Ask The Vet: Nutrition - September 08

Question: I will soon be aquiring a weanling. There is so much information and difference in professional opinion about the sugar/starch/protein/fat feeding regimes and DOD. I've spoken with vets, equine nutritionists, feed distributors and read countless articles on the importance of feeding growing horses diets with low NSC %, the clinical studies in which there was no difference between study groups fed a high, medium or low starch diet. I've read articles that talk about the importance of feeding a starch source, such as oats or corn. I had one vet tell me to add black sunflower seed, but I've read that the omega 6 fatty acids can contribute to arthritis. Is there literature that indicates what percentage of each nutrient that a growing horse needs? I've had horses my entire life and never had an issue with feeding adult horses, but this foal thing is making me nuts!

I should also probably include the fact that the Paint horse weanling will be 6-months-old and possibly weigh anywhere from 500 to 600 pounds when I get her. My current feed choice that I am looking at after careful consideration from various feed representatives is a Triple Crown 30 percent supplement with one flake of alicia/bluestem hay and one pound of chopped alfalfa. Because of the articles that describe the importance of starch, I thought I might add in 1/2 lb of steamed oats. According to the
Tripe Crown rep, the Weanling would not need any additional vitamin/mineral supplements or oats. I was told the oats could lead to DOD. The weanling will have access to a good pasture for 12 hours per day.

Question: My horse foundered 2 years ago. With speciality foot care, she is now sound, but has a very dry coat. I was told Dumor Stablenergy was made for foundered horses to replace protein they are lacking. I received
confirmation that this product is very low in sugar, but I want to make sure that I am still providing the proper nutrition for my mare. Are you familiar with this product?

Question: I have a Breed stock mare that is 10-years-old. I was feeding her grass hay and Bermuda pellets. This last year she has really lost a lot of weight and her topline is showing. I started feeding her two very large
flakes of alfalfa in the morning and night. Within a month, she was looking great. She has a tendency to be a HOT mare on the trail. Before I started feeding her all of this alfalfa she was terrific on the trail. Now that she looks great, she is an absolute basket case on the trail. She is jumping and spooking at everything with nostrils flared and ready to jump out of her skin. Can you please suggest what I can feed her to give her all of the nutrition and weight that she needs, but without all of the unwanted energy? I am usually only able to ride a couple of times a week.

Question: My Quarter horse is in his mid-30s and is starting to have trouble chewing his alfalfa hay. It takes him a long time to finish his meals. I give him equine senior and rice bran as an additional meal and he is maintaining his weight nicely. I may be moving him and my 6-year-old Peruvian to a different barn that feeds alfalfa cubes. These horses have only eaten hay and I wonder if I am going to set them up for major issues like choke or colics if I switch them to a cube diet. Do you think it is better to keep the older horse on hay or would soaked cubes make it easier for him to eat? Do you think in general, cubes tend to cause more issues than hay?

Question: Can grazing primarily reed canary grass cause hoof problems such as dried/cracked hooves or white line disease? The pasture is wet in the spring and then dries up late spring when they are allowed to graze it.

Question: I am going to be moving my horses from Michigan to Florida this month. They are use to timothy and alfalfa hay in Michigan. However in Florida, good quality and affordable hay is hard to come by. I have heard pros and cons regarding feeding coastal, bermuda and tifton hays, which are all locally grown. I was considering feeding coastal and mixing in some straight alfalfa. What are your thoughts regarding the best hay to feed? My horses will be on pasture during the day and will be ridden at least 2 to 3 times a week.

Question: My horse has been diagnosed with lower ringbone. Are hoof supplements that are designed to promote bone growth dangerous to feed? My concern is if the arthritis spurs are caused by abnormal growth around the
coffin bone, supplements to increase bone growth might cause the ringbone to worsen because an accelerated bone growth. On the other hand, hoof supplements to strengthen the hoof might be helpful if it supports the coffin bone. I don't want to supplement my horse with something that could potentially cause her ringbone to increase.

Question: We have a paint gelding that has a case of photosensitization that I am dealing with. I have taken him off of alfalfa hay and switched to grass hay for now. Should he be able to go back to alfalfa if this was not the
cause of the condition?

