Omega-3 & Omega-6 What Every Horse Owner Should Know
By Madeline Boast, MSc. Equine Nutrition
As a horse owner, you may be curious about the potential benefits of adding omega-3s to your horse’s diet. Do all horses need them? Should you be adding them to your horse’s diet? Are there well-reported benefits?
Understanding the requirement for fatty acids in the equine diet, like omega3s (O3s) and omega-6s (O6s), and the well-reported health benefits of them is important when considering supplementation.
The horse is not able to synthesize omega-3 fatty acids on their own. Therefore, these nutrients are essential to the horse and must be provided in the diet. They play important roles in cell membrane function as well as structure, and are important for inflammatory responses, immune function, muscle
contraction, and blood clot formation.
Omega-6s are another type of essential fatty acid and play an important role in inflammation and swelling. They are also essential for health; however, when oversupplied in relation to omega-3s, they can result in increased inflammation in the body.
The Metabolic Pathway
When beginning to explore omega-3 supplementation, it is critical to understand that there are multiple omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids originating from different feedstuffs and having differing biological activity in the body. The plant-derived fatty acids that are present in the equine diet must go through an elongation metabolic process prior to being available for the horse to use. Hence the biological activity differs depending on where that omega fatty acid is in the elongation process.
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is typically the most prevalent omega-3 in equine diets as it is plant-derived and present in
PHOTO:
forages. However, research generally focuses on the omega-3s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which is at the end of the metabolic pathway. These omega-3 fatty acids are more bioavailable than ALA.
The omega-3 at the start of the metabolic pathway is ALA. The omega-6 at the start of that metabolic pathway is linoleic acid (LA). These starting fatty acids must be elongated prior to being of use to the animal. Delta-6-desaturase (D6D) is the enzyme that begins this elongation process for both ALA and LA.
As both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids rely on the same enzyme in their metabolic pathways, and because there is a finite amount of this enzyme available to use, it becomes rate-limiting. Therefore, to maximize potential health benefit, it is recommended to provide omega-3 fatty acids that are further along in the elongation process and skip this limiting step.
This reduces the issue of ALA and LA having to compete for the same enzyme. Due to the competition for the enzyme that facilitates elongation it is important to be aware of the balance of these nutrients in the diet.
When deciding on a product, understand what the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is as well as the type of omega-3 in the product. Choose a fat source that has a balanced ratio for your horse considering his entire diet and health status.
Simplified Omega-3 Metabolic Pathway
Alphalinoleic Acid (ALA)
Horses must use the liver enzyme delta-6desaturase to elongate ALA into SDA.
Horses naturally evolved to consume large amounts of forage, which contain more omega-3 than omega-6. In contrast, grains have a higher omega-6 content.
Docohexaenoic Acid (DHA)
Stearidonic Acid (SDA) The first step in the metabolic pathway. SDA is readily converted into DHA as it is past the ratelimiting step.
DHA plays a key role in the resolution of inflammation.
Full Metabolic Pathway Diagram
Full Metabolic Pathway Diagram
As both ALA and LA require the use of DGD to elongate and convert into the more beneficial fatty acids, it can limit the conversion rate due to competition for use.
Breeding
Improving the Odds of Breeding Success
A Look at Conception Challenges and Potential Solutions.
Equine Guelph Research
If your breeding prospect remains empty heading into fall, there are key factors to evaluate and steps you can take to improve the chances of success the following year.
“Don’t let those mares sit all fall and winter, with untreated conditions such as a uterine infection,” says Dr. Tracey Chenier, theriogenologist and researcher from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. “Have a thorough veterinary evaluation to help ensure her uterus is clean and she is healthy and cycling early next year, for the best chance of a positive outcome.”
Common Conception Issues and Potential Solutions
“The number one reason your mare didn’t get pregnant in any given year may be due to uterine infection,” says Chenier. “The term we use is endometritis.” Most often caused by a bacterial infection, it is frequently associated with poor perineal conformation. In other words, your mare has a tilt to her vulva causing the vagina and uterus to become contaminated with bacteria every time she defecates. It is also common for these mares to wind-suck, which can lead to infection and inflammation that results in a hostile environment
the embryo cannot survive in. A minor surgical procedure known as a Caslick’s suture reduces the chance of contamination in most affected mares. Severely affected mares may require additional procedures to reconstruct the perineal body.
