Re: can I feed more fat?

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

You can increase the fat content, but splitting it up into two feedings if possible would be better than just one big, greasy bucket---horses don't have a gall bladder to help them digest fat, so the bile produced by the liver just dribbles out continuously, and may be overwhelmed by a big bolus of fat coming down the pike.  As a result, some of the fat may pass by undigested and unabsorbed---at the least, bypassing any nutritional benefit, at worse, causing diarrhea.  In contrast, other species (like humans) store up bile in the gall bladder and after a fatty meal, release it in much greater quantity to deal with it efficiently (much to my chagrin)<g>.

 

If it's not feasible for you to feed liquid oil twice a day, consider adding the fat to a big bucket of soaked beet pulp, or even dribbling it over hay, so that he's nibbling on it for several hours, thus "diluting" the meal over a longer period.

 

Also, be careful with the Red Cell.  Among other things, it has a high Vitamin A content, which can be overdone.  More is not better, so follow the directions and don't go beyond that. It would probably be better all 'round to just finish up what Red Cell you have and then delete it from the ration---the rest of your ration is already providing PLENTY of vitamins and minerals.  :-)

 

Susan G

----- Original Message -----

From: Michelle Fink

To: ridecamp@endurance.net

Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 5:36 PM

Subject: RC: can I feed more fat?

My mare has dropped condition, and I would like to increase her fat intake from 1 c. of corn oil to 2 c.  Is it safe to feed 2 cups of oil in one feeding in her beet pulp bucket (of course, increasing from 1 c. - 2 c. gradually)?  Unfortunately, I can't feed one cup a.m. and one cup p.m. until she is out of the clinic.  I am adding a vitamin E to her ration...  Will adding something like Farnam's Weight Builder work better than adding more corn oil? 

 

She is wolfing down several pounds of beet pulp + Equine Sr. daily, and has free choice grass hay.  She also gets Red Cell, Acculytes (contains probi's), biotin, and Grand Flex in her bucket.  I know it's a lot of stuff, but her body is working so hard to heal up and she's been 3 legged for a month and a half.  She was anemic - the Red Cell helped that.  Anything I have missed or that is recommended for a very stressed, stall bound horse??  Oh, she does have a salt block, too.  We checked her for ulcers, no sign of them yet.  Might add aloe juice from the health store??

 

Thanks -

 

m