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Aspects of Pasture and Feeding that can Adversely Affect your Horse.
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc. Revised by Lucy Prior.
Added September, 2009.
High production grasses are low in fibre and high in sugars and carbohydrates and are very prone to serious mineral imbalances. They can be very high in potassium and nitrates and low in sodium. This in turn causes the horses system to be 'stripped' of calcium and magnesium. Add to this that some grasses have oxalates which bind up calcium predominately but will also bind magnesium.
Some departments of primary industries in Australia recommend not to graze horses on 100% oxalate pastures any more than four to six weeks at any one period of time. The lifestyle of the typical horse means they spend most of the time out grazing the pasture. Consequently, they are inevitably ingesting and inhaling vast numbers of fungal spores and myco-toxins 24/7. Not just at certain times of the year, but any time the conditions favour fungi!
Behind the Scenes: Tips for Ensuring Proper Calcium Absorption in Growing Horses.
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc.
Added February, 2011.
Everyone wants strong, healthy foals and for them to grow to their full potential. This depends on correct feeding of the mare from conception with particular attention paid to the last trimester of pregnancy when the foetus is in rapid growth mode. Have a think about the nutritional demands of the mare while she is lactating, as during this time she is feeding herself plus the growing foal. If there is insufficient calcium in her diet, it will be borrowed from the calcium reserves in her own bones. This can easily result in the mare suffering from calcium depletion and not being able to supply enough to build a strong skeleton in the new foal.
Choose One and Stick to It!
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc. and Lucy Prior.
Added October, 2010.
There are two choices when it comes to feeding your horse vitamins and minerals; feed plain feeds and add your vitamins and minerals separately or feed pre-mixed feeds that include vitamins and minerals. Actually there is a third option and that is 'don't bother at all' in the hope that the grass and any other feed will provide sufficient nutrition to keep the horse healthy. Spare horses or those not being ridden are often left to their own devices in this way but if you want the quiet ride at the weekend, the best performance at the event or a strong, healthy foal, then best not to take any chances.
Ever Wondered why your Horse gets Laminitis when he is not Fat?
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc.
Added January, 2010.
Removing all grass, Lucerne and other high potassium feeds like kelp and molasses from the diet gets potassium down and adding salt, organic calcium and organic magnesium to the rations gets these essential minerals up. Horses do not get adequate sodium from salt-licks. Feeding commercial electrolytes is not the answer as they contain potassium. Horses are supposed to be able to excrete any excess potassium in their urine but in the absence of sodium this doesn't happen. When salt is added to the diet they drink more and this assists with the excretion of excess potassium.
Ten Steps to Reverse Head Flicking/Head Shaking
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc.
Added December, 2010.
Head flicking/head shaking is one of the most heartbreaking, exasperating, baffling conditions to affect horses anywhere. It has been established that it involves the trigeminal nerve in the horses head. The trigeminal nerve originates behind the horse's eye and has branches down to the mouth, nostrils and up to the ears. When this nerve is surgically cut or blocked the symptoms immediately cease but unfortunately, in the case of cutting, to some extent the nerve eventually heals up again after which symptoms are worse and in the meantime the horse has a droopy lip.
How a Suspected Fractured Pelvis turned out to be a "Grass" Issue.
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc.
Added September, 2009.
"We were very worried" Susan said, as she had also lost a considerable amount of condition. "My heart sank when the vet suspected a fractured pelvis or serious damage to the sacroiliac joint". Mils was booked in to have a scan which involved being injected with radioactive dye. The results were inconclusive so next a series of nerve blocks were conducted to narrow down the location of the problem, once again with inconclusive results.
How the Seasons can affect some Horses.
By Lucy Prior.
Added May, 2011.
Have you ever noticed at certain times of the year your horse's behaviour can vary or they have been ill? For horses grazing on grass, the changes in the seasons mean quite big changes in the grass and living conditions. Here are a few explanations and tips that can help you overcome some of these issues.
Invaluable Information that Jane's Story Revealed.
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc.
Added December, 2009.
Whilst Jane's horse is an extreme case, remember that for every extreme case there are many more mild to moderate cases. Maybe your horse only has a 'touch' of Jane's horse's problem and is mildly inflamed, that would still be enough to cause him not to be his true self, not perform to his true potential or to exhibit behavioural or saddle fitting problems. Fortunately Jane had thermograph images taken of her horse Amigo before I spoke to her about the idea that the horses diet could be the cause of all his problems.
Lucerne, the least known, most important fact you need to know!
By Jenny Paterson.
Added May, 2010.
It is a widely known fact that Lucerne is high in calcium and low in phosphorous. This is why the old timers always fed oats when they fed Lucerne because oats, being comparatively high in phosphorous, would tend to correct this imbalance. It is also a widely known fact that Lucerne is a good source of protein and can therefore be useful for feeding broodmares, growing horses and horses in intense work. However, grass in growth mode can also be high in protein so a person has to be careful not to cumulatively feed too much.
More Mysteries Solved.
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc.
Added September, 2009.
Hyperkalemia means too much potassium! This is another major mineral imbalance we are inadvertently imposing on our poor horses. It is very closely tied in with calcium/magnesium imbalances we have learned about already. The more reading a person does on the subject, the more a person becomes convinced that this is the root cause of many of the conditions afflicting our pasture fed horses. Think about the fact that many horses are completely okay any time grass isn't growing (winter and drought) but the nanosecond that there is a flush of growth all of the following start to happen...
Primo's Potassium Story.
By Jenny Paterson, B.Sc.
Added December, 2009.
This sort of behaviour arising early spring 'smacked' of being some kind of grass issue. It was therefore logical to yard him on ad lib hay with a twice daily feed of beet containing a heaped tablespoon of salt and highly absorbable organic magnesium with boron. Well, at first it was like he got worse, becoming very aggressive and dangerous to be around in the yard. So the vet was called and bloods were taken. As I had mentioned he was probably high in potassium they asked for a potassium reading to be included in the blood test. Primo's potassium came back at 8.6 (it should be 3-5). This is an extremely high, life threatening reading! The highest the attending vet had ever seen!
Spring. It's a Great Time of the Year... Or is it?
By Sue Buckley, B.Sc. in Animal Health, MS in Animal Nutrition, NCAS Coach.
Added August, 2010.
Most of us look forward to the drier weather, milder temperatures and longer days so that we can spend more time with our equine friends. However, many of us also experience the heartbreak of sore feet, laminitis and other issues that our horses may present in the spring (and can also occur in autumn too), that detract from our riding time. A little understanding of how we can manage our horses leading up to this time period will go a long way to ensure the health and continued use of our horses.
Yeast Infections in the Male Horse.
By Lyn Parkinson.
Added March, 2010.
Well about a year ago I brought Mr. P from over the other side of Melbourne. Me being me I just love my animals and I was playing with Mr. P on the ground as he was such a very nervous horse when I first got him. While I was standing there with him I smelt this awful smell and I mean awful. I looked down and there was Mr. P's penis hanging out and the stench was just incredible. It was not dirty but had a thick, creamy substance that stuck onto his penis. Hummm... not good, so what could I do to help him?
