Need to also consider things that could inhibit the uptake of
calcium (excessive iron in the water or diet; Vit D deficiency, etc.)
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Naomi Preston Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 1:01 PM To: Ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] Calcium/phosphorus/magnesium
Before adding minerals to your horse's diet, it's
important to have an idea of the levels in the hay (grass or alfalfa) and
other diet components you're feeding. Otherwise, you will be adding
minerals blindly. It is not always practical or feasible for riders
to have their hay analyzed (due to variability & changing sources),
BUT, you can get some regional average analyses from your university
extension office. Another source for average hay (grain and
by-products also) analyses can be found at www.DairyOne,
go to "Forage Labaratory Services," and then"Feed Composition
Library." Here you can compare the relative compositions of grass
vs. alfalfa hay, oats, beet pulp, rice bran, wheat brain, etc. When
you look at these tables, the components (minerals, protein, starch) are listed
as %. The easiest way to convert these %'s to grams is the
following. (Hang in there, it's not very difficult!) First, 10
kilograms of hay = 22 lbs. If you multiply the % in the chart
by 100, you'll get the grams in 22 lbs. of hay. (I'm metrically
challenged, but I can do this.)
Still with me? If you know how many lbs. of hay you're
feeding, you can figure out your current levels of protein, starch, sugars,
minerals, electrolytes, etc. Wouldn't you like to know what you're
feeding before you start adding supplements?
With regard to the questions about calcium, phosphorus, and
magnesium, my source is the information I've learned from Dr. Eleanor
Kellon, VMD (www.drkellon.com
) Her recommendations are based on the NRC 2007
data, which list minimum requirements, but she increases the amounts by 50%,
which she believes is still conservative. Below are shown recommendations
for these 3 minerals for a 1000 lb horse (455 kg.) in light vs.heavy
exercise (like an endurance ride).
Light Exerc.Heavy Exer.
Calcium
41.0
g 54.6
g
Phosphorus
24.6
g 39.6
g
Magnesium
20.5 g
27.3 g
Dr. Kellon recommenda a 2:1 calcium:magnesium ratio, and
calcium:phosphorus at or above 1.2:1.
As an example, I have analyzed my grass hay, and I know that
in 22 lbs., my horses get 37.6 g of calcium, 7.0 g of phosphorus, and 4.6 g of
magnesium. You can see that my hay falls below the levels recommended for
even light exercise. So I can add supplements accordingly. Also, as
Angie mentioned, alfalfa hay is an excellent source of calcium, and is also the
most bioavailable form of calcium.
I would HIGHLY recommend Dr. Kellons's nutrition courses to
anyone. They're the best source of information on equine nutrition that
I've found. And what you save on buying expensive supplements will easily
pay for the course!
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