Another common form of endometritis is persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE). In these cases, there is a prolonged inflammatory response to semen and contamination that occurs at breeding; the mare has a hostile uterine environment in which the embryo cannot survive. To improve the chance of conception, this condition can be managed by ultrasound within six to twelve hours after breeding. She is checked for fluid retention and inflammation and if present, the uterus is lavaged (washed) to remove the fluid and calm the inflammation. The veterinarian may also recommend administration of oxytocin to increase uterine contractions and help remove the fluid.
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/RITA KOCHMARJOVA
Another very common reason for the mare not becoming pregnant is her age.
“We actually consider mares’ fertility to decline as early as 12 years of age,” says Chenier. It surprises people that mares’ fertility can decline significantly by age 12, she says. An older mare can have poorer oocyte (egg) quality, which reduces her chances of getting pregnant and can result in higher rates of midgestational losses.
Older mares are more susceptible to many circumstances including uterine conditions, metabolic disease, changes to the uterus, fibrosis, and cysts. Fibrosis of the uterus will reduce the chances of carrying a pregnancy to term.
Endometrial cysts or fluid-filled sacs in the lymphatics of the uterus can block the ability of the embryo to move around and interfere with formation of the placenta.
Less Common Conception Issues
“Stress, nutritional issues, and hormone deficiencies can make it difficult for an embryo to survive,” explains Chenier, “but these issues are generally less common.”
The corpus luteum is the structure that forms on the ovary after the mare ovulates and its progesterone production maintains the pregnancy early on. This structure may be susceptible to effects of severe stress, illness, or inflammation in
> Consult your veterinarian or equine nutritionist to ensure your mare’s nutritional needs are met during pregnancy.
A thorough veterinary evaluation can identify health issues and untreated conditions so they can be resolved before breeding season begins.
PHOTO: ALAMY/JEREMY KRUSE
Leverage Bits 101 and the of Neck Reining
Exploring why and how to make the switch from snaffle to leverage bit, and the language of neck reining.
By Lindsay Grice, Equestrian Canada coach and judge
Do you think I should I try a different bit? This question is familiar to me as a coach, launching me and the rider I’m working with into a bigger conversation. My answer will be shaped by the reasons why the rider is considering another bit option.
Simply put, a bit is a tool to communicate a message from a rider’s hand to a
horse’s mouth. When a rider hits a training impasse she may wonder: Could more bit get my message across more clearly?
Another bit option might involve staying within the snaffle family of bits or transitioning to the curb class of bits.
The difference? Snaffle bits communicate with direct pressure, applied by the rider’s hands through the rein to the bit. The
rein is attached to the bit’s mouthpiece, so the horse feels an equal amount of the contact taken by his rider.
A curb bit uses the leverage principle to magnify the rider’s contact. More on basic curb bit function later.
Variations within both classes of bits are endless, with new varieties making their debut even now at a tack store near you. While technicalities of bit mechanics are a topic for another article, you can refine your choice by understanding the general principles of bitting or how the parts of the bit affect the individual structures of your horse’s mouth and head.
Within the general categories of snaffles and curbs, the answer to the question: Should I switch from a nonleverage to a leverage bit? depends on the
PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDSAY GRICE
reason. Answers may include:
1 A search for more effective communication. To motivate your horse to respond more promptly to your rein aids; curb bits literally leverage your rein signals.
2 As the next step in your horse’s education. Training in a curb bit is like learning to use a new tool; neck reining is learning a second language.
Let’s unpack each of these reasons why you may opt to switch to a new tool, and then some tips on how to transition smoothly. Finally, I’ll share advice for speaking fluently using that tool.
Curb Bits in Search of a Lighter Response
Dialing up their horse’s motivation prompts many riders to try the leverage route. The action of a curb bit enables a rider to use more subtle rein aids and lighter contact than a snaffle. Because leverage action magnifies a rider’s hand, it takes less movement to achieve a lighter response. English leverage bits include pelhams, kimberwicks, and double bridles. The range of curb bit options for Western riders is infinite.
