<% appTitle="Ridecamp Archives" %> Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Alfalfa Cubes - Vet Opinion, Please -- Susan?
Ridecamp@Endurance.Net

[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]
Current to Wed Jul 23 17:26:54 GMT 2003
  • Next by Date: Re: [RC] Gastric Ulcers
  • - Rides 2 Far
  • Prev by Date: Re: [RC] Land Between the Lakes Ride?
  • - Jim Holland

    Re: [RC] Alfalfa Cubes - Vet Opinion, Please -- Susan? - Onefarmgirl


    In a message dated 6/4/02 1:21:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
    suendavid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
    
    << 
       Ideally,
     I always prefer that a horse only get feeds he's accustomed to at
     home---but, horses are odd critters and invariably want whatever the
     neighbor is getting (which, of course is always better than his own).  So
     the very arbitrary rule of thumb I suggest is that eating virtually any at a
     check is better than eating nothing, and so if he really insists, a horse
     can have 15 minutes or so of eating 'different' forage, or maybe 5-10
     minutes of 'different' concentrates.  After that, I'd prefer they go for a
     walk and a drink and then see if they'll eat their own regular feed instead
     of doing the Base Camp Vegetarian Tours.
      >>
    
    For horses lucky enough to be on pasture, it's essentially impossible to 'not 
    change the feed program' for a ride.   I am currently managing this by 
    feeding my pasture horses a daily ration of beet pulp (quantity varies by 
    time of year and quality of pasture) with one cup (about 1/3 pound) of 
    alfalfa pellets and one cup of grain.   I add their daily general supplement 
    to this and wet it all into a mooshy mess.   
    
    Then at rides, I have free choice grass hay, and a similar mooshy mash of 
    BP/alfalfa pellets/grain - all they want at vet checks.   My 
    no-evidence-whatsoever basis for this is that feeding even small amounts of 
    the BP/pellets/grain mess on a daily basis keeps them geared up in some way 
    to digest it more readily at rides.   Susan - whadaya think?
    
    pat farmer
    
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
     Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
     Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=