Question: I have a 20-something (according to his papers-vet said he's closer to 30) Quarter horse gelding that was on the thin side when we bought him 4 years ago. We were told he was a rescue horse and it took a while for the folks we bought him from to put weight on him. He is a gray with large melanomas in
his parotid area, both sides of his neck and some small new nodes appearing behind his elbows. They may just be more apparent because of his weight. We had his teeth floated last year and the vet said he was probably a lot older than his papers show, based on his teeth. His weight has been stable until this spring when the pasture was finally good after a drought, so we had cut back a little on feed. We went from a 12 percent protein to a 10 percent protein pellet. The vet told us last year there wasn't much floating that could be done on his teeth, so I haven't taken him back to recheck his teeth. Just running my fingers along the outside of his molars, they seem to be smooth, with no hooks. However, his upper incisors are worn very short. I've gone now to a scoop twice daily of a 14 percent protein pellet, wet with water to help him chew, with 1/2 scoop of rice bran to add fat and increased calories. I've been careful with deworming, and he has access to 3rd cutting grass hay free choice. He has very loose stools, so we tried an extruded type feed. Although his stools firmed up somewhat, he started to drop weight again. I feel like I'm fighting a losing
battle. Does melanoma influence nutrient utilization in horses like it does in people? I have tried adding 1/2 cup of corn oil to his ration once a day, but it didn't seem to make much difference. He gains weight back in the
lower ribs, but just won't build up in the hind quarters. I'm not riding him since he's earned his retirement.

Question: We have 6 horses on 5 acres that are only stalled twice a day for feeding. The horses are healthy and at good weights, with nice coats. They have free access to grass (somewhat limited due to number of horses), salt and minerals. They are fed coastal hay, pellets (Horseman's Edge 12 percent), oats
and Omega Horseshine twice daily. Recently, another horse owner told us that we should switch to another brand of pellets (Seminole Cool & Calm) because our pellets were substandard. It's very confusing trying to compare nutritional content of feeds. Is there a good resource for this, and in the overall feeding scheme, how important is the difference?

Question: There are a lot of options on the market for probiotics/prebiotics. Ratios can be as confusing as well as the ratio for proper colonies. What should we be looking for? Also, can you give any advice in how to decipher the guaranteed analysis on the labels? (Per pound, per serving?) Can there ever be enough probiotics/prebiotics that occurs naturally, when fed hay year round? Or with pasture? There is also the additive place on hay, but I'm referring to what can occur naturally. Do probiotics really have significant regulation effects on the PH of the gut, if so how dependant? Is daily fed probiotics/prebiotics something beneficial in
research or theory? Is there any research about feeding only in stressful situations? If it is beneficial to be fed daily, are there any negative effects? What if the horse is taken off the daily ration? What other benefits or negative effects can daily fed probiotics/prebiotics have on any equine?

Question: We own a 25-year-old Quarter horse mare that we have had for 20 years. She has always been as easy keeper until this summer when she developed problems with diarrhea. Her diet, at the time, was about one pound of Equine Senior feed pellets, good quality grass hay, and 4 to 6 hours of good quality pasture each day. When we noticed a significant weight loss, we had her vet checked and had her teeth floated, although that did not appear to be the problem. We were told to increase her Equine Senior and try to get some weight gain on her before winter. We have had to increase her feed at an extremely slow rate as the diarrhea worsens each time we add too much too fast. At this time we are feeding her four pounds of Equine Senior and have also
added about a pound of plain oats and a flake of alfalfa twice a day. Her weight has picked up some, but she still needs to gain a good 50 to 75 pounds. Our vet is concerned this may be a case of chronic diarrhea and that it might be an uphill battle that we won't be able to win. Is there anything we can give her that will give us the nutrition she needs without causing the diarrhea to worsen?

Question: My 18-month-old stud colt has developed slobber due to white clover. This started the third week of September. He showed no sign in spring or summer in the same pasture. We stalled for 24 hours and mowed the pasture
problem went a way for three days, now its back. Can this be passed down genetically
to his offspring? Is their any other health issues this can lead too such as dehydration, stomach or breathing issues?