Is “more bit” the answer to a dull or resistant horse? Amplifying your signal to a horse with a missing link in their understanding is like a local shouting to get their message across to a tourist who doesn’t know their language. Louder isn’t clearer; it’s just scarier. Regardless of the bit, our ultimate goal is to use our inside voice — the lightest of pressures.
Riding effectively can be distilled to a system of signals and responses — pressures and releases. Your hands telegraph signals to your horse, such as slow, turn, or flex, using several rein techniques. I regularly ask the riders I coach to describe what type of rein aid they’re using — direct, opening, or indirect.
As your horse responds correctly, you respond with release. If he offers the wrong answer, you keep the pressure steady or even increase it. It’s like a conversation with your horse. By trial and error, he learns that a certain response yields a consistent release. It’s worth considering that the “dull” or “busy-mouthed” horse has quite likely tried a few options to find relief from the bit pressure, yet none seem to shut it off. Before heading to the tack store for a different bit, ask yourself:
Before transitioning to a curb bit, does your horse understand bend, flex and leg-yield using the snaffle?
Introducing a curb bit’s action from the ground — flexing laterally.
Pilates Cross-Training FOR Para Equestrians
Roberta Sheffield of Canada riding Fairuza in the Grade II Para Equestrian Individual Event at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Versailles, Paris.
PHOTO: ALAMY/MARK DAVIDSON
Although organized therapeutic riding programs emerged in the 1950s, the benefits of horseback riding for people’s physical and mental health were recognized as early as ancient Greece. The rhythmic motion of the horse’s walk replicates the human walk and promotes core strength, postural alignment, flexibility, balance, and normalized muscle tone. Learning to guide the horse with seat, arms, hands, and legs fosters fine motor skills and improves coordination. Along with the positive physical effects, the human-horse bond promotes mental and emotional well-being by reducing anxiety, encouraging independence, and building self-confidence.
Lis Hartel (1921–2009) was a Danish Olympic equestrian and the first woman to win a medal in individual dressage. At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, she was one of the first women to compete in modern equestrian sports, earning a silver medal despite being paralyzed below the knees due to polio. She also won silver at the 1956 Olympics and multiple Danish dressage championships.
Born in Hellerup, Denmark, Hartel began riding young, coached by her mother and later by Olympic trainer Gunnar Andersen. Despite contracting polio in 1944 while pregnant with her second child, she resumed competing, achieving remarkable success. After retiring, Hartel promoted therapeutic riding and supported polio patients. Honoured in Denmark’s Hall of Fame in 1992, she remains a symbol of perseverance in sports history.
By Sandra Verda-Zanatta, SVZ Dressage & F2R Fit To Ride Pilates for Equestrians
In 1952, Lis Hartel, a Danish equestrian partially paralysed by polio, rehabilitated her body and reactivated her muscles through riding. Although still paralysed below the knees, she went on to win a silver medal at Helsinki Olympics. This accomplishment brought more awareness to the value and therapeutic benefits of horseback riding, and to the competitive aspect of equestrian sport for people with disabilities. Today, many competitive para equestrians start in therapeutic riding programs and eventually progress to become elite athletes competing internationally. Another interesting fact that attests to the uniqueness of equestrian sports is that male and female athletes compete against each other on an even playing field. Additionally, dressage para equestrian athletes are eligible to compete in mainstream competitions with adaptive equipment if they are officially classified through their national organization and have a dispensation card authorizing adaptations.
Pilates cross-training is an effective modality for para equestrian athletes to improve physical and mental health, technical skills, and competitive performance. The total body strength, balance, flexibility, and coordination gained from focused exercises are key fitness factors required to excel in all levels of sport. This is especially true in equestrian sports as the rider’s body has a direct influence on the horse’s body.
A rider’s position while mounted has a significant effect on the horse’s balance and ability to move with maximum ease and efficiency. Therefore, all riders should strive to develop their own best position. It is unrealistic to think that every rider is able to attain the often-referenced “ideal balanced position” of the plumb line: ear-shoulderhip-heel. The true goal should be to develop the most balanced, symmetrical, and secure position possible to support positive training sessions and quality competitive performances. It’s about being creative, adapting equipment, and finding ways to promote effectiveness, comfort, and security.
