Equine Endurance & Recovery: 1,000 Years of Experience

SeaBuck 7 Endorser Natalie Foutch at the IRCA Finals

Are you looking for a way to boost your horse’s immune system, performance and overall well-being? There are many health supplements out on the market that claim to improve your horse’s health, but I can only think of one that has modern and ancient historical evidence supporting these types of claims. That would be the sea buckthorn berry!  If you thought that sea buckthorn is a recent health-food discovery, think again.  To understand what sea buckthorn can do for your four-hooved friend, let’s first take a look back at Ancient Greece. 

The health benefits of sea buckthorn are mentioned by Ancient Greek scholars Theophrastus and Dioscorides. The Ancient Greeks discovered that wounded enemy horses that had been foraging on the leaves and berries of the wild sea buckthorn healed quickly and had excellent coat quality. The scientific name is taken from these observations, as Hippophae rhamnoides translates to “shining horse.” 

The Ancient Greeks were so impressed with sea buckthorn’s health benefits that it is even mentioned in legends, most notably as the main food source of the mythical winged horse, Pegasus. In day-to-day ancient life, the leaves and berries of sea buckthorn were regularly added to the rations of horses, to promote a healthy body condition and a shiny coat. 

In modern times, sea buckthorn continues to boost the horse’s health, in a variety of important ways:

1. Improved Energy Levels
Sea buckthorn has been shown to improve energy levels and helps to relieve fatigue in humans and horses. This is likely due to its high levels of Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and Vitamin E.  If you and your horse regularly enjoy long trail rides or even higher levels of competition such as endurance or eventing, a natural, drug-free and legal boost from sea buckthorn is worth considering. Daily oral, whole-fruit supplements are integrated into the body more efficiently than B-complex vitamin injections, plus your horse doesn't have to suffer the daily needle sticks! 

2. Longevity
Sea buckthorn contains a large number of bioactive compounds, with most of these being longevity-promoting compounds such as omega 3, 7, and 9 essential fatty acids, antioxidants, carotenoids and protective vitamins such as vitamin E. Training is tough on horses, as well as travel. These environmental stressors promote rapid cell aging and oxidative damage to the body. Sea buckthorn oils and fruit pulp act as a vehicle for these important compounds, and ones that will protect him or her from premature aging and tissue damage. 

3.  Recovery
All horses need time to rest and repair their bodies, even if your horse is only used for weekend trail rides. Proper nutrition is the cornerstone to proper cell repair and maintenance of healthy tissues.  When your horse is at work or at rest, daily use of whole-fruit, nutrient packed supplements like sea buckthorn berry will support the body’s ability to heal itself.  Even in horses without injury, inflammation can occur in the body after any amount of training.  Inflammation, while a normal bodily process, can over time create problems and contribute to poor performance.  Sea buckthorn extracts have been shown in a variety of species, from mice to horses, to improve healing times and reduce levels of inflammation. 

With proper, botanical nutritional support, you and your horse can be working together better and sooner than you expect.  You can’t get any better than thousands of years of experience and the fuel of a famous mythical being, the sea buckthorn berry.


Resources

(1) Li, Thomas S.C. 2002. Product development of sea buckthorn. p. 393–398. J. Janick and A. Whipkey (eds.), Trends in New Crops and New Uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA 

(2) Li, Thomas S.C., Beveridge, Thomas H.J. 2007. Sea Buckthorn: A New Medicinal and Nutritional Botanical. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Publication 10320E. Edition 2007.

(3) Roudebush, Philip. Nutrition, Inflammation and Pain. Hill’s Global Mobility Symposium. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., Topeka, Kansas.

(4) Huff, N. et al., 2012 Sep-Oct, Effect of sea buckthorn berries and pulp in a liquid emulsion on gastric ulcer scores and gastric juice pH in horses. J Vet Intern Med. Vol. 26(5) 1186-91.