Question: My horses have at least 4 hours of grazing, 3 to 4 flakes of hay daily and a 1/2 scoop of grain. I feel the grain is over done, however, they are waiting at the barn, starving...they have pasture during that time but they
still leave the pasture to wait at the barn for grain. Is this any indication that they need or want the grain? My vet says they look good, says they are healthy, and that they look better than most around here, claiming most horses are a little "ribby", on the thin side. I give a 12 percent pellet in the summer, and during the winter I give a 10 percent (or less) sweet feed and feed timothy hay morning. I will feed an orchard grass and grass hay during the evenings. Do you think I should cut back to a less protein percent? I am so confused as I was told by a trainer that my horses should not get grain at all. I ride pleasure 3 to 4 times weekly and compete about three times a month. When our other pasture is established I will let them graze more. I still feed the same grain, but I do increase to a full scoop during the winter.

Question: Have there been any studies to determine how much an average horse consumes on pasture in an hour. My horses are out on pasture for about 8 hours a day and I'd like to know how many "flakes of hay" they're consuming. The pasture is about 30 acres and has decent grass, so using muzzles and
monitoring safety is almost impossible. If I knew a consumption rate, I could ration pasture time accordingly.

Question: I was given a gorgeous registered 19-year-old Morgan broodmare. She and her 3rd (and last) foal will be weaned sometime mid-Oct. at which point she will be moved to another location. She has a problem with her hind legs that was diagnosed as "DSLD" although she doesn't seem that uncomfortable. Since
I am a "first time owner" I want to give her the best care I can without totally breaking the bank. She is currently on "Demand" and a vitamin supplement. What would you suggest as feed and something to ease her discomfort without filling her full of alot of different supplements/pills, etc., for a 'retired' broodmare with a condition such as this? If I ride her at all, it will be briefly using a bareback pad. She will have lots of pasture to walk in.

Question: I raise Thoroughbreds and have a question about feeding my foals. It is actually a 2 part question. This past spring I had a foal orphaned at a little less than one month of age. I put him on Foal-Lac and followed the
feeding directions on the bucket as far as recommended weights and amounts as he got older. He got both the powdered milk replacer reconstituted with water and the amount of pellets recommended for his age. I also added in the 16 percent protein foal ration and once he was able to be safely turned out, he was out on a good quality grass pasture along with his friend Billy goat during the day and brought back into the stall with alfalfa hay to eat at night. He did great on this diet, but now I am noticing that he is getting some physitis in his ankles. His weight is fantastic and he looks like a picture. He is currently getting one good-sized flake of alfalfa in his stall at night, turned out on pasture during the day, 4 pounds of the 16 percent protein foal ration and 3 cups of the Foal-Lac pellets a day. What should or can I change in his diet to help with his physitis? If I am feeding the 16 percent protein ration as
suggested, is that meant to be fed with alfalfa (they never say what type of hay to be fed with it), or should he be getting grass hay? What about the Foal-Lac pellets? I am feeding him less than they recommend on the label both of the grain ration and of the pellets for his age, he is now 6 months old. His weight is very good and I don't want him gaining any more, but I am concerned about the physitis. My local vets aren't really Thoroughbred people and say to just give him grass hay with no grain and that the problem will solve itself, but I don't think that is right either. The second part of my question regards my other two foals and their continuing diet. I had to wean one of them early because of having to keep her stalled for a lengthy period of time to try to correct a leg that had a tendency to want to turn out. I
couldn't confine her mother for that long since the mare tends to colic if confined to a stall for long periods of time. Since I had to wean the one foal, I decided to wean the other at the same time in order to make the
process easier. The filly was 3-months-old and the colt was 3.5-months-old at time of weaning. Since my orphan was doing so well on his orphan rations, I decided to put the other two on the same ration since I had weaned them sooner. Their weight is great, they came through the weaning well, but I am wondering how long they should be on the 16 percent protein ration (the Foal-Lac bucket only says 6 to 12 months of age). When I do take them off of the 16 percent ration, I have two choices from the local feed mill I use. One is a 14 percent protein ration meant to
be fed with a primarily grass diet and the other is a 13 percent ratio, balanced mineral wise and meant to be fed with a primarily alfalfa diet. The main difference in the two is that the calcium content is higher in the ration
meant to be fed with grass and the phosphorus content is higher in the grain
to be fed with alfalfa. Since weaning the foals, I am not sure which they are getting more of, grass or alfalfa, so am not sure which grain ration to feed? My thought would be that it would be better to feed the grass hay calculated grain to be sure the calcium is higher than the phosphorus, but I don't know if this is the correct thinking. The colt is now five months old and getting four pounds of the 16 percent protein ration and 4 cups of the Foal-Lac pelets a day (he is a very tall, lanky colt) and the filly, 4.5 months of age, is getting 3 pounds of 16 percent and 4 cups of Foal-Lac pellets a day, both with the above mentioned daily turnout and flake of alfalfa. To sum up, what can or should I do to change my orphan foal's diet to help his physitis? How long should I continue with the 16 percent protein ration grain, and which grain should I be feeding when I do take the 3 of them off of the 16 percent ration since I don't know for sure which they are eating
more of--grass during the day at pasture or alfalfa at night in their stalls.

