by Kelly Melvin, Graduate Research Assistant
Jennie Ivey, PhD, PAS, Assistant Professor and Extension Equine Specialist, Department of Animal Science, Univ. of Tennessee

In light of recent flooding, wildfires, and other natural disasters in the United States, there has been increased concern regarding how to prepare horse farms for various natural disaster situations. Being prepared before disasters occur is the best way to increase your animal’s chance of survival and safety.

Before a Disaster Hits

Do you have an updated yearly plan of action for emergency situations? Having a plan of action before a disaster hits can help reduce both human and animal stress, increase survival, and minimize damages. Always heed evacuation notices to keep you and your family safe.

Read more: Equine Disaster Preparation and Response

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!