It is a sad fact that however much we love our horses when they get older and are no longer ridden or in harness.
We are less inclined to spend as much on them as we would an up and coming star that needs to regain condition or performance etc.
This being so there is often an understandable upper limit on what is done for Cushings horses & ponies in the way of supportive feeding so besides VN10 and Magfluid etc we are seldom asked to go further in trying to help such horses through remedial nutrition.
Recently however, probably because of favorable words being said about our VN10 we were approached to provide support for quite young horses showing Cushings like symptoms but being suspected having something akin to Parkinson disease.
Indeed a number of clients are reporting benefits of feeding VN10 to horses with Cushings, even though they are being prescribed Pergolide or other Parkinsonian type drugs.
Our usual advice has been that once things have progressed to the need for Veterinarian intervention that rely on the benefit of the drug however the reports are that VN10 seems to do even more to even out the undulating problems that are the result of false alarms by the Pituitary gland that encourages adrenal surges which manifest themselves in bloatedness, particularly in the week following a full moon, belligerence, lethargy and indirectly in non specific lameness.
VN10 which we make up for Mares and Fillies to help balance oestrogen and thus contribute a sweeter, kinder disposition is formulated with two main ingredients Negundi – Vitex negundo and Vitex agnus castus.
Vitex negundo is classed as an Endocrine herb that affects ductless glands that secrete hormones direct into the blood stream to be borne to other parts of the body chiefly the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands.
The gonads are also endocrines, producing sex hormones. Similarly, the pancreas secretes insulin which is discharged directly into the blood. Certain herbs such as Negundi act specifically on theses glands as normalisers, other well know herbs in this category are Echinacea, Liquorice, Centella asiatica and Ginseng.
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