Question: Two months ago, I bought a 2-year-old Quarter horse gelding from a ranch in Texas where he was born and raised. I had him shipped to a stable in North Georgia where I now live. While in Texas, he was being fed one flake/twice a day of pure alfalfa hay and twice a day, one scoop of crimped oats with one cup of Purina Horseman's Edge sweet feed mixed in it. He looked absolutely beautiful! He is a huge Quarter horse, 16.2 hands. He has a Thoroughbred bloodline starting back in the fifth generation. When he arrived in Georgia, everyone wanted to give me his or her two-cents (opinions) about what to feed him. My sister raises and trains Thoroughbreds and gives them alfalfa and sweet feed here in Georgia. The owner of the
barn where I keep my gelding feeds bermuda hay and sweet feed. A flake of this hay is VERY light and must weigh only a pound. The owner of the barn said that she will feed my gelding a half scoop of sweet feed twice a day morning and night and give him two flakes of hay twice a day morning and night. All of the horses are put out to pasture (most of the area is dirt) in the morning after they eat their grain in their stalls. The pasture is where the hay is fed to the horses. Then at night they get their hay ration and grain in their stalls. I was very upset about this. What can you do when the facility isn't yours? My gelding was loosing weight FAST. Hay in this part of the country is garbage! I searched and searched and finally found a place that sells beautiful alfalfa compacted bales from Michigan. One flake weighs about 4 pounds (which I can only feed him at night in his stall). I am also feeding him one full scoop twice a day of Purina's Strategy Professional Formula pelleted horse feed. Because of the Georgia heat, he was sweating sooooo much and not drinking enough water. I have him on a very good Electrolyte product and corn oil for his coat. I am glad to say that he is looking a lot better! BUT, I am freaking out because his spine is still sticking out from his withers to his tailbone! He did not have this problem when he was in Texas.

My question is, am I feeding him enough and what can I do to fill in his back? I was considering putting him on some kind of "muscle" developing product.

Question: I currently have in my care 16 horses. Four of which range in the 26 to 31 years of age. At this time, they are on good pasture and look great. My concern is the 28-year-old Thoroughbred that has only his front teeth and two molars on the top. He gets two quarts of high-quality extruded senior feed morning and afternoon, some chopped hay with molasses and a little 2nd cutting timothy, mixed grass hay. He loves the 2nd cutting but I find dozens of quids in his stall because he
just doesn't have the chewing capacity anymore. He eats some of the hi-fiber chopped hay, but I'm afraid it's not enough to maintain his weight this winter. He's 16'1 sound, healthy and will be blanketed when cold weather hits. They are all turned out during the day as long as the winter weather
will permit here in central NY. My question is, how much is too much senior feed to give him? I feel what I am feeding him now gives him the nutrition he needs daily, so could I put him on a high fat supplement just to give him
the additional calories he may need to keep his weight in a good range? I've looked into a supplement called Cool Calories 100 that is 99 percent fat. I would start him out very gradual, so as not to upset his digestion and just keep a close eye on him. Any suggestions or insights you may have for me would be greatly appreciated. We all love these old guys and know that it's easier to try to keep the weight on them at this age than to try and get them to gain it back.

Question: Hay is in short supply and expensive this year. To offset the cost and keep the feeding program simple, I am choosing to feed grass hay and add alfalfa pellets to my feeding program. My Quarter horses usually get 1/2
grass,1/2 alfalfa hay and require only grain to get their minerals in them. Alfalfa pellets are available and I suspect cheaper than alfalfa hay. My question is, what dry weight of alfalfa pellets equals a pound of alfalfa
hay? I am giving 10 pounds of grass hay and would like to give the equivalent of five pounds of alfalfa hay in pellets.

