Ridecamp: Re: [RC] ] Commercial feeds; Strategy vs. traditional grain mix

>I'd like to see this answer, too, because a friend's horse >died from
impaction from a pelleted feed and I've been >afraid to feed pellets ever
since.  We just had our new >mare with a trainer and he fed Strategy.  She
did well on >it but it scared me to death.

The cause of your friend's horse's impaction was probably not the pellets
themselves, but insufficient water intake.  I'm not a huge fan of pellets,
but they're okay if you use some common sense.  My suggestions are:
1) Provide at least 50% of the ration in the form of long-stem hay or
pasture, not just pellets.  Better gut motility, better psychological
health, etc.
2)  Don't feed pellets to any horse with a history of choke unless you've
soaked the pellets down into a sloppy mush.
3) Make sure the water source is high-quality, clean, in plentiful supply
and of an appropriate temperature.  I've seen automatic water bowls in the
sun that are hot enough to brand cows, and buckets frozen solid, both with
owners that thought their horses should be nicely hydrated.
4)  Never feed dry pellets to a tired horse.  Fatigue depresses esophageal
function, making choke more likely, and dehydration decreases saliva
production.

Hope this helps. :-)

Susan G



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