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Re: Supplements, was thumps




> I have some questions.  Are you surprised? <g>

Never. :-)

> I've never fed anything like that (ABC/Rushcreek minerals, etc.).  Just
> wondering why they would be needed, and if they are needed do a lot of
> horses need them?
>
> How would you know -- would the horses have problems?  What show up in the
> bloodwork?  You've seen one of my horses bloodwork -- he's obviously
> healthy and I've never felt the need to supplement anything, other than
> E/Se (since we're low here).  I don't even feed alfalfa except at
> rides.  They do have free choice salt and also salt with minerals.

Yes, horses do need minerals, of different kinds, at different levels and
most importantly, in the correct relation to each other (ie, calcium must be
higher than phosphorus---there are dozens of others).  If a horse is either
excessive or deficient, the problems would manifest depending on exactly
what the problem was, and how other minerals (and sometimes vitamins as
well) were in relationship.  Example, inverted ca:p ration would result in
bone demineralization, too much selenium causes hoof and tail sloughing, not
enough copper will contribute to DOD in a growing foal, etc etc ad
infinitum.  Plus, it's sometimes hard to evaluate what a horse "needs"---ie,
you can't judge a horse's whole body calcium status based on plasma values,
but can for other ions like sodium or selenium.  There *are* symptoms you
can see, but often they show up only after the deficiency or excess is
pretty advanced (which is not necessarily the same thing as
life-threatening, mind you).  But it's really important to realize that you
usually don't have to get all in a twist over all those details---good
quality hay or pasture with a little plain salt and clean water just
coincidentally provides a perfect diet for a normal horse.

>
> So what I'm getting at, is why do so many people think they need to feed
> their horses that stuff?  Do the horses really need it, or does it just
> make the owners happy?

Because if the horse ain't doing right, it's easier to buy another bucket of
Aunt Tilly's Miracle GoFast (especially if the marketing is really effective
and tantilizing) rather than looking at problems which maybe aren't so
comfortable to fix---for example, is the horse hitting the wall because he's
deficient in something, or is his training program lacking somewhere?  Or
maybe his conformation or your equitation are at fault.  Maybe Muffy just
isn't that great a horse.  But the easiest solution is to buy another bucket
and another and another---usually it's adding to the problem, not the
solution.  Most people will always gravitate first towards the solution that
will require the least amount of sweat.  And the supplement manufacturers
know that and milk it for all they can.  Some beyond the boundaries of good
ethics.

Or there are the owners that just love their horse---they want the absolute,
positive best to be had for Muffy and his health, and if the bucket label
says this is something Muffy REALLY NEEDS, uses enough buzzwords, and has a
picture of a fat, shiny horse, than that label must be true, right?  Nine
times out of ten, spending an extra hour a day at consistent exercise, or
even just grooming the daylights out of Muffy will do more than anything out
of a bucket---assuming the basic ration is good.  Good quality, free-choice
(preferably grass) hay, a little mixed grain from a reputable company or
beet pulp to maintain body condition, lots of clean water and a plain salt
block will do the trick for 99% of the horses out there.


  At one of the KER seminars I went to, they showed
> how most of these supplements are a total waste.  It's sure easy to see in
> a graph format.  I'm sure a lot of the supplement people don't like them
> either.  :+D

But KER is right, most are a waste, they just end up in an expensive pee
puddle or cause more problems than they solve.  I can't tell you the number
of people who have asked me to help solve their horse's "nutrition
deficiency" problem, rattled off a long list of all the expensive potions
and powders the horse was getting and were surprised as hell when the
problems went away after they threw it all away.  It's okay to add a
vit/mineral supplement if you want just to be sure, but all you have to do
is pick ONE complete vitamin/mineral mix---either already mixed into a good
complete grain mix, in which case you shouldn't add anyother minerals except
a salt block.  Or, if you're feeding straight grains, not a formulated mix,
then pick one, good quality complete vitamin/mineral mix, preferably one
formulated for the type of hay you're feeding.  Triad has a supplement based
on alfalfa or grass, so does Select, probably plenty of others as well.
Whatever you choose, the point is to feed just ONE vit/mineral supplement
and not start adding in a scoop of this and a handful of that and just a
little of this---I guarentee you'd be making the problems worse instead of
better.

There are *some* exceptions to this---ie, adding some extra biotin helps
some hooves, extra vitamin C or E in some circumstances, etc.  But if you're
going to add more than just the basics, you better know what you're doing
and why you're doing it, and the reason oughta be something alot better
than, "well, if he eats it, than he must need it, right?"  Boy, do my horses
wish I'd feed them based on THAT rationale---they'd be getting twenty pounds
of grain and horse cookies a day!

Objective, unbiased information isn't that hard to find, and the effort is
almost always going to pay off in better health and a more money in your
pocket.  Go buy a copy of Lon Lewis' Equine Clinical Nutrition---the $80
cost will pay for itself in less than two months.

Susan G





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