Question: I have a 4-year-old mare that is getting ready to start her show career. I was wondering about giving her a joint supplement now to help her out now and for the future.

Question: Can a change in feed promote an inflammatory reaction and swelling
of lymph glands? My 27-year-old Arabian gelding began exhibiting signs of lethargy and swelling on and between his cheeks in the lymph nodes. There is no mucus discharge and we are isolated from all contact with other horses (the closest are 1/4 mile away and free of Strangles.) We have not exposed
our horses to contact with other horses in 3 years, and the other horses do not exhibit Strangles symptoms. That said, we recently had three changes in food over the last four days.

Four days ago, the gelding in question, broke into his grain bin and consumed several days worth of Equine Senior. He is on an Equine Senior diet in the first place. He also had been turned out on pasture for several hours prior. Two days prior to that, he had been turned out (after 2 days of strict dieting)
on a dry lot with one weedy corner (tumbleweed, kosha, some grass, including
green cheat grass.) One day ago we began feeding from this year's hay cutting; a 4th cutting orchard grass. The hay sat for one week before baling.

My vet is coming out as soon as possible, but from our phone conversation thinks that either my gelding does have Strangles or a cheat grass abscess. I can't see how lethargy would accompany a cheat grass abscess or how we could possibly have Strangles when we have not been exposed to other horses or even people with horses. We are pretty isolated here. Could this be a
nutrition issue?

Question: My 17-year-old Lipizzan mare was moved to a new barn in August 2007 where she colicked after about 3 weeks of living there, resulting in full surgery to clear the impaction at the cecum. She eventually recovered but
has trouble digesting hay fully. The vet recommended Senior Equine feed pellets to supplement her diet. January through July she gradually back to regular riding, which is dressage first level. She seemed relatively fine except for loose manure.

In July 2008, she developed mild lameness in her right hind and I made the decision to add glucosamine. By the end of July, she experienced dramatic weight loss, spine area lost all fat, girth area billets at top hole both sides of saddle, healing of insect bites extremely slow, girth sores that had developed were worsening and weird scabs on fetlocks developed. Her blood tests came back normal, but low albumen levels were typical of post-colic surgery results. The veterinarian (Canada) is waiting for the Cushing's blood test cross-border license of
institution in US to be renewed before being able to send blood test to the US. Could the CortaFlex glucosamine have pushed her over the edge into a Cushing's response? If I feed her ground Chase Tree Berry (Vitex Agnus Castus) will that harm her before blood test can be run? It's possible the test will have
to wait another week or two before the license is back in place. I'm afraid of laminitis developing before the bloodtest can confirm Cushing's. Should I have her feed changed to hay from Tri-Forage Horsehae? Should I start giving Chaste Tree Berry, which this site says cures Cushing's?

Possible first trigger in 2005 may have occurred when the mare had a huge allergic reaction to multiple combined vaccinations, which caused a huge udder, hives all over the body and took 3 to 4 weeks to begin to subside. My veterinarian said he had never seen this reaction before.

Question: I have read that Omega 3 with DHA and EPA has many health benefits for horses. It is said to improve joints and associated pain and be good for the skin. I had also heard that Omega 3 was not as good as Omega 6 because horses do not normally ingest Omega 3 in their diet. Can you help me to understand if there are benefits to Omega 3 with EPA and DHA?

Question: I run a large boarding facility and have a running battle with one boarder who insists on overfeeding her horses. She adamantly stated to me "Horses cannot founder on hay". Both of her horses have been scored as 7 and 9 on the Hennecke Scale. Both are large Warmbloods and should not be overweight as it will also compromise their joints and longevity of those leg joints. Help me here. Is she correct to state that horses cannot founder on hay alone? I was under
the distinct understanding that they can. I await your scientific answer.

Question: My 31-year-old Quarter Horse (Danny) is very hard to keep weight on and last winter lost quite a bit. We gradually changed his feeding program in February and are currently feeding 4.5 pounds TC Senior 3x daily (it is soaked in water to help him eat it) and he is also supplemented twice daily with Accel by Vitaflex and Probios probiotic. Danny was receiving soaked alfalfa cubes 3x daily but refused them when the grass came up. He is on a rotational deworming program. At Danny's last dental visit (in April), we were told he has almost no grinding surface left. I wanted to know if you would recommend adding a fat supplement (I was thinking of Amplify by Purina) to his meals and I was going to try to get him back on alfalfa cubes. He has put weight on during the spring and summer and currently he has a very thin fat layer over his ribs, but are discernable. I am concerned that we are going to lose ground with him as the weather grows cold.

