Having a horse identified with bone loss is a terrible thing, often leading to severe lameness and years of trial and error to find a solution. I wanted to take a moment today to take a look at what this really means.

Deterioration is the result of bone resorption, a process in which bone cells called osteoclasts break down bone, releasing the minerals from the bone structure and resulting in a transfer of nutrients from the bone matrix to the blood..  

 

Achieving proper pH balance between acidic and alkaline foods is essential, because an acidic environment is believed to be a primary component behind bone deterioration. A diet high in acidic foods & acidic minerals and/or low in alkaline foods & alkaline minerals may induce the effects of this bone resorption process, which is stimulated or inhibited by signals from other parts of the body, depending on the demand for specific nutrients. In clinical trials with animals, research shows that an acidic diet will cause the body to be over active in the process of breaking down bone. For example, in humans, the western diet consists mostly of acidic foods such as meat, dairy, soda and alcohol and we have the highest incidence of osteoporosis of any other country of individual nationality.

  

There are several minerals that are responsible for providing a favorable blood pH balance and it is inherently important to provide a proper dietary delivery of bone-building material to minimize the degenerative effects that many horses experience. Over time the correct environmental conditions can greatly improve the ability of the body to stabilize the bone matrix and improve the conditions for bone integrity. Research shows that proper mineral balance may reduce both the occurrence of, and the recovery time, with respect to bone related injuries.

 

The proprietary ingredients found only in Equi-Bone work to restore proper pH levels and are essential for healthy bone development!


For more information on what you can do to support healthy bone development, see Equi-Bone by: TLC Animal Nutrition, Inc  and  For bone and connective tissue, see OSTEO-FUEL by TLC Animal Nutrition, Inc.