THE POWER OF HEMP

FEATURE

Since Australia legalised the sale of hemp, there’s been a surge of interest in a product that can produce amazing results in the health and well-being of a wide range of horses, writes instructor and nutritionist DAWN BLACKWELL.

It took me a little while to understand the true power of hemp. I knew it was good for horses, but what I’ve discovered personally, with a variety of horses at home, is that hemp could well be the one supplement that can be safely added to your horses feed to address a number of major challenges common to horses of all ages and all types, whilst, at the same time, providing key nutrients, fibre and safe energy, free of the negative effects of feeding too much starch.

On top of that, a bonus for me is that I can feel happy in the knowledge that I’m purchasing a feed with a low environmental footprint. Hemp is sustainable and free of any hidden fillers, additives or pesticide residues. It is non-GM, extracted without the use of chemical processing, free of THC, with a good shelf life and a protein that rivals soy in its quality, with a better aminoacid profile, no trypsin inhibitor or risk of glyphosate residue.

So what does my horse really need?

With the domestication of horses, and the feeding of performance horses, we have seen a steady rise in digestive and metabolic disorders, and so when formulating a diet for your horse it’s wise to remember that the health of its digestive system is dependent on a continual supply of fibre and a healthy population of gut bacteria. Basing your horse’s ration on several sources of fibre such as lucerne, grassy hay, mixed chaffs and speedibeet with the addition of a concentrate for energy and growth will start you off on the right track. However, providing enough energy whilst limiting the horse’s intake of starch, balancing the protein intake and ensuring the correct balance of vitamin and minerals can be challenging. Many people oversupplement for instance, unbalancing the overall rations and potentially leading to toxicity. For example, it’s easy to disturb the calcium/phosphorous and zinc/copper ratios, or to simply feed too much selenium or too much iron, not only giving the horse’s system extra work to do in excreting the excess, but also seriously harming your wallet!

Furthermore, the importance of providing oils and fat is often overlooked. Fat is an excellent source of energy for horses without the damaging effects of excess starch in the form of grain. The benefits of omega oils are well-known these days but unfortunately there’s a lot of confusion about the source of fat, with many of the oils commonly fed to horses being deficient in omega-3, and therefore proinflammatory.

The beauty of hemp is that feeding just 100gms a day for conditioning and 200gms a day for muscle building, provides key nutrients, quality protein and the correct ratio of omega 3-6-9. High in bio-available nutrients, hemp benefits the horse’s gut health, mental health and entire system.

The facts

• Hemp contains the most balanced protein source of any plant known to man, as well as all 10 essential amino-acids including high levels of methionine, cysteine, leucine and edestin making it highly absorbable and a perfect protein for muscle building. • The omega profile of hemp is excellent, since it contains all the essential fatty acids. It is slightly higher in omega-6 than linseed but also contains those super heroes of anti-inflammatory EFAs, GLA and

ELA - great for your horse’s joint health and inflammatory conditions, including the dreaded Queensland

Itch. • Hemp naturally contains cannabinoids. Curiously, all mammals contain CBD receptors in the brain and many internal organs. Good news for maximum absorption and the over-all health of your horse and all its internal organs. • Hemp has the ability to increase focus, learning ability, memory, adaption to stress and the release of trauma. It is for this reason that it has been used for PTSD with great success. It is exciting to think of how this could benefit our horses in their training and development. • High in anti-oxidants and anti-

carcinogens, hemp has the ability to mop up damaging free radicals throughout the body. • Hemp increases cardio-vascular health due to the presence of arginine which produces nitric-oxide in the body, a gas molecule which assists dilation and relaxation of blood vessels.

• Hemp is high in fibre and also contains lecithin - beneficial for gut and liver health.

• Studies have been very promising on hemp’s positive influence on hormonal health including hormone regulation, behaviour, and sperm count, making it potentially invaluable for breeding and managing those hormonal mares. • High in vitamin C, vitamin E, and chlorophyll, hemp is alkalising and supports a healthy immune system. • Hemp contains a highly bioavailable mineral source including magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, sulphur, iron, zinc and copper. • Hemp seeds contain inositol (vitamin

B8) making it calming and good for hair growth. Feeding Hemp can help develop top-line, focus and learning ability. Roxy, before and after feeding 100gms of Super Hemp per day over six weeks.

How to feed

There are many forms of hemp available, all of them beneficial; however the seeds and the oil provide the highest levels of nutritional value, with hemp meal being the most cost effective. Hemp meal is made from ground seed and hulls, it is an affordable choice for horse owners providing a highly nutritious feed with excellent protein and EFA content, whilst retaining the all-important portion of alkalising chlorophyll and fibre from the hulls.

All hemp available here in Australia is legal and regarded as safe to feed all horses. However, for peace of mind, ensure the hemp you source is registered with the FIAAA and is APVMA compliant.

Dawn Blackwell is a qualified British Instructor with over 30 years as a professional in the horse industry. She is also a distributor for Spectrum International, providing a wide range of supplements and health products for equestrian disciplines. You can contact Dawn on 0411 819 968.