The Synergy Blog

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH In their native environment, horses are resilient &amp; self-sufficient. So why are they struggling so much in modern barn settings? Digestive &amp; metabolic diseases remain the number causes of death in domestic horses. Modern feed &amp; care programs are direct obstacles to equine health. The most scientific way to approach domestic [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH As an animal guardian, witnessing your beloved companion face health challenges can be an emotionally turbulent experience. In my practice, I see a wide array of feelings come to the surface as an illness develops in a pet or a horse. Guilt, confusion and fear are common as you try to [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH Winter can be a challenging season for horses, with colder weather and reduced access to fresh forage. This can put them at risk for colic, especially with consistently low temperatures. Cold weather can slow down your horse’s digestive system so it’s important to keep them warm with lots of forage, fibre, [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH For the past several years, I have been immersed in the science of why so many horses are suffering from gastrointestinal diseases like ulcers and colic. Paired with my personal and clinical work with horses, I’ve made some discoveries that I can’t unsee. Recently, I was fortunate enough to be part [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH In 2024, the term organic has become synonymous with healthy eating and environmentally friendly practices. Unfortunately, when it comes to assessing the healthiness of our food and its impact on the planet, the organic label is losing its significance. It has also become unobtainable for many lower income households

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH In the field of modern equine nutrition, the term & digestibility has been hailed as a hallmark of quality feed. Yet, the pursuit of easily digestible processed feeds and grains, a critical aspect of the horse's digestive function is being overlooked. This oversight has profound negative implications on the delicate balance of [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH In the realm of healthcare, the journey toward recovery can be hindered by various obstacles. These impediments, whether recognized or unnoticed, can significantly impact the effectiveness of integrative healing tools. One such concept, deeply ingrained in homeopathic philosophy, is that of obstacles to recovery. Coined by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the founding [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH In the vast expanse of equine evolution, one of the most fascinating tales lies within the hind gut – a vital aspect of the horse&#8217;s digestive system. From the expansive cecum to the intricate microbiome within, the evolutionary journey of the equine hind gut unveils secrets crucial for understanding the dietary [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH Have you ever considered how horses came to be in our lives? From an evolutionary point of view, they are a fascinating species. Humans have only been in the picture for a tiny fraction of the time that they have been walking the earth. So what were they doing before we [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH I get a lot of questions about homeopathy: what it is, how it works and what to expect. I thought I&#8217;d take a minute to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about homeopathy in the hope that you might be inspired to add it to your animal&#8217;s wellness plan. [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH The old sentiment that horses eat hay is not entirely accurate. We all know that forage quality is an important aspect of equine nutrition but today’s methods for analyzing the meaning of a “healthy diet”  for equines has gotten…. confused. An oversimplification has manifested in modern day equine nutrition programs resulting [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH This week’s reflection is the result of some extensive research I’ve been working on to accurately explain the origin of the equine digestive system, why they evolved cecal (hindgut) fermentation and what horses are really designed to eat. After several months of digging into the science on foraging habits of feral [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH I talk a lot about nutrition on this blog but I wanted to take the time to address the subject of chronic stress in horses this week. After 3 decades with horses, I’ve seen it all (or close to it). After all I’ve experienced with my own horses and in various [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH When your horse can’t have the perfect scenario (rotational field and forest turnout), the next best thing is good quality hay. Hay is the main source of essential energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals during the winter and, for some horses, all year round. Ensuring that your horse has access to good [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH Horses living in modern times are facing some hard health challenges. Equine nutrition is one of my favorite subjects and I’ve had the privilege over the past 20 years to spend time with a wide array of horses of all sizes, breeds and ages in a number of different environments. What [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH As many of you work with me know, I’m a broken record when it comes to the topic of glyphosate. I wanted to dedicate and article to this important subject to highlight the reasons to take glyphosate ingestion seriously. It is only one of many harmful herbicidal chemicals that can be [&hellip;]</p>

By Sarah Griffiths, DCH When your animal isn’t feeling well, do you go into fight or flight mode? Do you make decisions out of fear or with presence? Your anxiety could be putting your pet’s health at risk… and yours! It can also have environmental impacts. Let’s talk about a hard subject: reactive vs. perceptive [&hellip;]</p>

Have you ever heard the term “You’re giving me an ulcer”? Basically, it means “you’re stressing me out!” Research shows that stress really does cause gastric ulcers in horses (1). Gut disease has reached epidemic proportions in domestic horses. Studies confirm that between 80-90% of performance horses have ulcers. (2) (3) There is even a [&hellip;]</p>

Horses give their all for us. They are a gift to those of us lucky to share our lives with them. Whatever our equestrian discipline may be, we must honour that horses need to be horses outside of our human world. Field turnout is an essential part of equine wellness. Not only will giving them [&hellip;]</p>

OVERVIEW:  It’s likely that you know someone or maybe you even have a horse with equine insulin resistance (IR) or metabolic syndrome (EMS). EMS is a growing issue among modern horses. It is defined as the failure of tissues to adequately respond to circulating insulin and control blood sugar. Obesity is one of the leading [&hellip;]</p>