I'm not sure what she means by "flushing" - Selenium is a necessary but
potentially toxic trace mineral. Most horses require only 1 to 2 milligrams
per day and, to my knowledge, the need for selenium is not increased by
exercise. Selenium deficiency in the mature horse is more commonly associated
with tying up than lethargy. Blood levels of selenium are extremely hard to
run-most laboratories won't even do them! Selenium excretion from the
body can be increased if excess copper or arsenic are fed. I doubt if
she's feeding arsenic, but many horse feeds contain very high levels of
copper, and if she increases his grain intake as the training progresses,
she could be over doing the copper, though I've not heard of this
occurring before. I'd strongly suggest she re-evaluate what she's feeding
(watch out for redundant supplements or feeds that double up on nutrients
like copper, vitamin A or Vitamin D).
Sarah
Ralston@aesop.Rutgers.edu
-- Wendy\|/ /\ -O- /**\ /|\ /****\ /\ / \ /**\ Here there be dragons / /\ / \ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\/\/\ /\ / / \ / \ / \/\/ \/ \ /\/ \/\ /\ /\/ / / \/ \ / / \/ /\ \ / \ \ / \/ / / \/ \/ \ / \ \ / / \/ \/\ \ / \ / / \ __/__/_______/___/__\___\__________________________________________________
Wendy Milner HPDesk: wendy_milner@hp4000 Training Development Engineer HP-UX: wendy@fc.hp.com Mail Stop 46 Telnet: 229-2182 3404 E. Harmony Rd. AT&T: (970) 229-2182 Fort Collins, CO, 80525 FAX: (970) 229-4292