In addition to the distinctive relationship between horses and riders that requires cooperation and synchronization of two sentient beings, there are unique challenges faced by para equestrians that require an innovative approach to adapt exercises and accommodate specific needs and abilities. Knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of different disabilities is imperative to adapt training techniques both on and off the horse, helping riders improve mobility, body strength, limb control, and balance.
Riders of all levels, disciplines, and ages can benefit from a personal cross-training plan. In general, rider fitness significantly contributes to performance, safety, and injury prevention. If we expect our horses to be athletes, we owe it to them to be accountable and committed to improving our own fitness. The reality is, we all have imbalances and asymmetries, weaknesses continues on page 49
Excercises illustrated on pages 46 - 52
Make Proprioception a Priority
By Alexa Linton, Equine Sports Therapist
When you think about injury prevention, tendon strengthening, joint lubricating, and health supporting interventions for your horses, do you also consider improving their proprioception? Supporting this often-overlooked aspect of function can be a gamechanger for our horses.
All of us have firsthand experiences with the power of proprioception in our own bodies, whether we realize it or not — when we walk into a room without running into a wall, move through an uneven forest without tripping, walk over a narrow bridge or log without falling, or walk under a low hanging branch or roof without hitting our head. Proprioception is defined as: The awareness of the body in space. It is the use of joint position sense and joint motion sense to respond to stresses placed upon the body by alteration of posture and movement.
When proprioception is not working well in ourselves or in our horses, it may
be perceived as clumsy, accident-prone, or distracted. If you’ve ever met a horse that tends to trip, injure himself, hit his head, feel “out of body” or unaware of his surroundings or footing, or has issues with balance, this is likely at least part of the issue. Thankfully, proprioception is something we can support, improve, and build on because it is based in our neural networks and nervous system, and therefore can shift and change for the better. And that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about in this article.
First, let’s zoom in on the geeky side of proprioception to understand what is
PHOTO: ALAMY/JITKA CERNOHORSKA
When horses are kept on flat surfaces without variation in footing, they can be prone to slipping or stumbling and resulting injury.
really happening at a more microscopic level. Proprioceptive senses in ourselves and our horses include the sense of position and movement of the limbs and trunk, the sense of effort, the sense of force, and the sense of heaviness. The receptors involved are located at the level of the skin, the muscles, the tendons, the joints, and in horses, at the hooves and the vestibular system. These receptors transmit information about limb movement and position to the related centres in the brain. This is a group effort, with many receptors working together to provide accurate information and produce signals during a movement, giving the brain and body as much information as possible about the endpoint position of a limb. This input from multiple receptors then goes to the central body neural map to accurately (hopefully) determine the location of our limbs in space.
What is the purpose of proprioception? It is the body’s strategy for preventing injury by improving awareness and balance while adapting to changing external conditions. What can reduce proprioception? Injury, aging, physical, emotional or mental stress, poor hoof care or balance, isolation, and neurological disorders. Another factor is sterile, flat, unvaried environments with no challenge to this essential
system, reducing demand on receptors leading to a patchy neural map. What we want is a robust neural map supported by many well-functioning receptors that are attuned and adaptable to changing landscapes and situations.
Now that the geeky stuff is out of the way, it’s time to look at what we can do to
support our horses and ourselves to improve proprioception capacity. We know that movement over varied surfaces, footing, and terrain can positively challenge the receptors and build proprioception. Many horses, like many humans, live on and move over flat, unvarying surfaces. A human living in the city,
Moving over different types of terrain allows the horse to improve awareness and balance and adapt to changing conditions.
PHOTO: DREAMSTIME/ICONSTUDIOS
SPRUCE MEADOWS
Supporting Canadian Jumping for 50 Years
“Going far beyond the call of duty. Doing more than others expect. This is what excellence is all about.
By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ
In 1971, Ron and Margaret Southern stood in an old cattle feedlot adjacent to rolling, grassy meadows, considering whether the property might fulfill their dreams. The meadows were part of a chunk of land located approximately 20 km southwest of burgeoning downtown Calgary, Alberta, population 430,000. Daughters Nancy and Linda, aged 15 and 8, were involved in the local riding scene, but the older Southerns had noted a lack
It comes from striving for and maintaining the highest standards, looking after the smallest detail and going the extra mile.
