Horses are exposed to a constant stream of toxins and most of the time we aren't even aware of it. The first step is to try to minimize the exposure and the second step is to remove them from the body.
Some of the more worrisome toxins are heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead), VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), ammonia and mycotoxins (produced by fungi/molds).
Around 300 mycotoxins are currently identified, and it’s certain that many more are present in nature. Horses can be exposed to mycotoxins in their feed as well as bedding. (1) Michigan State University wrote a great article about toxins in feed and how to reduce the risk of exposure. (2)
Aflatoxins are a specific type of mycotoxin that is particularly toxic. As little as half a gram may be lethal in horses. (3) Ruminants such as cattle and goats can see a decrease in body weight from as little as 0.2 mg/kg of body weight which in a 450 kg horse would be about 90 mg, a very small amount. If your horse eats 25 lb/day that's 11,000 grams so a very small percentage can cause a big problem.
Botulism, Ionophore, Yew, Poison Hemlock, red maple leaf, and blister beetle are other possible sources of toxins and poisons your horse may run into. (4)
Transporting your horse is a necessary evil that every competitor deals with and we all know how stressful this can be on your horse. Dehydration and ulcers are unfortunately all too common and this is the last thing your horse needs before competition.
Poor air quality during transport has been reported, with increased concentrations of reparable particulates (5), ammonia, and airborne microbes and fungi. Transport has also been shown to cause increased incidence of respiratory infection (6). In another post I made I talked extensively about possible causes and treatments for bleeding. It's possible your horse trailer could be part of it. The entire article is available in the reference section at the bottom.
Mercury is in our air from the combustion of diesel, jet fuel, and heating oil. It deposits on land and water, then concentrates in the food chain. Coal burning power plants are another big source. Until 2002, Arsenic compounds were used to treat wood to prevent rot, double check if your stall might be using any of that wood. It's also present in a some fertilizers.
Some old water pipes can be sources of lead in your drinking water and most people aren't filtering the water for their horses.
Lead can cause behavioral problems, kidney damage, memory and learning problems. Mercury can cause digestive problems, brain damage, kidney disease. Arsenic is known to cause breathing problems (bleeding possible), peripheral nervous system problems and the list goes on.
Some sources of toxins you can control, most you can't. The next step is to remove as many of these toxins and heavy metals as possible. At Animal Element we rely on Zeolite as our primary ingredient to remove toxins. Zeolite has a cage like structure that binds to heavy metals, mycotoxins, ammonia and a lot of other substances and then harmlessly passes out the body. Zeolite has no nutritional value, it works by physically removing these substances.
The use of natural zeolites like we use in our detox product are well established in ruminants. (6) These research studies clearly showed how Zeolite removes ammonium and they found it controls Mycotoxin, reduced stress and improved growth rates via greater muscle mass. Feed efficiency also improved. (7)
Another ingredient we use is Chlorella. Chlorella is a green algae containing a large number of amino acids, vitamins, minerals. I personally consider it to be one of the healthiest substances on earth. It's list of health benefits is staggering.
In a report to the General Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan on an early study in animals, (8) reported that chlorella (8 grams daily) increased elimination of cadmium: threefold in feces and sevenfold in urine. Other researchers from Japan showed that chlorella helped detoxify uranium and lead (Horikoshi et al. 1979). Chlorella has detoxification potential for similar compounds, such as dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls. (PCBs are chemical compounds used in plastics, insulation, and flame retardants, with potential to cause cancer and liver damage.) (9).
1 - (Mansmann and Woodie, 1995; Smith et al., 1996; Oikawa et al., 1999)
2 - http://www.canr.msu.edu/horseadults/publications/Toxic Plant Bulletins/Feedstuffs.pdf
3 - (Oikawa et al., 1995; Oikawa et al., 1999)
4 - (Leadon et al., 1990; Smith et al., 1996; Oikawa et al, 1999)
5 - (Oikawa et al., 1994; Oikawa et al., 1995; Racklyeft et al., 2000; Oikawa et al., 1999)
6 - http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/bitstream/10113/1453/1/IND43873375.pdf
7 - (Mumpton & Fishman, 1977 and Zeo-Agriculture, “Use of Natural Zeolites in Agriculture and Aquaculture,” Edited by Wilson G. Pond and Frederick A. Mumpton, Westview Press/Boulder, CO).
8 - (White & Ohlrogge, 1974)
9 - Ichimura (1973)
Other reference points
Info on Aflatoxins - http://www.aflatoxin.info/health.asp
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/info-rpdeathtoxins.htm
VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/008527.html