A friend of mine recommended SmartOmega 3 – she said your customer service reps said it is okay to add to any horse’s current program. Is that actually true? And what are the benefits of this product?JN, Maine

Dear JN,

The representative you spoke to was spot on—SmartOmega 3 is ideal for every horse, every day, as the webpage for this product says. That’s because we took a look at what was missing from the average, stall-kept performance horse diet and filled in the gaps with this supplement.

First, it restores the correct balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids. Horses that eat grain or that don’t have access to green pasture can take in too many Omega 6s, creating a “pro-inflammatory” state in their body. SmartOmega 3 not only delivers the proper ratio of Omega 3 to 6 fatty acids, it provides guaranteed amounts of DHA and EPA, specific Omega 3 fatty acids shown to have particularly beneficial health advantages.

Next, fresh pasture quickly loses its Vitamin A and Vitamin E activity when it is cut, dried and stored for hay. In fact, some estimate as much as 80% of the Vitamin E content is lost in the baling process. Exercise, breeding and certain medical conditions can increase the requirements for these two vitamins, so it is especially important to make sure they are readily available to your horse.

Finally, we recognized that the modern system of horsekeeping places additional stress on the digestive system of the horse and included support for the GI tract. In addition to live microorganisms (probiotics or “good bugs”) like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, SmartOmega 3 contains prebiotics, or, food for these good bugs. Mannanoligosaccharides (better known as MOS) and Fructooligosaccharides (better known as FOS) are soluble fibers that help keep the beneficial bacteria in the gut healthy and happy. Enzymes like amylase, protease and lipase round out this category by assisting with digestion and absorption.

If you have a horse that spends any time in a stall, is fed meals rather than allowed to eat continually, and has his forage needs met with hay rather than fresh grass, SmartOmega 3 is a great choice. Best of all, you can still target problem areas with products designed to support specific systems such as joints, hooves or the respiratory tract without over doing it.

About Dr. Lydia Gray

Lydia F. Gray, DVM, MA SmartPak Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director Dr. Lydia Gray has earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and a Master of Arts focusing on interpersonal and organizational communication. After “retiring” from private practice, she put her experience and education to work as the American Association of Equine Practitioner’s first-ever Director of Owner Education. Dr. Gray continues to provide health and nutrition information to horse owners through her position at SmartPak, through publication in more than a dozen general and trade publications, and through presentations around the country. She is the very proud owner of a Trakehner named Newman that she actively competes with in dressage and combined driving. In addition to memberships in the USDF and USEF, Dr. Gray is also a member of the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Association (IDCTA). She is a USDF “L” Program Graduate and is currently working on her Bronze Medal. Find Dr. Gray on Google+