Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Horse feed

Bob, I agree with you that monoculture is a big handicap to have to work
with in working out good nutrition for any species, including horses.
Believe me, Lisa and I both have to work with that problem alot---if every
horse had access to wild, not-over-grazed, diversified pasture,
nutritionists would all be twiddling their thumbs.  But not every horse has
access to that kind of pasture, so you are forced to try to reproduce that
nutrient profile from other resources.

I agree that alot of horses are fed supplements that a 'natural' horse would
never eat.  But, in a way, they do.  Your horses on pasture are naturally
consuming a continuous source of vitamin e, vitamin A, bioflavenoids,
isoflavenoids, antioxidants, polyphenols, branched chain amino acids, and
every other gee-whiz nutrient you can think of.  Closest thing to magic
there is.  Now take the next rider living in So Cal, with no access to green
pasture and a limited variety of forages available.  Should they NOT include
those very valuable nutrients in their horse's ration just because it isn't
available naturally?  Or should they do the best they can (second best,
undoubtedly) and at least provide good quality forage, a good quality grain
mix, and maybe some gee-whiz feeds (ie, beet pulp, whole flax seeds,
cold-pressed oils) that go a reasonable ways towards reproducing the
nutrients provided by a wild pasture?  My vote is for the latter.

I agree that a diversified ration is usually better than one provided by
just one or two feed sources.  That's just a basic principle of nutrition,
because every feed inherently has shortfalls that can be filled by provided
another 'complementary' feed (the human vegetarians that have to supply
adequate amino acid with different food groups have known about this for
decades).  It's also worth keeping in mind that different production and
fertilizing methods during growth produce different qualities of forage,
even though both might be the same 'type'.  So by feeding a mixed ration,
you're less likely to have big gaps in the diet.

So, I agree with you in the big sense, Bob.  A mixed ration is better.
Sometimes you just have to take a different route to get there, eh?

Susan G
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Morris" <bobmorris@xxxxxxxx>
To: "RideCamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Susan Evans Garlinghouse"
<suendavid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 8:09 PM
Subject: Horse feed


>
> One for you Susan:
>
> I keep seeing questions about feeds, additives and
> supplements for horses and wonder greatly what people are
> doing. Every one wants the best for their horse and I keep
> seeing comments about getting the best hay, the best
> pasture, the best additives, the cleanest water etc. ad
> infinitum, ad nauseum.
>
> Has any one, Susan in particular, ever wondered about the
> cause and effect, especially the effect, of out MONOCULTURE
> minds. Horse owners look for the best hay, weed free and the
> best looking bales. That ends up in a monoculture, one
> cultivar, of hay. Little or no diversity of constituents.
> All brome, or all timothy or all orchard grass. One
> continuous type of forage.
>
> Then the owners start to add things the "NATURAL HORSE"
> never heard of let alone ever eats. Things like kelp, and
> shark cartilage, and mega doses of vitamins. And water that
> is tasteless and so clear the horse has to make it move so
> they can see to drink.
>
> I wonder why horse owners worry about these things when the
> horse will tell them that the varied weedy pasture tastes
> wonderful and with this varied diet they will not need the
> additives and supplements. And how many have seen the horse
> drink, and drink gladly, from the muddy puddle. He might
> just be getting some needed minerals that way.
>
> Just some thing to think about in this hot weather.
>
> Bob
>
> Bob Morris
> Morris Endurance Enterprises
> Boise, ID
>
>



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