Excellence means caring. It means making a special effort to do more.”
R.D. Southern
of opportunities for grassroots show jumpers to grow into international competitors. Never a couple that let business opportunities slide by, the Southerns thought: What if we built a facility that brought the best show jumpers in the world right to our doorstep?
“The goal of developing Spruce Meadows was to create a show jumping venue to allow a springboard for Canadian athletes, so they could excel
and compete on an international stage,” says Linda Southern-Heathcott, President and CEO of Spruce Meadows.
And the Southerns did just that. On April 13, 1975, Spruce Meadows opened to the world.
Fifty years later, the venue colloquially known as “Spruce” covers more than 500 acres, welcomes over half a million visitors every year, and offers stabling for 1,000 horses. In 2025, Spruce Meadows will offer
$11.4 million in prize money during five major tournaments — the Continental, National, Pan American, North American, and Masters. During the Masters in September 2025, a $5 million prize purse will be offered for one class — the biggest show jumping prize in the world. Those 50 years, from undeveloped meadows to internationally renowned show jumping facility, is a business success story that has dramatically altered the fate of show jumpers around the world.
Developing Riders
Spruce Meadows has shone a bright light on show jumping in Canada and lifted Canadian riders to the upper echelons of the sport. The best show jumpers of the last 50 years have competed at Spruce Meadows, allowing up-and-coming Canadians to watch and
ride with the best.
“The successes of our international riders on the international stage, I believe, is partly due to Spruce Meadows,” says Southern–Heathcott. “We’ve brought international athletes to Spruce Meadows, provided great prize money, and have been a leading venue in the world. That has provided an opportunity for Canadians to imagine what they can be.”
Riders from 65 countries have competed at the venue. Lesser-known riders from Libya, Pakistan, Uruguay, and other countries not particularly recognized for their show jumping prowess have competed against wellknown riders from France, Ireland, and Sweden. One and all, riders come to “Spruce” to challenge the courses, their horses, their skills, feel the unique atmosphere, and try to win some cash.
By flying in competitors and hosting a Nations’ Cup competition every year since
1977, Spruce Meadows has insured that big-money classes are attended by the world’s top show jumpers and allowed Canadians to compete against riders they’d rarely meet beyond Europe. As such, Spruce Meadows has helped develop the careers of Canada’s best show jumpers: Gail Greenough (1986 World Show Jumping Championships); Ian Millar (ten Olympic Games, Olympic silver medal, two Pan-American Games gold medals); Linda Southern (1996 Canadian Olympic show jumping team, CEO and president of Spruce Meadows); Eric Lamaze (2008 Olympic Games gold medal); Erynn Ballard (part of Canada’s 2006 winning Nations’ Cup team at Spruce Meadows and still a Canadian team regular); Tiffany Foster (three Olympics Games, numerous Nations’ Cup teams); and others.
“I think that Spruce Meadows has been a huge contributor to Canadian show
Ron and Marg Southern outside the Spruce Meadows Riding Hall with the family of horse bronzes commissioned in 1990.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPRUCE MEADOWS
Mādahòkì Farm
Dancer Isabelle wearing an orange jingle dress, with Makwa.
PHOTO: CLIX
PHOTOGRAPHY
Home to a Growing Herd of Endangered Ojibwe Spirit Horses
By Shawn Hamilton
The Lac La Croix Indigenous pony, named after the Lac La Croix First Nation, now the Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation, primarily existed in northwestern Ontario and across the United States border into Minnesota. This unique pony breed, considered to be developed by the Indigenous Peoples, was used for winter transportation, running trap lines, hauling logs and ice, and pulling sleighs. As forest dwellers, the breed boasts strong hooves to endure the rocky terrain of the Canadian Shield; fuzzy ears to protect them from insects; and often a dorsal stripe down its back and zebra stripes on its legs.
