GMO stands for Genetically modified organisms. You may also see GE which stands for genetically engineered they are both the same thing. When you see GMO/GE it means it is created in a lab by scientists instead of mother nature creating it. When something is genetically created the DNA structure gets altered. The most common products that people feed their horses are corn, wheat, beet pulp, soy and alfalfa.
When a plant is genetically modified (GM) it is resistant to continual spraying of pesticides that way it won’t kill the plant. When insects come into contact with the plant they die trying to eat it. Now if the insects are dying from eating the plant what do you think it’s going to do to your horse eventually?
Why is it bad?
You may be asking yourself why are these GMO products so bad. Well because GMO’s have been linked to long term health risks. Animal studies on GMOs have indicated infertility, immune problems, gastrointestinal function, changes in liver, kidney, spleen and accelerated aging.
The posting on the Holistic Horse website states: “No current studies show the effects of GM crops on horses, but research is coming out that questions specific gene changes within the horse that science cannot explain. Researchers have found “how” mares are becoming infertile, but they still can’t tell “why” this is happening. In independent studies of problems with GM foods, rats and mice were used, and the same problem arose.” I highly recommend reading this post on the Holistic Horse website for more information about GMO.
GMO’s were introduced into the commercial market in 1995 and have become incorporated into livestock feeds and horse products. In 2011 the USDA gave the okay for conditional deregulation of Monsanto’s genetically engineered, herbicide-resistant alfalfa.
GMO Ingredients How To Tell
It’s very difficult to tell if the horse product you get has GMO ingredients. The best way to know for sure is to buy products that are labeled USDA 100% Certified Organic and or are labeled as Non-GMO. Don’t be fooled if the label says ‘Organic’ because it only has to have 1 to 2 percent organic for it to be labeled as such. The rest of the products could be products that are GMO, have chemicals or pesticides.
To find out if the feed you use for your horse has any GMO/GE products contact the manufacturer.
A certified non-GMO horse feed is PGR (pelleted grain ration) from Dynamite Specialty Products. PGR contains corn, oats and barley with bentonite clay for the binder which helps to absorb any environmental toxins and it also helps to repel internal parasites.
They also offer a non-GMO ground soy called HES (high energy supplement). HES is a whole extruded non-GMO soybean pellet that is cooked to the correct temperature. This product is amazing for putting on weight and adding calories without starch and carbs.
Dynamite has been around since the 1930s and was one of the first talking about GMO’s and never using chemical preservatives. They were the first to add amino-acid chelated minerals to supplements for all species. Dynamite is a brand I trust for my horse’s needs.
Have you found any horse feed that is non-GMO? If so leave a comment below I’d love to know about them.