Re: Linseed and Millet

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

> I've searched the archives but couldn't get an answer to my particular
question.  Hubby read on a human sports injury / diet page that for athletes
who grow fairly quickly, like basketball players, it is a good idea to
include millet and linseed in their diet from a young age.  Because they
grow so quickly, their bones and soft tissue grow up weak, laying the
foundation for later injuries.

That's a pretty concise definitiion of DOD = developmental orthopedic
disease, which definitely is an issue in rapidly growing horses.  I can't
think of anything particularly unique in either millet or linseed that might
specifically prevent DOD, although linseed (flax) does have some
anti-inflammatory properties.  In horses, there's a large body of research
that's pretty well nailed the causes of DOD down to mineral imbalances and
excess energy in the ration.  Too rapid an increase in body mass and an
inabaility of soft connective tissues and bone to keep up, thus inflammation
and orthopedic problems.

>soft tissue?  And in what quantities would you have to feed it to a) a
grown horse and b) to a growing youngster?

As least for a growing horse, I'd stick with the commercial broodmare/foal
rations specifically formulated for young'uns.  They really have it down to
a precise science, more so than any other production stage for horses.  I
couldn't tell you about millet off the top of my head, but linseed (flax)
doesn't have as good an amino acid profile as soybean does, especially
lysine.

Susan G