The breed was well on its way to extinction in 1977 before a “pony heist” changed its destiny. Now with no more than 200 horses in Canada, found in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, as well as Wisconsin and Minnesota in the US, the breed is considered critically endangered but making a comeback. The Ojibwe Horse Society maintains the breed registry of the horse which is officially registered as the Ojibwe Horse but commonly referred to as the Spirit Horse in honour of their connection to the spiritual past and ability to heal intergenerational trauma. Although small in size, the Ojibwe Horse’s history is full.
In the 1940s, a large herd of the Lac La Croix ponies on a reservation in Bois Forte in northern Minnesota was destroyed at the request of missionaries, who considered it inappropriate for the residential children in the area to witness horses breeding in nature. This resulted in the full extinction of the breed in the US, leaving only a small herd north of Lake Superior in the Lac La Croix First Nation region. The remaining herd in Canada was used in the winter for trapping and pulling; their work was
rewarded with food, shelter, and protection from wolves and other predators. Just before the ice melted, the ponies would be herded back to an island known as Pony Island to breed, foal out, and forage on their own.
For various reasons, including the use of snowmobiles to do winter work and the last remaining breeding stallion
Mukaday-Wagoosh (Black Fox), an eight-year-old Ojibwe gelding.
Migzi (Eagle), a four-year-old stallion, is an outstanding example of the Ojibwe breed. These sturdy, resilient horses stand 12 to 14.2 hands high and are known for being gentle and intelligent.
PHOTOS: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY
Otter Creek HORSE TRAILS
Horse camping and trail riding at the western edge of the Adirondack Mountains.
By Shawn Hamilton
I remember hearing my friends fondly recalling their horse camping trips at Otter Creek in the Adirondack Park Forest Preserve near Glenfield, New York, and feeling a surge of jealousy. With over 65 miles of trails ranging from novice to intermediate riding terrain, there was no shortage of stories about crossing high rivers, picnic-lunching with gorgeous vistas, and swimming in pristine lakes. Many of my friends had been going for years and knew the place like experts. I had the horse, but wasn’t in the tax bracket to afford even a small horse trailer, let alone the fancy living-quarters trailers they had.
Finally, I was able to purchase a used two-horse bumper pull trailer. I can still vividly remember the first time I loaded up my Paint mare, Bailey Girl, packed my two-man pup tent and some cooking supplies into the truck, and crossed the border into the United States to join my friends for a horse camping adventure at Otter Creek.
Anne and Ghost at Independence River.
Doraine on Artie and Anne on Ghost head out on the Old #4 Trail.
Bear Valley Rescue
Kindness in Action
By Jacqueline Louie
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. —
Calgarian Karen Allen began volunteering at Bear Valley Rescue in Sundre, Alberta, a decade ago, to help heal after her horse Mac, a 34-year-old Connemara, passed away.
“It was healing to be with like-minded people who understood that the beauty, majesty, and true value of a horse was so much greater than the sum of what they could help us accomplish,” Allen says. “The thing that kept me going back was meeting these horses, seeing their beauty, and hearing their stories.”
volunteer program
MAHATMA GANDHI
Not long after Allen started volunteering at Bear Valley, the horse rescue took in a Thoroughbred mare and former racehorse named Walk Away Rene. Once quite successful, when she was no longer able to race she had been used as a broodmare and changed hands multiple times, says Allen. Somehow, Walk Away Rene ended up in Alberta. By now she was in her early 20s, had recently lost a foal, tried out unsuccessfully as a nurse mare, and was then abandoned at a vet clinic. That’s
when Bear Valley Rescue president Kathy Bartley got the call.
Walk Away Rene “was the saddest, most depressed creature you can ever imagine,” Allen recounts. “This magnificent racehorse, after all those years of being used up, was skin and bone.”
They couldn’t get the mare to eat despite several visits from the vet. The following week, Allen made a special mash of sweet carrots and bran and took it out to her. “She sniffed it, then turned her back and her head drooped down,” Allen says. “For me, the floodgates just opened. I sat down in the pasture crying and apologizing to her for the human race and what had been done to her. I told
On-site
participants, Julia Roth from Germany; Kyanna Gilks from Nova Scotia; and Janika Neumann from Germany, with foal Miles, who was rescued at two days old alone in the forest.
PHOTO: JACQUELINE LOUIE
