Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) testing reveals your horse's individual mineral stores and toxic heavy metal burden. By learning your horse's mineral levels, we can nutritionally target his or her specific deficiencies and toxicities through a customized, whole food based diet.
Diseases and their symptoms are rooted in various nutrient deficiencies and toxicities. By addressing these imbalances we can help the body to reach homeostasis and function normally.
The Most Comprehensive Report
Our HTMA test is the most comprehensive test available for equines, analyzed by the #1 hair testing lab in the world, Trace Elements Lab, based right here in the USA. You will receive an email of the test results with a computerized bar graph of high, low and reference range levels of the 36 elements, including 15 critical minerals and 8 toxic heavy metals. The test also provides graphs of essential mineral ratios and toxic ratios, as well as, an endocrine panel revealing pituitary, thyroid and adrenal function. Finally, an individualized evaluation is provided, including a detailed discussion of the metabolic type, current mineral levels and ratios, their impact upon body chemistry, and dietary guidance.
Minerals tested: Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cu, Zn, P, Fe, Mn, Cr, Se, B, Co, Mo & S.
Learning your horse's unique mineral levels can help us determine things such as thyroid function and whether or not he or she should have kelp in their regimen (as a natural, highly bioavailable iodine source and multi-vitamin). Should he or she have copper and zinc, if so, in what ratio? Does my horse have iron overload or iron deficiency? Low manganese, magnesium or calcium/phosphorus contributing to issues like DSLD? Low chromium or magnesium, contributing to insulin resistance or persistent elevated blood glucose levels?
Benefits of Hair Testing vs. Blood Testing
Hair testing provides a more accurate view of the body's overall mineral stores than blood tests do because the blood has to work very hard to remain stable in order to avoid acute problems, therefore the blood draws minerals from the body's tissues when necessary to be as balanced as possible. Because of this process, the blood will often show "healthy" levels of a mineral, when meanwhile it has depleted the body elsewhere (organs, muscles, bones, etc). Ultimately, blood can give us a false impression that our horse isn't deficient in something, when in fact they are.
HTMA testing is also more cost effective and there isn't currently a blood test available to show the levels of these 15 critical minerals or individual metals, and while some tests are available to check Se or Fe levels, for example, they are more costly and do not necessarily provide an accurate view of the body's true overall stores (i.e., iron stored in tissues vs. blood).
Detoxing Heavy Metals?
Our approach is gentle and cautious. Regarding detoxification, we believe and understand that once we restore and rebalance minerals via diet, support the liver, and help open detox pathways, the body is better equipped to detoxify on its own. It is also stronger and better able to handle any Herxheimer reactions (unpleasant symptoms of forced detox). We're very careful to never detox a malnourished body, which is in a sensitive, compromised state. If strategic detox is necessary even after replenishing minerals, which is rare, we have gentle detox protocol available.
What's the Process?
Once you purchase your HTMA test, we will mail you the hair test kit with instructions. You will receive a pre-addressed envelope to mail your horse's hair sample directly to Trace Elements Lab. Once the test results are in, you will receive the 9 page report via email with a code for access.
If you're interested in a customized, whole food based diet for your horse based off the HTMA results, please use the drop down menu above to select the option "HTMA Report +Consult & Customized Diet Rec". Daryl Anne (Yucc' It Up!® Founder, Owner and Board Certified Master Herbalist) will set up time to review and discuss the results with you, providing a detailed explanation, and she will recommend a diet that she has customized to address your horse's unique mineral imbalances as naturally as possible.
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PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept HTMA orders with a New York State billing, mailing or shipping address, unfortunately. New York State regulations (NY Public Health Law Section 574) do not allow hair samples collected from residents of New York to be processed at this time.
Refund Policy: Refunds will only be available in full if the documentation has not yet been shipped out. If we have already fulfilled your order and shipped you the documents, we will refund you the price of the HTMA minus the internal shipping fee, as long as you haven't sent the hair sample to the lab yet. Once you ship the hair sample to the lab, you're fully committed. Thank you!
We are currently only offering this test for horses, but in the future we will make it available for your canine companion. 