BEYOND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: RETHINKING METABOLIC SUPPORT FOR YOUR HORSE

For many horse owners, managing a metabolically challenged horse has traditionally centred around one thing: weight.

But metabolic health is far more complex than the number on the scales.

A stubborn cresty neck, localised fatty deposits, difficulty maintaining a healthy body condition, hoof sensitivity or a history of laminitis can all be signs that there is more happening beneath the surface. While these signs alone don’t provide a diagnosis, they can prompt a closer look at how effectively your horse’s metabolism is functioning.

At the centre of many metabolic challenges is insulin dysregulation, where the body is unable to produce or respond normally to insulin. But insulin is only one part of a much bigger, interconnected metabolic picture.

Looking at the whole horse

Healthy metabolic function is influenced by multiple systems working together, including insulin and glucose regulation, fat metabolism, inflammatory balance, oxidative stress and digestive health.

That’s why managing your metabolically challenged horse requires more than focusing on weight alone.

Veterinary guidance, an appropriate diet low in sugars and starches (low-NSC), controlled pasture access, exercise where suitable and regular body condition monitoring remain important foundations of metabolic management. Targeted nutritional support can then work alongside these strategies to further support healthy metabolic function.

PROTEK MD: A new era of metabolic support

Recognising the need for a more complete approach, Kelato has spent years developing PROTEK MD, a new nutritional supplement specifically formulated to enhance existing management plans for metabolically challenged horses.

Launching this September, PROTEK MD takes a multi-system approach to metabolic health. Rather than relying on a single ingredient or targeting just one aspect of metabolism, it supports the key biological pathways that work together to help keep your horse’s metabolism functioning normally.

PROTEK MD supports metabolic health across five key areas:

• Healthy insulin and glucose regulation – supporting normal blood glucose, insulin function and appetite regulation.
• Weight management – supporting your horse’s natural ability to break down and utilise stored fat when combined with appropriate feeding and exercise.
• Normal inflammatory balance – encouraging a healthy inflammatory response to support everyday comfort, movement and healthy hooves.
• Antioxidant defences – providing natural antioxidants to help counter oxidative stress and protect healthy cells from free radical damage.
• Gut health – using a tribiotic system of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics to support the protective gut barrier and a healthier internal environment.

Beyond what you see on the outside

Successful metabolic management isn’t simply about helping your horse lose weight. It’s about supporting healthier metabolic function over the long term.

Horse owners using PROTEK MD commonly report reductions in cresty necks and fatty deposits, easier maintenance of a healthy body condition, improved comfort and willingness to move, increased energy, positive changes in demeanour and behaviour, and improvements in overall wellbeing.

If you’re managing a metabolically challenged horse, PROTEK MD offers a new nutritional support option designed to complement the diet, exercise, veterinary care and management strategies you already have in place.

PROTEK MD 1.6 kg pouch, provides a 40-day supply*.