Laminitis (founder); Who Do You Beleive?

It’s funny how a person can work his tail off for There are seven ingredients of most feeds, they are,
over thirty one years in an industry that is highlyCarbohydrates, (simple sugars along with complex
competitive (and very fickle) and manage to make acompounds), Proteins, fats or oils, Vitamins, Minerals,
living helping a lot of horses, along the way and still bewater and wastes.  No mater what you feed. All
derided by so called ‘professionals’ justfeeds must be broken down to simple compounds to
because he doesn’t have a DVM or a PhD afterbe utilized by the horse. Simple sugars provide the
his name.energy for maintaining the body, supplying energy to
I must remind readers that in no way am Ido work, and the heat to keep the body warm at a
‘anti-vet’ or against higher education. Withoutconstant level.  Since the composition of hay is
the great strides that have been made in academia,primarily made up of Carbohydrates, (simple sugars,
we would have none of the products or thestarches, cellulose and hemi-celluloses with lignin), all of
procedures that allow us to care for and treat ourwhich must be broken down to simple sugars to be
horses when they need help. I have a very goodutilized.   There is no such thing  as low
relationship with my vet and her staff. I regularly consult“CARB” hay.  High sugar feeds are the
with a number of vets across the country andconcentrates, those with a fiber content of less than
manufacture custom premixes for vets and feed18%.  No hay falls into this category. 
companies alike. Researchers are often single minded in their
Yet, out of the blue, I have a vet that seems to be onresearch projects and often fail to consider genetics
a mission to discredit everything that I say or do overor individual variations in a population, which can skew
the articles that I have written and published totheir interpretation of the results of their research.  To
educate horse owners of their options. And I mightassume that all horses can be forced to become an
point out that I have done so for free. Worst of all heinsulin resistant individual by feeding  hay containing
chose to do it in a public forum rather than contact mehigher than average sugar levels is false.  Show me
and confront me directly.one EMS horse and I will show you 50 that are not.
 Over the years I have been asked to help with The problem is not the feeding of hay.  The
cases that have a nutritional base for their existenceproblem is that we have taken the horse out of his
and have written articles on the sugar and starchnatural environment where exercise and constant
(NSC) content of hay and the impact that differentgrazing are a part of the horse’s natural
cereal grains have on horses. To date I have neverevolutionary pattern.  Too many people own horses
written an article on ‘founder’ but the problemand have nothing for them to do.  Horses were
that I seem to have today stems from that perception.designed to be used and not stood in a stall to be
The reason for writing this article is to demonstratepampered, fattened and admired.”
how convoluted information gets in today’s age of Well Gang, I did look up Dr. Pollett’s page at the
the “information hi-way”. We all have toUniversity of Australia’s website. Very interesting
remember that the access to misinformation manyreading. Bet you’ll never guess what I found? 
times overshadows the access to credible information.That’s right, a link to the very sight that I got some
Albeit emotional diatribe, Dr. Throgmorton has accusedof my data from (for “But He Likes It” and listed
me of the adding to the same misinformation that isit in my references), right on Dr. Pollett’s page. It so
common on the internet, simply because he did nothappens that Kathryn Watts has co-authored papers
bother to read my articles thoroughly or investigate thewith Dr.Pollett on the way horses utilize different types
cited references (short of ridiculing them) beforeof forage. Yet, according to Dr. Throgmorton, Kathryn
attacking me and my associates.is no doubt one of the researchers that “are often
Dr. Bill Throgmorton of Gilroy, CA initially posted thissingle minded in their research projects and often fail
with regard to my article “But He Likes It”to consider genetics or individual variations in a
posted on Article Base (population, which can skew their interpretation of the
1. B. Throgmorton,DVM (17:14, 31.03.2009)results of their research.”
Evidently you have not ridden endurance orNow, last week I spoke with Kathryn Watts on the
competitive horses in competition. If you had, youphone at length and, based on my 30 years of
would quickly see the facillacy in your argument.experience she is one of the most open minded and
Number 1, horses use short chair fatty acids as theirwell founded experts in the business. We agreed on
primary energy source during prolong physical activity.the difficulty of trying to change the allopathic mind and
You should clarify which group of horses your articlepresent the benefit of alternate means to allow horses
covers, (the sedate, back yard, used only on Sundayto thrive. Thankfully, many vets are coming around and
by old maid school teacher). I can tell from first handembracing a more holistic way of helping the horse.