Question: My AQHA gelding has begun grunting when he has a bowel movement. I have recently (within a week) changed barns and the feeding schedule is different by about two hours. He is eating hay and oats mornings and evenings with a bit of sweet feed in the evenings. I can hear his stomach growling and his stools are very normal. Do I need to worry?

Question: My question is relative to drinking water. My only option to water my horses is straight from a well -- no filter, no chlorine. It doesn't smell or taste particularly good -- smells of sulphur. Is it safe? Should I test it? I've seen horses drink out of some pretty skanky ponds, so I'm thinking this can't be worse.

Question: My 24-year-old gelding has been maintaining a body condition score of 5-6/9 for the past several years and has recently gained weight to be more of a 6-7 BCS due to diet changes described below. He has PPID and is on one mg pergolide daily. He is not ridden, although he is active in a large (poor) pasture and is kept in a large dry lot when the grass is growing. He had about a year and a half of loose, cow manure-like stools for which all parasite tests were negative, water was changed from well to city, his dental care was attended to and his blood chemistry and counts remained stable. He would occasionally have long (6 inch) hay in his manure and when I changed him from mixed grass hay (orchard/fescue) to orchard with slight amount of alfalfa, it helped the loose manure, but not totally. He was also on approximately two pounds of soaked beet pulp shreds (usually without molasses), two cups rice bran pellets and ¼ lb chopped timothy with molasses (for palatability). Beet pulp shreds became difficult to get and I changed to Purina Equine Senior feed and his loose manure stopped completely. (I believe the beet pulp shreds were causing the loose stool). However, happy as I am to not have him with loose stool, since the change in diet, I have had a difficult time keeping his weight controlled. He receives approximately one pound of Purina Equine Senior daily with a little timothy/molasses for bulk. He is given approximately one to 1 ½ percent body weight in hay and limited grazing on poor pasture. I am concerned about his weight gain and also that he is not receiving enough nutrition. Any advice for weight control and nutrition supplementation would be appreciated.

Question: My question is for my gelded donkey (550 pounds). I have cut him down to 2.5 hours/day on pasture and one pound of grass hay in the evening. His large crest is still bothersome and I don't know what more to do to get rid of his excess fatty weight. He also has fat pads along the top of his body and a "bubble butt". I've never seen anything like it. It's not like he's fat all over. He gets no grain or alfalfa hay. What do you suggest I do to help him?

Question: I bought grass/red clover mix hay from my usual source, a very experienced hay farmer in the area. It was second cutting this year and was baled around August 7th of this year. I went on a trail-riding trip this week and took some of the hay. My horses started drooling very heavily a few hours after eating the hay. Just to make sure it was the hay, my friend fed some to her horse and he started drooling also. I know that white clover will cause drooling, but I've never had this problem with red clover mix hay. I know (maybe) the drooling and salivating are more an annoying, messy problem with the horses (I own no pregnant mares), than a threat to their health. I really don't want the laborious task of hauling the hay back to the farmer to trade for another cutting. Would it be a health risk to feed it to my horses this coming winter at home, maybe mixing it with some other hay that I purchased from the first cutting?

Question: I have an older mare that has developed a moderately severe case of diarrhea. She is on pasture and Bermuda hay and is fed about 10 pounds of Purina Equine Senior twice each day. She suffered a similar condition early this year, which cleared up after about 3 weeks, but this does not seem to be resolving. My vet basically said he has no idea what is wrong with her and prescribed a probiotic paste, which had no effect. I have tried various combinations of no pasture, switching to oats, etc. When I take her off the senior feed, she drops weight. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Question: Recently, a horse owner told me his friend's horse passed and entrolith the size of a baseball. He explained the owner only fed alfalfa, the horse was twelve years old and was a trail horse. He showed colic symptoms throughout the day and when they went in the stall they noticed the entrolith in his manure. The horse is fine now and they never called a vet. My questions are some horses predisposed to this, does feed create this problem and how do you check for entroliths?

