News Pet Food Institute (PFI)

In an effort to help keep horse owners informed we would like to pass on this information from the Pet Food Institute regarding the Slaughter of Horses.

Horse Slaughter Amendment Passed

The US Senate voted last week in favor of an amendment to effectively prohibit the use of federal funds to slaughter horses for food exports. The Ensign-Byrd amendment to the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Bill prohibits the use of federal tax dollars for inspectors in plants that slaughter horses for human consumption. The amendment, introduced by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), will close three slaughterhouses in the United States that slaughter horses (two in Texas and one in Illinois). It will also prohibit shipping horses to slaughterhouses in Canada or Mexico in order to export their meat to foreign countries. Earlier in the year, the US House of Representatives passed an identical amendment. (ASPCA News Release, 09/21/05)

Horse Journal Reviewed

The Horse Journal recently reviewed many different joint products using horses that had chronic conditions that affected them to be consistently lame. Lameness was graded according to the American Association of Equine Practioners (AAEP) grading scale. Horses were graded by Vets at the start of using particular supplements, again at 2 weeks and then at 4 weeks. The Horse Journal also found that horse joint products using even small amounts of (HA), Hyaluronic Acid in combination with Glucosamine/Chondoitin made a significant difference in a horse's condition.

Our Direct Complete, Direct Complete HA & Direct Flex were all used in the study. This is what the Horse Journal had to say;

Direct Complete was found to have moderate levels of Glucosamine, Chondrotin & MSM. High levels of Vitamin C and Biotin. Flax, (multi) vitamins & minerals. Improvement of up to 1 full lameness grade. Good choice for horses in terms of price!

Direct Complete HA Same as the Direct Complete but with 100 mg. of Hylauronic Acid per daily serving. With the addition of the HA horses saw as much as a full 1.5 improvement in lameness grade, with obvious reduction in joint swelling. They suggest that it is best used for horses with Moderate Chronic Lameness in all classes of use.

Direct Flex High dose of Glucosamine, along with moderate MSM in a good combination (multi) vitamin/mineral base. Lameness improvements of up to 1.5 lameness grades. Best for horses with (Moderate Chronic Lameness) in all classes.

All of our products showed signs of improvement and overall were more cost effective than most on the market today. Equine Direct continues to be innovative in our approach to your horses needs, with new products, cutting edge ingredients and clear and accurate packaging and product information.