Re: Rice Bran

["Kathy Myers" <kathy@nvolve.com>]

Susan wrote:
>Personally, I don't particularly like or feed rice bran, but a pound
>isn't going to get me too wound up, as I think Truman feeds it---it's
>folks that are feeding four to six pounds a day that I think are getting
>into potential trouble.

I'll admit to getting into trouble feeding only a pound or less
a couple times a week unbalanced with alfalfa.  How much trouble?
Besides the feet that went all to hell on the old TB, I suspect I
pulled calcium out of his bones which might be one of the many
little things that accumulated last year when he went dead lame.
UC Davis found him laying down more bone along his old fracture site
(UC Davis high-def x-rays also showed where the old off the track
fracture site was... cannon... and the site where the screw was).

I had started feeding a mix with grain and generic rice bran when
Magnum was on alfalfa and pasture sticks.  In November the rains
started and in December the grass came in.  The ranch quit feeding
alfalfa and I continued with the rice bran.  Dumb.  By March his feet
were all to hell again.  I truely believe it had something to do with
his bone trouble last year.

That said, I do like generic rice bran when mixed 2 to 1 with
soaked alfalfa pellets.  2 lbs alfalfa pellets to 1 pound generic
rice bran.  The horses gobble it up.  I can mix stuff into the mash.
It put weight on better than corn oil or any other special grain...
with the exception of Dynamite complete feed.  Generic rice bran is
inexpensive and gave a nice glossy dappled coat.  And it did not make
the TB "hot and spooky".  It does collect moths though.

The old TB is sound again, but now that we've seen the x-rays and
since he did also injure a tendon, he's retired from hard work.
The little Blue arab is a much easier keeper, so I no longer have
generic rice bran around.  So far the Dynamite vitamins and Complete
feed easily keeps weight on both.  However, if I thought it would
help, I would use a mix of rice bran and soaked alfalfa pellets
again.  But don't think a pound 3 or 4 times a week won't throw
off your Ca/P balance.  It sure did for Magnum.

:) - kat myers
In San Mateo, Ca. with Magnum the TB ex-racer aka "Little Matador"
and Blue... aka Mr Maajistic