When the immune system gets confused, it turns on the body instead of protecting it. And more often than not, inflammation is the smoke signal it sends.

Welcome to Part 2 of our Thrive & Shine July Blog Series, where we’re diving deeper into the inner workings of the immune system – and the fiery force that underpins almost every chronic condition we see in horses. Inflammation.

Introduction- when the body whispers before it shouts

We often think of inflammation as something loud – swelling, heat, pain. But what if the real issue is the kind we can’t see? The kind that brews quietly inside the body, disrupting hormones, dulling vitality, and confusing the immune system.

This hidden fire – chronic, low-grade inflammation – is the thread that ties together almost every condition: laminitis, allergies, metabolic disorders, gut issues, joint stiffness and skin flare-ups.

It’s one of the most misunderstood concepts in equine health. We know it when we see it – swelling, heat, soreness – but what we often miss is that inflammation is more than a symptom. It’s a signal.

Inflammation is the body's internal alarm system. It’s how the immune system - your horse’s natural defence mechanism - responds to injury, irritation, or imbalance. It’s not inherently bad - in fact, it’s essential for healing.

A scratch, a sprain, an infection? The body sends its immune army to heal the damage. This is good inflammation – short-lived, purposeful, and self-resolving.

But when the triggers are internal – the wrong food, stress, toxins, dysbiosis – the immune system can’t switch off. This is chronic inflammation: immune overdrive without an off-switch.

Acute inflammation = a fire drill
Chronic inflammation = the fire alarm that never stops ringing

Over time, this constant state of alert burns through the body’s resources, damaging tissues, exhausting immune cells, and paving the way for illness. And where does it usually start? The gut.

The food–gut–inflammation kink

Inflammation is a biochemical ripple effect. What your horse eats, how it’s digested, and how the microbiome responds – all of this determines whether the immune system stays calm or gets confused.

Feeds rich in starches, molasses, or junk fillers can disrupt the microbiome, triggering gut irritation, which sends alarm signals to the immune system. Cue inflammation.

Multiply that by every feed, every day – and you’ve got a recipe for long-term immune dysfunction.

The gut wall – your horse’s internal firewall

Right underneath the lining of the gut wall lies the bulk of your horse’s immune system – a surveillance army of immune cells watching for invaders.

When the gut wall is strong and healthy, it acts like a secure border – keeping the good stuff in, and the bad stuff out.

But when it’s inflamed, irritated, or damaged (hello, leaky gut), that barrier becomes permeable - where fluids can leak through. Undigested food particles, toxins, and bacteria start to leak into the bloodstream.

The immune system reacts in panic:

🔥 It mounts an attack on these intruders.

🔥 It mistakes harmless substances for threats.

🔥 It starts to misfire, and sometimes even turns on the body’s own tissues.

Cue cellular damage - allergic reactions, metabolic issues, muscle soreness, skin flare-ups, and a whole lot more.

Inflammation is a messenger, not the enemy

Inflammation isn’t just about pain or heat. It’s a whole-system signal that something is off. Here are some of the common signs your horse may be dealing with chronic inflammation:

• Ongoing skin issues or sweet itch
• Recurrent laminitis
• Low energy or behavioural/mood swings
• Digestive upsets – bloating, faecal water
• Stiffness or sore muscles
• Immune reactivity – allergies, sensitivities, autoimmunity

Many of these are written off as separate issues, but when we dig deeper, the thread connecting them is inflammation. These signals are the body’s way of saying, “I’m inflamed. Something’s off.”

The conventional approach? Suppression - antihistamines, steroids, painkillers. Meanwhile, the fire underneath continues to burn. We need to cool the fire – not just silence the smoke alarm.

‘Fixing the gut’ isn’t a trend – it’s a necessity

You’ll hear it again and again at EquiNatural: fix the cell to get well. But to do that, we must first fix the gut. Why?

• Because gut inflammation leads to leaky gut
• Leaky gut allows toxins into the bloodstream
• The immune system detects danger and escalates its response
• Inflammation becomes systemic

This is how one problem becomes many - one gut imbalance can lead to whole-body disruption.

The clean-up crew - your horse’s liver, kidneys, lymph & detox pathways

When inflammation kicks in, it leaves waste behind – cellular debris, dead pathogens, inflammatory byproducts. Time for your horse’s natural detox team:

• Liver – processes toxins, filters blood, regulates immune function
• Kidneys – eliminate waste via urine
• Lymphatics – drain inflammation and maintain fluid balance

But - if waste keeps leaking through a compromised gut wall, the clean-up crew can’t keep up. That’s why in our C.A.R.E. Protocol, we always start with a Cleanse – because if you don’t clear the terrain and open up the exit routes, nothing else can work.

Rebalancing the fire – the role of the microbiome

A balanced gut microbiome is your horse’s best defence against runaway inflammation:

• A healthy microbiome trains the immune system to recognise the real threats, keeping pathogens in check.
• When the hindgut bacteria ferment the dietary fibre from your horse's forage, they then produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) - butyrate, propionate and acetate - which help to strengthen the intestinal barrier, which is a crucial defense against harmful substances entering the bloodstream. They do this by enhancing the production of soothing mucus and tightening junctions between the cells in the gut lining, helping to modulate inflammation.

But - sugar-laced feeds, chemical wormers, antibiotics, stress, and poor forage can decimate the good bugs and let the bad guys take over – leading to dysbiosis, irritation, and immune confusion.

Plant power - nature’s anti-inflammatory farmacy

Inflammation isn’t irreversible. In fact, the body is constantly trying to repair itself. And the best support we can give it? Species-appropriate food that calms, not junk food that confuses.

Nutrient-dense, fibre-rich nutrition does three things:

1. Repairs the gut lining
2. Reduces systemic inflammation
3. Feeds beneficial microbes

And if we need extra help, herbs shine – because nature knows how to fight fire with fire. Plants are full of polyphenols – antioxidants that help protect against oxidative stress and guide the immune system back to balance.

 🌿 Turmeric – regulates cytokine activity - signaling proteins that help control inflammation in the body
🌿 Boswellia – supports joint and tissue comfort
🌿 Liquorice root – soothes mucous membranes
🌿 Marshmallow & Slippery Elm – gut wall repair & soothing demulcents
🌿 Reishi mushroom – immune-modulating adaptogen

When used as part of a targeted protocol, these allies help calm the immune system, soothe the gut lining, and restore harmony.

What does this mean for your horse?

If your horse is showing signs of:

• Low energy
• Recurring skin or hoof issues
• Digestive upsets
• Chronic stress or tension

… inflammation could be the missing piece.

That’s why our C.A.R.E. supplement protocol is built to gently unwind inflammation by:

• Cleansing the filtering systems
• Activating digestion to stabilise microbial balance
• Regenerating the gut lining and nutrient pathways
• Energising the immune system at the cellular level

This is where true resilience begins.

Coming next - Fix the Cell to Get Well – the power of cellular nutrition

In Part 3 of our series, we’ll go deeper – because energy doesn’t come from a bag of feed. It comes from within the cells themselves, where we explore how micronutrients  build your horse’s defence system from the ground up.

Until then, here's your takeaway – inflammation isn’t the enemy. It’s the clue. Decode it, support the system, and your horse can thrive from the inside out.

See you in the next instalment 🌿