Your Horse’s Diet is Probably High in Iron
Because of poor soil quality and overuse of superphosphate fertilizers, most hay is very high in iron today.
The averages from all hay samples taken by Equi-Analytical in the last 18 years showed:
Iron: 1796 mg
Copper: 77 mg
Zinc: 275 mg
The ratio of iron:copper:zinc should be no higher than 4:1:3. These grass hay samples were sent in from all over the country, so you can see how iron levels are off the charts.
Many weeds are also high in iron. I mention this because I placed my horses in a dry lot that did grow some short, sparse weeds. They didn’t really graze the weeds as they had access to hay nets, but they would nibble at them. When I saw no improvements in their metabolism, it finally dawned on me that the weeds were stressed and high in iron, among other things.
Iron is the most abundant mineral on the surface of the earth. It’s not a bad thing. It’s the imbalance that makes it a problem. Poor soil causes the balancing minerals to be bound up, allowing iron to become dominant.
Iron Intake = Insulin Resistance
Studies show a direct correlation between iron intake and insulin levels in the blood. Elevated iron stores in the body can worsen insulin dysregulation and hyperinsulinemia itself can disrupt iron regulation, leading to a never-ending cycle.
Why does this happen? Iron overload increases oxidative stress and inflammation, increasing the risk and severity of laminitis in insulin resistant horses.
Does My Horse Have High Iron?
Signs of possible high iron include a dull or bleached-out coat, bleached ends on manes, regional fat deposits (crest/ tailhead)sluggishness and “laziness”, poor quality hooves and recurrent infections. Cushing’s Disease may be linked to high iron levels.
Your vet can run blood-work. Serum levels are not enough as they show iron in the diet but not stored iron in the body. You need a full iron panel including serum iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity ad ferritin, along with insulin and glucose tests.
What Can I Do?
Most horses are not receiving enough trace minerals to metabolize the high amounts of iron.
The solution to iron overload is copper and zinc.
It is best to have a consultation or speak to your vet about how to supplement these minerals. However, a starting point, based on the hay analysis, would be:
copper: 300 mg
zinc: 900 mg
Other supportive minerals include iodine, calcium (a natural iron blocker), magnesium, and selenium and vitamin E to combat the free radicals that iron generates. Turmeric is also a natural iron chelator and an incredible anti-inflammatory.
I am also a fan of natural sources of copper and zinc added to the diet, especially bee pollen and pumpkin seeds.
Forages grown in acidic or clay soils may be higher in iron. Grass grown in areas with high rainfall will also be high in iron.
Various equine supplement producers carry copper and zinc balancers. Mad Barn, Yucc-it-Up and Custom Equine Nutrition are a few. Riva’s Remedies and Advanced Biological Concepts offer standalone copper and zinc to be supplemented precisely as needed.
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