by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Colostrum -- you know it as the mare's first milk. It is a complex fluid, rich in nutrients and immune-regulating compounds, all designed to give the newborn foal the immune support he needs to thrive. Unlike humans, who are born with an initial level of immunity, newborn horses do not benefit from any placental transfer of immunoglobulins; therefore they must consume colostrum in the first few hours of life in order to survive.

It is fascinating to note that animal species can be divided into three classes based on the way immunoglobulins are transferred to newborns.[i] (1) via placental transfer to the fetus before birth (primates, including humans, rabbits, and guinea pigs); (2) through both placental transfer and through mammary gland secretion of colostrum (rats, mice, cats, and dogs); (3) strictly from mammary secretions (ungulates such as horses, pigs, cows, sheep, and goats). Though human babies absorb only a very small amount of immunoglobulins from the small intestine, the presence of immunoglobulins throughout the gastrointestinal tract will bind bacteria, toxins, and other macromolecules, inhibiting their ability to be absorbed into the blood stream, thereby improving the immune response.[ii]

But does colostrum benefit adult horses?

I was skeptical at first. After all, immunoglobulins found in colostrum are very large proteins, far too large to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream at an advanced age. Even newborn foals are best able to absorb these macromolecules only within the first 6 to 8 hours of life. After that, the intestinal cells gradually stop absorbing immunoglobulins -a process known as "closure."[iii] I reasoned that in adult animals, these proteins must be digested, starting in the stomach and later in the small intestine, resulting in pieces of the original - certainly not the entire immunoglobulin. Well, it turns out that I was only partially correct.

You see, while most of the proteins do end up being degraded by digestive enzymes, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Aarhus University in Denmark, and the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, revealed that some portion of these large molecules is actually transported across the intestinal lining intact, remaining capable of binding to an antigen.[iv] That means supplementing colostrum to adults actually does have an impact on health. Furthermore, colostrum contains more than just immunoglobulins. It protects overall wellbeing by providing a wide range of factors including lactoferrin, oligosaccharides, peptides, leukocytes, and growth factors.[v]

Read more: Colostrum -- An Exceptional Superfood!

by Joyce Harman, DVM, MRCVS

PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapies, the new “in” thing?

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) is one of the latest things in the horse world (and small animals too). Or is it? Actually, the equipment and techniques have been around for 70 years or more. Back then not much was known about how the devices worked, and what they really did in the body. Even when I finished veterinary school (back in 1984) the “Blue Boot” was a semi-portable, but expensive and cumbersome unit being used to heal non-union fractures.

The science and the devices have come a long way since then. Compact portable and affordable units are available as well as large units designed for use on the whole body. Units now can have many adjustments and come in all sizes and cost levels.

The good thing is that most PEMF devices do work and are a positive form of therapy that can be done by the animal’s owner.

What is PEMF?

The body is an electrical machine, with nerves conducting electricity to every cell. PEMF can enhance the transmission of the internal electrical charges that keep the cells running. Inside each cell there are many metabolic processes happening that all require cellular energy to fuel them. The PEMF wave improves the internal cellular energy.

Read more: What the Heck is PEMF Anyway?