Three Amigos

“Three Amigos delivers essential amino acids to support muscle development and exercise needs, in a palatable formula that’s easy to feed.” — Dr. Priska Darani, PhD Equine Nutritionist, Director of Research Three Amigos Supports: Muscle Development Athletic Performance Physical Stamina Hoof Strength and Growth Joints and Connective Tissue Coat Quality and Skin Health Post-Exercise Care Weight Maintenance Topline Muscles Immune Function Mad Barn’s Three Amigos is an essential amino acid supplement for horses, formulated with lysine, methionine and threonine in an optimal 5:3:2 ratio to support protein synthesis, muscle development, topline and athletic performance. Three Amigos provides a concentrated blend of limiting amino acids — the essential nutrients most likely to hold back protein synthesis when they are undersupplied in the diet. For many horses that need muscle support, protein intake is only part of the picture. The horse’s diet may provide enough protein, but still fall short in the essential amino acids needed to build muscle, maintain topline and support healthy tissues. By improving the amino acid profile of the ration, Three Amigos helps ensure the essential building blocks of proteins are available for the horse to use. This supports the synthesis of muscle proteins, collagen, keratin, enzymes, immune proteins and other functional tissues involved in growth, recovery, hoof quality, coat condition and normal body function. This science-backed formula is especially useful for horses with higher amino acid demands, including horses in work, growing horses, broodmares, lactating mares, senior horses and horses on mature hay. For horses that need more visible condition, better muscle support or a stronger nutritional foundation, Three Amigos is the best choice for supplementing amino acids in the diet. What are Limiting Amino Acids? Amino acids are the building blocks used to make proteins in the horse’s body. These proteins support growth, speed, strength, stamina, hoof health, skin and coat quality, joints, tendons, ligaments, reproductive function and more. Some amino acids are essential, meaning they cannot be synthesized by the horse in sufficient amounts and must be supplied by the diet. During digestion, dietary protein is broken down into single amino acids or short peptides, absorbed from the small intestine and delivered throughout the body. Inside cells, these amino acids are assembled in the specific sequence required to form each new protein. Protein synthesis depends on the right amino acids being available in the right amounts. If one essential amino acid is too low relative to the horse’s needs, it becomes the limiting amino acid — the amino acid that restricts how efficiently the cells can use the rest of the amino acids. In equine diets, lysine is typically the first limiting amino acid, followed by methionine and threonine. Horses can fall short in these amino acids because grass hay, pasture and cereal grains often do not provide enough of them to meet the horse’s needs. Three Amigos supplies these first three limiting amino acids together in an optimal 5:3:2 ratio, with lysine provided at the highest level, followed by methionine and threonine. This helps support a better-balanced amino acid profile in the ration. Roles of Lysine, Methionine and Threonine in the Body Lysine Lysine is the first limiting amino acid in many equine diets. It is the amino acid most likely to restrict protein synthesis when intake is too low relative to the horse’s needs. Protein Synthesis: Lysine is required to assemble proteins throughout the body, including muscle proteins, collagen, keratin, enzymes, transport proteins and immune proteins. It supports muscle development, topline maintenance, growth and normal recovery after exercise. Joints Mobility: Lysine contributes to collagen formation, a structural protein found in skin, bone matrix, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. Bone Health: Lysine also enhances calcium absorption from the gut, increasing the availability of this mineral for healthy bone formation and normal muscle and nerve function. [5] Energy Metabolism: Lysine is required to synthesize carnitine, a vitamin-like nutrient involved in transporting long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria where they can be used for energy production. According to the NRC (2007), a 500 kg (1,100 lb) horse at maintenance requires a minimum of 18 grams of lysine per day, with optimal intake estimated at 27 grams per day. Exercising horses require approximately 29 to 35 grams per day, depending on workload. A 170 kg (375 lb) weanling requires 29 grams per day, while yearlings require approximately 48 to 50 grams per day. Methionine Methionine is a sulfur-containing essential amino acid that supports hoof quality, coat condition, connective tissue, cartilage, antioxidant defenses and normal cellular function. Hoof, Skin & Coat: Methionine is converted into cysteine, another sulfur-containing amino acid that helps proteins maintain