Question: I am writing a research essay on the difference between hay and grain versus complete feed. Can you give me your opinion on how you feel about the two, or which you think gives the horse a more accurate source of nutrition?

Question: I have an 8-year-old AQHA mare. When I bought her 3 1/2 years ago, I made a decision to feed her what I considered to be the best (orchard 3x/day + Platinum Performance). Recently, the mare has been diagnosed with mild dejenerative joint disease (DJD) of the coffin bone (palmar reagion, bilateral). Should I change my feeding program in any way?

Question: Would it be possible for you to answer this question in regards to the potential risk/hazards of birds nesting on the horse hay?

Question: I have tried to determine what is nutritionally best for my two Quarter horse mares. The more I read, the more confused I become. I have had the mares for approximately five years, and I never had horses before. They are strictly pleasure/trail horses. They are very easy keepers with a body condition of 6.5. Their primary source of food is pasture (mixed grass/Bermuda) in the summer and Bermuda hay in the winter. They receive biotin, flax, equine minerals, small amount of corn oil, and glucosamine supplement mixed with 3/4 cup sweet feed twice daily. They have free access to salt bricks. They look good with no health issues. The biotin has made a tremendous difference in the hoof wall of the 13-year-old mare. They are on a daily dewormer with rotation between Quest plus and Equimax for tapeworms and bots. I came up with this formula based on what I had read. I don't want them to be lacking nutritionally because of my ignorance. Do you have any recommendations; does their diet appear balanced to meet their needs?

Question: My 19-year-old dressage horse (1445 lbs) is being treated for allergies recently diagnosed at OVC Guelph. Testing results include allergies to insects, alfalfa, pine, dust, wool, etc.! There is a possibility that the allergies were exacerbated by his last flu shot which, coincided 8 days later with the outbreak in June to present.

My horse will start hyposensitization injections in the next two weeks to treat allergies. His history includes only two prior episodes of allergies within 5 years, no prior history and both in winter months versus summer.

Since June/08, he has been treated for outbreaks with IM shots of Dex, antihistamines and sulfa antibiotics for skin lesions as required. He is still receiving Dex injections every 4-5 days along with antihistamines. I would like to slowly get back to his regular work schedule (5-6 days of riding/45 minutes).

My horse has been on very little grain due to little work this summer. My concern is his immune system and loss of weight/muscle. I am currently feeding 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup Phase 4 (Kentucky Equine Diet) and 2 cups beet pulp (to mask anti-histamines) twice a day. He also receives supplements: 1) glucosamine and 2) biotin/mineral mix (Super Equine Diet).

He is a Trakener and is a hot horse by nature. He will not eat hay cubes and we are trying to get alfafa free hay (very difficult!). He is currently eating first cut hay. Can you please recommend a feed program including rations for complete nutrition and a good supplement for boosting his immune system?

Question: Can a horse be allergic to grass or weeds that would cause him to choke when he eats his grain? I have a 17-year-old Canadian gelding that has choked twice; Aug 18th for 2.5 hours and Sept 8th for one hour. Both times were right after eating his afternoon grain (1.5 cup of pellets and 1 cup of grain). We moved to this new stable on Aug 1st. The only thing that has changed is that my horse only gets turned out into a grass/weedy paddock on sunny days, the rest of the time he is in a dirt paddock and he gets hay three times a day. At the previous stable, he was turned out 24/7 on grass/weedy paddock with round bales of hay. I know that pellets are a known cause for choke in horses and I removed them from his diet after the 2nd choking episode. I want to know if any grass/weeds could be causing an allergic swelling in his throat that cause him to choke? Perhaps there is something different at this new stable that he did not have access to eat at the previous stable? I am afraid he will choke again. The 1st time even though it lasted longer he was back to normal the next day. The 2nd time it lasted only an hour but it took him three to four days to eat and act normal again.

Question: I have an older mare that I have to move to a new barn. They only feed grain once a day. She currently gets fice pounds of Cadence by Buckeye in two feedings. Can I feed that much in one feeding? She will also have access to free-choice alfalfa all day, which I've heard isn't ideal for older horses. Currently, she is getting about 14 pounds of grass hay spread out into three smaller feedings. How do I help her safely transition to the alfalfa hay and what impact could the alfalfa have on her grain ration/ nutritional needs?

