugar in metabolism especially in the
absence of sufficient magnesium and acid-buffering antioxidants.
Diabetes in horses is a worsening issue these days because domesticated horses are confined to
paddocks that are often low in magnesium and high in plant sugars. Thats like sending a diabetic out
in the field to eat candy. Diabetes leads to hoof disease and premature ageing. The evolution of the
horse was from alpine regions with an abundance of trace minerals from glacial waters. The plant
food they ate was high in minerals and low in sugars. These plant foods carried an abundance of
beneficial bacteria to assist digestion, which also produced essential fatty acids. Their natural diet
was nutrient dense.
Calcium contracts and magnesium relaxes, however magnesium is lost from the tissue cells with
every stress and exertion, so we tend to get very low in magnesium and stay high in calcium. Our
soils and food supply have become deficient in magnesium. To add insult to injury, stress depletes
excessive amounts from tissue cells, as magnesium is used to counteract the effects of stress.
Without enough magnesium the body is prone to involuntary muscle contraction from calcium
(cramps, twitches, spasms), as well as calcification of soft tissue and ligaments (arthritis and stiff
joints).

Sugar Sensitivity and pH Balance

As magnesium gets lower sugar sensitivity, acidity and inflammation increases. As you lift
magnesium levels in cells the sugar sensitivity and acidification settles down again. Its like a seesaw. Magnesium calms the temperament as well as muscles, it helps cells detox and it is vital in
energy metabolism because it is used by the mitochondria to make ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
the energy currency of the cell. This bio-electrical system drives every enzyme reaction in the body.
Magnesium is at the centre of our life force itself. Its the central molecule in chlorophyll.
Magnesium is the primary electrolyte in the metabolism of energy from sunlight to plant to animal.

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As you consume more sugar, and magnesium levels are depleted, the electrical system starts to
splutter and falter, like an ill-tuned car engine. It also causes the vascular system to contract, causing
hypertension. This is because low magnesium and high sugar induces dehydration of cells. Its the
magnesium ions in cell membranes that hold the charge. You need a charged electrolyte alkaline
water to maintain the integrity of the cell membrane and hold the water balance inside cells. The
body starts to panic because of dehydration and extra adrenaline is released for action. It is
screaming for water and minerals as a result of the sugar assault and is desperately looking to re-

It takes 28 magnesium molecules to metabolise one sucrose molecule into energy, and 56
magnesium molecules to metabolise one fructose molecule. When you ingest a little sweet stuff, if
you have a good storage tank of magnesium you can cope with the sugar metabolism without
sensitivity.

establish pH balance. This is what makes kids fly around the room and swing off the chandeliers after
a bag of jellybeans. Your horse is no different.

Natural Magnesium Supplementation in the Diet

The best way to help the body balance itself is to supply adequate hydration and the right nutrition.
As magnesium is low in soils we need to add to our food and water the most bio-available form of
magnesium, which is the salt form called magnesium chloride hexahydrate (magnesium flakes).
Make sure to use food grade for oral use, as most magnesium chlorides are industrial grade with
contaminants from agricultural or mining runoff, mercury and other pollutants from ocean and
population sources. The food grade sources are usually from remote alpine regions, naturally
dehydrated with the sodium skimmed off, and retaining about two percent other trace minerals.
Food grade magnesium flakes should have an independent laboratorys mineral analysis showing no
mercury and no lead detected down to 10ppb. Ask the supplier if not sure.

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By Sandy Sanderson 2016

( www.elektramagnesium.com.au and www.magnesium4horses.com.au)