Feeding at Vet checks (was Jihad's 50)

[Sarah Ralston <ralston@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU>]

>If a horse were dehydrated, then almost any feed can potentially contribute
> to impaction, as it's the lack of fluid in the gut that's really the
problem.

Well, yes and no. If the feed contained sufficient water (well soaked mashes,
fresh grass) it may help. If a horse was sufficiently dehydrated to dry out
the intestinal contents to cause impaction, you were big time over-riding!

>However, if your horse is dehydrated, then a new feed is potentially also
going to
>affect fluid shifts and rate of fermentation/gas production more than the
>normal ration will, and that alone can make the situation worse. 

Again, not necessarily if given in small enough amounts : ie: a pound 
of alfalfa scavenged from another site at a vet check won't cause dramatic 
shifts-5 to 6 lbs would!.

> And, alot
>of people still view bran as a fiber source/laxative for horses, when it's
>not---it has more fiber than, say, oats, but it's still a grain product, not
>a forage.  And grain products have more potential effect on
>dehydration-related colics than a true forage would.

Actually the "fiber" content of bran isn't that different from beet pulp.
And it is a by product of grain-not at all the same category. Since both 
beet pulp and bran are usually offered in relatively small amounts,
thoroughly soaked
at vet checks, I have no problem with either. The beauty of beet pulp (and my
beloved hay cubes) is that it has more calcium than phosphorus and can be fed 
on a regular basis at home. Bran, due to it's high phosphorus, should
be used on a regular basis only with alfalfa based rations, which, for reasons
already discussed in detail elsewhere, we do not recommend for endurance
horses.
High phosphorus intake does not affect calcium uptake from the gut. What it
does is increase the mobilization of calcium from the bones to 
balance things out in the blood if calcium intake is inadequate. So in that
sense,
maybe the bran mashes aren't such a bad idea in the short term during a ride
when you WANT to keep the blood calcium constant! 

Sarah and Fling (wish Mom would give me more bran mashes-yummy!)