experience, having Judged competitive and endurance On the other hand you have the narrow minded and
rides for 40 years and having competed along withself indulgent side of veterinary medicine (No drug
family members, horses on strickly grass hay will srinksurgery = no income = no practice) that hate people
like a wilted lilly. Unless you supplement their hay withlike me.
grain which will raise there carbohydrate level andThis is why the vets that are willing to look at alternate
available sugers.medicine are the most successful in the industry. Yet,
Oats and oat hay have been the accepted standardthey still have to run the gauntlet of the status quo
for feeding horses for three hundred years and willbecause they have the courage to break barriers and
remain so, if miss-information, like yours, continue tothe conscience to actually do it for the horse! Not the
circulate unchallenged. I have yet to see a horsemoney!
foundered on good, clean oat hay in my own stagle orHere are the accolades given Kathryn Watts by Dr.
in my Veterinary practice. Don't do the public aPollett and others:
disservice with your line of thinking. I don't know what“From Experts in Equine Health and Hoof Care
your selling but I am not byeing it.Dr. Chris Pollitt, U of Queensland, AU
Now, the article “But He Likes It”, which he was"Recent results from the Australian Equine Laminitis
referring to, was written to show that different kinds ofResearch Unit have confirmed that horses can
hay may contain higher starch and sugar levels thandevelop laminitis when hindgut fermentation of fructan
the horse owner may think. Since Dr. Throgmortonoccurs. The valuable work of Kathryn Watts, in
raises oat hay among other types, for sale, he hasestimating carbohydrate concentrations in various
seemed to take this as an attack on his personalpasture species, applies our laboratory findings to field
operation. I simply wanted to make the point thatconditions and her message will be of the utmost
alfalfa hay is fine to feed to horses providing they areimportance to all horse care-givers."
supplemented properly with minerals to balance thePete Ramey, Hoof Rehabilitation Specialist,
ration."Why do so many horses have constant wall flaring
From the very beginning Sierra Gold Supplements forand white line separation? Why do some pastures
Horses® have been formulated and sold forseem to founder every horse that sets foot on them?
performance horses. Had Dr. Throgmorton taken theWhy does some "innocent looking" hay seem to be as
time to follow the link to our website he would havebad for horses as free-choice sweet feed? The
seen that and would have known “what your sellingwealth of information from Kathryn Watts' research
but I am not byeing it.”and her site has given the world valuable answers to
He is correct in that I have never ridden in anquestions we never knew enough to ask. If you ever
endurance race. I have however made my livingget the chance to hear her in person, do not pass it up!
horseback, cowboying in the mountains of centralThe tools she can add to your bag of tricks are
British Columbia, Northern Alberta, central Washingtonunbelievable."
and Southern California. Many of those days ifDr. Sarah Ralston, Equine Nutritionist, Rutgers University
anything were a test of ‘endurance’ for both"The work Katy Watts is doing is revolutionary (in the
horse and rider.equine nutrition realm), critical and practical".
After calling Dr. Throgmorton and explaining my side ofNow the way I see it, if Dr. Throgmorton doesn’t
the story he agreed to read the article thoroughly andlike what I say he’s entitled to his opinion and the
get back to me. Instead of getting back to me on theability to raise and sell any kind of hay that he wants. I
article that he criticized me on I got this email:have no problem with that. Thank God that we still live
“Founderin a free country (for now). But, when I am attacked
        Dan, I would like to refer you to anand my business and my character are maligned
article by Dr. Christopher Pollett and his work onI’m not going to stand still and let it happen.
laminitis.  Lush green grasses are the cause ofNo article written by anyone can possibly take in every
laminitis, due to the Fructans contained therein, and areconceivable variable. That is why when honest
not present in mature hay.  Cold treatment of thehearted horse owners read my articles they contact
feet, along with hay feeding, and dry lot are theme to find out what I meant by something that I wrote
treatment, not the cause.  Fructans, which the horseor to get more information so that they can do their
has no digestive enzymes to break down,must go toown research on the matter. That is how we all learn.
the posterior gut to be broken down by fermentation inThanks for taking the time to read this and if you have
the cecum and colon.  The simple sugars, proteins,any questions or comments you can email directly to
and fats are digested by enzymes in the smallme at or call 208-644-1800.
intestines unless there is a massive over load.  TheHappy trails!
fiber content and coarse nature of mature oat hayCopyright ©2009 – Sierra Ranch Supply, Inc. - All
slows the movement of ingested material so that therights reserved.
enzymes have time to do their job..