Question: I have a 7-year-old 14.1H Pinto pony of unknown breeding. I ride about six days a week, and hope to participate in limited distance riding. We ride about three to six miles a day, mostly trotting. I've been tweaking his diet and he's on Equine Adult, three pounds twice a day, Enrich 32, one pound twice a day, Farnum Vita plus per label directions and Cosequin per label directions. I can see ribs, but otherwise he's finally starting to put on a little muscle in his legs and shoulders. He's turned out, all day on grass pasture and gets about four flakes of hay a day. I'd welcome any suggestions to improve his diet.

Question: I am wondering what would be the best and simplest source of Calcium to add to the diet of a 16H late teen gelding on 24 hour turnout and very light duty work. He is a Thoroughbred-type build, with soundness issues from arthritis. He gets 20 pounds of grass hay, two cups of beet pulp, Recovery
glucosamine/chondritin supplement, minerals and I would like to add one cup of rice bran
but I'm concerned regarding calcium/phosphorous imbalance. If I add alfalfa hay or alfalfa pellets, what quantity do I need to add?

Question: I live in Michigan and have a 20-year-old ApHC mare that is currently on a diet that consists of: approx two pounds of 50/50 timothy/alfalfa hay cubes (dry weight) soaked in 2.5 gallons of water given twice a day and pasture. She is a very easy keeper (although tested neg. for IR, Cushings and EMS) and her weight is good (approx 5 BCS). Supplement-wise she gets: one ounce of Accell Lifetime, one ounce of cosequin ASU, 250 pound dose of gastrogard and one tube of succeed daily along with one ounce of salt three times a day. Her selenium/vitamin E levels are tested yearly and appear to be normal. She is ridden five times per week at a W/T for her GI motility and is on about 14 hours of turnout/day. This winter she will have to be put into a herd with other horses (for shelter and heated water) that will give her free-choice access to baled hay
(75 timothy/25 alfalfa) in addition to her normal food.

I am wondering if:

1). Though she is an easy keeper and doesn't need calories, does she still get the necessary nutrients from this diet?

2). A horse at our barn tested very low for Vitamin A. I had never heard of testing for this and was wondering if you think I should be concerned and test her?

3). With winter approaching, if her weight drops, what do you think is the best way to add calories to her diet? With increased hay cubes, something "soakable" for the water benefit (beet pulp, bran) or a pelleted feed, etc?

Question: I have a sedentary (out to pasture only) 23-year-old Thoroughbred that seems to colic once a year now vs. never before. He grazes on grass and hay and in the morning and afternoon, we feed him Nutrena's XTM (12 cups at each feeding, plus some vegetable oil and a little salt sprinkled on top). It is very difficult keeping weight on him since he is about 17 hands tall. What is causing this and what can I do to help him in terms of preventive measures?

Question: We feed our horse's whole oats with a mineral and vitamin supplement added. Do we need to add fat of any kind or anything else? They are out on pasture for at least eight hours, and we feed oats twice a day with a flake of hay in the afternoon. They seem to be doing fine. We started this last October since my main objective was to rid their diet of all sugar. We only feed carrots and apples as treats. They all look good, yet if I am doing this wrong, could it show up later in some health issues? Is there something you think we should add to their diet? Thank you for your reply!

Question: I have a 9-year-old Arabian gelding that was overweight when I purchased him almost two months ago. I feed him a timothy grass mix hay (four flakes per day) and no grain until the weather turns cold. He is slowly losing his cresty neck, but am I feeding him enough,(ie. nutrition wise) or should he be on grain as well? He is very nervous and spooky most of the time. Do you have any suggestions?

Question: When buying hay for horses, could you please explain the value of only considering hay that has been tested for moisture, molds, relative food value, protein percentage, etc., and provide a range of what is acceptable for each (assuming free choice minerals/salt are given, but no grain is included in the feed rations) to insure proper nutrition?

Question: Recently, I overheard a horse owner exclaim loudly in a barn that horse's cannot founder from feeding them large amounts of cut hay. That it was in fact "impossible for horses to founder from being fed large amounts of cut hay." It is my understanding that any horse overweight and overfed can founder from any hay, cut or still grass.

I welcome your scientific response to this person's statement.

Question: I am interested to know if over mature (to the point that is is black standing in the field) clover is safe to cut and bale to feed to horses?