Ridecamp: [RC] Feeding comments From SG

Susan G asked me to post this to RC -- see below

I have to read this  also - just scanned fast then post to RC
rr-----------------

Roger, maybe you could CC a copy of this to RC.  I still
can't post to RC from this barn computer and don't see 
spending time on the home computer anytime in the near 
future.

Just a very basic comment that even though I'm a die-
hard nutritionist and love to get into the microdetails 
of nutrition---the bottom line of all these fancy-
shmancy performance feeds these days is that humans are 
having to commercially produce feeds that are a 
replacement for good, green, diverse pasture---the 
closest thing to a perfect, "magical" diet there is for 
horses.  All those cutting edge antioxidants, 
bioflavenoids, anti-cancer, anti-aging nutrients---
shoot, they're all already there in good pasture, and 
trying to replace it with bottles from GNC and buckets 
of this-n-that from wherever is just playing catch-up.

Just an example---I once was asked to come see a 
wonderful imported warmblood whose bloom and performance 
had deteriorated steadily since his arrival.  The owner 
literally had a tack room FULL of supplements trying to 
add back in whatever might be missing, but ignored the 
basic management of the horse living in a box stall 22 
hours a day, eating a very rich diet of 
basically "unnatural" foods and getting buried alive in 
the gee-whiz supplements.  When I asked why the horse 
wasn't turned out into the very excellent pasture 
available, it was because the barn management charged 
extra for it.  I finally was able to convince her that 
all those buckets in the tack room were just a very poor 
substitute for the 'pasture magic' and eventually the 
problems all got turned around---except that the poor 
owner then got consistently criticized by other owners 
because "all" she was providing her horse was pasture, 
grass hay with a smidgen of alfalfa, a bit of whole 
grains and plain, loose salt.  Horrors---a BASIC diet.

So I agree with you, Roger.  There are fun 
micromanagement things to play with and at least be 
aware of in performance horse nutrition, but none of 
those fancy things will work a damn if you don't have a 
good foundation of basic high-quality forage , a bit of 
grain if justified, a bit of salt the horse likes to eat 
and a whole bunch of clean water.  All the rest is just 
micromanagement and details.

Back out to the barn for the 1 a.m. treatments, at least 
it's a quiet night---except for the one gelding who 
keeps hurling his feed tub into the aisle just to hear 
the clatter.  An Arab---gee, what a surprise.

Susan G

> FROM   Roger Rittenhouse     roger@xxxxxxxxxxx
> The below post by Cindi STOLE my thunder - now Susan will get in
> before I do. hehehe   joke joking ...
> 
> I have been fooling around - ACTUALLY I RODE for almost 2 HOURS ..
> 
> My feed paper while a bit more drawn out with background will
> demonstrate just what Cindi has figured out.
> AND WHY I have gone back to basics.. with only slight adulterations.
> I have been at this for almost 30 years - feeding performance horses,
> and appear to have come full circle.
> 
> Designer Feeds  WHY?  or
> Bag of Hay Feed  or
> Hi-Fat Lo Fat /Hi Pro Lo Pro / Hi Carbs Lo Carbs
> and so on.
> 
> Roger R
> 



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