Defend
Protect, plus pesticide and feed contaminant screening.
Everything in Protect, with targeted screening for pesticide residues and ionophore feed contaminants — detected through manure analysis. Built for reproductive health support, feed sourcing concerns, and deeper environmental exposure visibility.
Shipping included · Canada-wide
Why Defend exists
Protect gives you a strong baseline: parasite burden, heavy metals, and micronutrient status. But some situations call for deeper visibility. What else may be entering the horse through feed, forage, pasture, or the management environment? Are there residues or contaminants that routine evaluation would never capture?
Defend was built for that gap. It includes everything in Protect and adds two critical layers: pesticide residue screening and ionophore feed contaminant detection — both analyzed through the horse's manure. This provides a horse-level screening result: evidence of what is passing through the horse's system, what the body is carrying, and what is being excreted.
This is not a direct feed assay. Defend analyzes the horse's biological output to show actual exposure and passage. For direct feed and forage analysis, see Clarity Core, Clarity Pro, and Clarity Ultra. Defend answers a different question: what is actually moving through this specific horse?
Pesticide screening (manure analysis)
Defend screens for three agricultural herbicides — glyphosate, atrazine, and 2,4-D — by analyzing their presence in the horse's manure.
These compounds are widely used in agriculture and can persist in feed, forage, pasture, and the surrounding environment. When ingested or absorbed, they pass through the horse's system and can be detected in manure. This provides evidence of actual exposure and biological passage — not just what might be present in the environment, but what is actually moving through this specific horse. Screening becomes especially relevant for clients concerned about reproductive health, long-term environmental load, digestive disruption, or regional agricultural practices.
Ionophore feed contaminant detection (manure analysis)
Ionophores are compounds used in cattle and poultry production to improve feed efficiency and prevent certain diseases. They work by altering cell membrane function in the digestive systems of those species.
Defend screens for: monensin, narasin, and salinomycin — by analyzing their presence in the horse's manure.
Horses are not the intended species for these compounds. Even at low levels, ionophores can affect equine physiology — particularly cardiac and skeletal muscle function. This isn't a niche laboratory technicality; it's a real feed-safety issue.
Defend does not directly analyze the feed itself. Instead, it detects ionophore exposure through manure analysis — providing evidence that these compounds have entered the horse's system and are being excreted. For direct feed and forage analysis, see Clarity Core, Clarity Pro, and Clarity Ultra.
How cross-contamination happens
Feed mills that produce both cattle/poultry feed and horse feed on shared equipment can inadvertently carry over ionophores into horse rations. Even with cleaning protocols, trace amounts can persist. The risk is higher when sourcing from mills that serve multiple livestock species, or when using bulk ingredients from facilities without equine-specific production lines.
Best for
Farms with feed sourcing or environmental exposure concerns
Breeding operations where environmental load may affect reproductive outcomes
Performance barns wanting deeper visibility into hidden feed inputs
Users who have completed Protect and want to add the environmental/feed layer
Horses with unexplained digestive or management-related instability
Clients evaluating pasture exposure, feed mill sourcing, or regional agricultural practices
Reproductive health support where minimizing environmental burden is a priority
$329
includes collection kit · results in 2–3 weeks
Shipping included · Canada-wide
What's included
Defend combines three analytical layers into a comprehensive environmental and feed screening package.
Protect Foundation (Manure Analysis)
Complete baseline screening including Fecal Egg Count (FEC), full micronutrient and elemental panel (28+ elements), and heavy metal screening — all analyzed through manure. Provides a horse-level snapshot of parasite burden, toxic metal exposure, and mineral status.
Pesticide Residue Screening (Manure Analysis)
Targeted screening for three agricultural herbicides — glyphosate, atrazine, and 2,4-D — detected in the horse's manure. This provides evidence of actual exposure and biological passage, not just environmental presence. Adds visibility into residues that routine panels never capture.
Ionophore Feed Contaminant Detection (Manure Analysis)
Screens for monensin, narasin, and salinomycin — ionophore compounds used in cattle and poultry feed — by analyzing their presence in the horse's manure. Detects evidence that these compounds have entered the horse's system through cross-contaminated feed. Horses are not the intended species for these compounds, and even low-level exposure matters.
Frequently asked questions
Ready for deeper visibility?
Defend provides the environmental and feed-borne exposure data you need to make smarter management decisions — especially when reproductive health, feed sourcing, or hidden contaminants are a concern.