Re: Feeding/hay suggestions

[Jennifer Thompson <jlthompson@earthlink.net>]

Thanks everybody, for your suggestions re: our horses that are faring well on
oat hay.  I am going to look into a few of them.

As far as chopped hay, which was suggested by a few people, the only thing our
local feedstore has is chopped alfalfa and molasses (A&M).  I'll check around
for other varieties at different feed stores farther away.  I have a truck so
could make the trip and load up on some.

Someone suggested Orchard Grass hay.  I've never even seen it in our area at
all, as far as I know of.  I'll ask around about that too, although at this
rate, fat chance that my horse will like that either!  LOL

I will also talk my friend who boards my horse to see if she would be willing to
do the beet pulp thing.  I just don't know how crazy she'll be about having to
hassle the soaking routine and all.  I'm having a hard enough time getting her
to give my horse her Equine Senior so she doesn't lose weight again.

Oh, and to the person in CO who asked if there were other factors involved with
the formation of enteroliths, ask different vets and you'll get different
answers.  One vet I know thinks the use of wheat bran is involved as well as
alfalfa.  Another suspects the hard water in our area.  He may be on to
something as it is odd that other areas that also predominantly feed alfalfa
don't have the high rate of enteroliths that we do.

I will be sending my mare out to Chino for x-rays within the next year to check
for stones, as a preventative measure.  I'd rather know ahead of time if she's
got one or more rolling around in there, rather than when she's writhing in pain
on the ground from a ruptured gut.  :0(

Thanks again everybody, I'm going to check around and see what I can find out,
feed-wise.

Jennifer