their structure. Cysteine is important for keratin – the main protein in hoof horn and hair. As a sulfur source methionine supports connective tissue metabolism and the synthesis and maintenance of structural proteins such as collagen. Antioxidant Defences: Methionine is an important precursor of glutathione, one of the body’s major antioxidant compounds. This pathway supports normal antioxidant status, cellular protection and recovery after exercise. [4] Cellular Function: Methionine is converted to S-adenosyl-L-methionine, or SAM, a major methyl donor in cells. SAM transfers methyl groups to compounds such as DNA and proteins, changing how these molecules function. [4] The NRC (2007) estimates that a 500 kg (1,100 lb) horse at maintenance should receive 7.5 grams of methionine per day. Growing horses should receive approximately 8 to 11 grams per day, and exercising horses should receive approximately 8 to 10 grams per day, depending on workload. [3] Threonine Threonine is an essential amino acid that supports protein synthesis, digestive tract function, nutrient absorption, muscle development and immune protein production. Digestive Lining: A large proportion of dietary threonine is used by tissues in the digestive tract. This makes threonine important for maintaining the intestinal lining and supporting normal nutrient absorption. [1] Mucin Production: Threonine is required to produce mucin proteins, which help form the protective mucus layer lining the intestinal tract. When dietary threonine is low, the body may prioritize mucin production, leaving less threonine available for muscle growth and other protein synthesis needs. [2] Protein Synthesis: Threonine contributes to muscle proteins, digestive proteins and immune proteins. Growing horses, performance horses, broodmares and lactating mares have higher demands for protein synthesis, making threonine an important part of a balanced amino acid profile. According to the NRC, a 500 kg (1,100 lb) horse at maintenance should receive 17 grams of threonine per day for optimal protein synthesis. Exercising horses should receive approximately 19 to 22 grams per day, depending on workload. A 170 kg (375 lb) weanling requires 18 grams per day, while yearlings should receive approximately 29 grams per day. Which Horses Benefit Most from Three Amigos? Three Amigos is beneficial for horses with higher demands for protein synthesis or horses whose diets may provide less lysine, methionine and threonine relative to their needs. Performance horses Training increases the need to repair muscle and maintain connective tissues exposed to repeated loading. Horses in heavier work have higher amino acid needs to support muscle protein synthesis, topline maintenance, exercise recovery and adaptation to training. Growing horses Foals, weanlings and yearlings are rapidly building muscle, bone matrix, connective tissue, skin and hair. Lysine, methionine and threonine support the amino acid supply needed for normal growth and new tissue formation. Broodmares and lactating mares Pregnancy and lactation increase the demand for essential amino acids. Three Amigos supports reproductive function, maternal tissue maintenance, fetal growth and the synthesis of milk proteins used to support foal growth. Senior horses Older horses often benefit from amino acid support for lean tissue, topline, immune proteins, skin, coat and normal tissue maintenance. Three Amigos helps support the amino acid balance needed for these functions. Horses on forage-only diets Forage is the main protein source in many equine diets, but hay and pasture can vary widely in amino acid content. Three Amigos helps balance the amino acid profile of forage-only rations so dietary protein can be used more efficiently. Horses on underfortified grain rations When horses do not receive the full recommended amount of a fortified feed, their essential amino acid intake is largely determined by forage quality. Three Amigos supplies the amino acids most likely to limit protein synthesis in these rations. Mad Barn’s Three Amigos provides pure lysine, methionine and threonine in a palatable formula that can be top-dressed onto the daily ration. It is designed for horses needing targeted support for protein synthesis, muscle development, topline, growth, connective tissue, hoof quality, coat condition and overall amino acid balance. References Mok, Chan Lee and Urschel, Kristine L. Threonine as a limiting amino acid in equine diets. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci. 2020. Law, Garson K. et al. Adequate oral threonine is critical for mucin production and gut function in neonatal piglets. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2007. Winsco, Kelly N et al. Influence of methionine on growth and nitrogen balance in weanling quarter horses. J Anim Sci. 2011. Brosnan, John T. and Brosnan, Margaret E. The sulfur-containing amino acids: An overview. J Nutr. 2006. Tome, Daniel et al. Impact of low protein and lysine-deficient diets on bone metabolism (P08-072-19). Curr Dev Nutr. 2019.