I recently subscribed to FeedXL and after entering all pertinet data was horrified to realize that my horses were deficient in iodine. I thought I had my bases covered with my vitamin/mineral supplement, but I did not. Most vitamin mineral supplements seem to be designed with the assumption that the horse is recieving an iodized salt supplement and mine were not.
http://www.equinews.com/article/the-nitty-gritty-on-salt
During the winter I worry that they don't consume enough salt due to the cold temps so I add salt to their daily mashes. Salt in the form of sea salt or electrolytes, neither of which has iodine. They do have salt blocks available, one is trace, the other is just plain salt. They seem to show no preference.
The NRC recommendation for iodine for the adult recreational horse (2007) is .35mg/kg of feed. (roughly 3.5mg a day for the 1100# horse, 4.1mg for my Gelin) More is not recommended and the big caveat is that deficiencies show the same symptoms as excess- the only way to tell which is which (without a blood test) is to drag out the calculator and start crunching the numbers.
The average trace mineral salt block containing iodine has 70ppm of iodine, or 70mg/kg. To put it in perspective, if your horse were to meet its NRC recommendation for iodine by consuming the salt block alone, it would go through one 4# block every 36 days. That's a rate of 1.7 ounces a day, which does fall under the recommended salt consumption of the horse of 1-2 ounces a day. (40# block would be 400 days. I'm not sure how long my last block lasted as it was turned into a toy and was smashed to pieces.)
Interestingly enough, iodine, despite having a narrow range of tolerance in the horse, doesn't always make it onto the guaranteed analysis of the feed tag. So if you don't see it listed, but see ingredients such as calcium iodate or potassium iodide, and you're concerned about the overall iodine levels your horse is recieving, call your feed rep and ask. My very quick glance through some commonly fed supplements show that their level of supplementation runs between 1mg to 2mg a day, which by itself isn't enough.
I've ended up putting my horses on a kelp product that provides an iodine analysis. Kelp can range wildly and run exceedingly in regard to iodine content so I wanted to be sure that I wasn't feeding too much.
And thus ends my PSA for the day. Find the iodine. Whether it be in the salt block, supplement, or feed, just make sure it's there!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
Why yes, I have put formaldehyde on my horses!
Over the years I've tried almost every combination of sole hardener and or thrush remedy on the market. Sugardine. Venice Turpentine. Thrushbuster. Apple cider vinegar. Bleach. Durasole. White Lightning. Today. Tomorrow. Pete's goo. A few of which contain aldehydes.
*Technically speaking* we all know that sometimes the best remedy is a proper trim and diet. If the horse has wee little contracted heels and thrushy frogs sure you treat for thrush, but you also have to try to get those heels to open up too. If your horse has paper thin soles, well, maybe it would be best if it wasn't chronically laminitic and currently rotating and sinking. That sort of thing.
I'm lumping thrush and hardening under the same category because after trying multiple products over the years I find that one product addresses both issues better than anything else.
http://www.keratex.net/hoof_gel.htm
It's not even marketed as a hardener or thrush remedy. It's called a hoof protectant. But the result is a harder, thrush free hoof.
Why I like it best is that the majority of all the other products on the market create a "shell" on both sole and frog. There are times that creating such a shell might be desireable. I know of no better product to apply to a flimsy sole than Durasole. Apply it to the clean sole by the drop and use a wire brush to scrub it in. Wear glasses so it doesn't flick into your eyeballs. It's amazing how much relief the "shell" it creates provides the horse. It's particularly useful on an overtrimmed sole or the recently deshod horse.
Alas, but that shell! What I've found that shells can be great, and with repeated applications you can get them pretty thick. The drawbacks are twofold- one it creates the opportunity to have retained sole. The shell does not act like regular sole or frog and does not exfoliate like regular sole or frog. Exfoliation is a good thing, retained is not.
And under the shell, things can work their way in and hide. I have repeatedly found products that create a great looking frog, but through a crack, etc., thrush has found it's way to the inside of the frog and underneath that exterior the interior is being eaten away. The shell will pop off, revealing a ratty tattered frog underneath.
Keratex Hoof Gel does not do that. Soles harden but exfoliate. Frogs plump and grow but do not periodically "shed".
I still use the Today product or Pete's goo if I want to knock down a particularly rabid looking case of thrush, but for daily maintenance of the hoof, the Keratex Hoof Gel is my product of choice.
*Technically speaking* we all know that sometimes the best remedy is a proper trim and diet. If the horse has wee little contracted heels and thrushy frogs sure you treat for thrush, but you also have to try to get those heels to open up too. If your horse has paper thin soles, well, maybe it would be best if it wasn't chronically laminitic and currently rotating and sinking. That sort of thing.
I'm lumping thrush and hardening under the same category because after trying multiple products over the years I find that one product addresses both issues better than anything else.
http://www.keratex.net/hoof_gel.htm
It's not even marketed as a hardener or thrush remedy. It's called a hoof protectant. But the result is a harder, thrush free hoof.
Why I like it best is that the majority of all the other products on the market create a "shell" on both sole and frog. There are times that creating such a shell might be desireable. I know of no better product to apply to a flimsy sole than Durasole. Apply it to the clean sole by the drop and use a wire brush to scrub it in. Wear glasses so it doesn't flick into your eyeballs. It's amazing how much relief the "shell" it creates provides the horse. It's particularly useful on an overtrimmed sole or the recently deshod horse.
Alas, but that shell! What I've found that shells can be great, and with repeated applications you can get them pretty thick. The drawbacks are twofold- one it creates the opportunity to have retained sole. The shell does not act like regular sole or frog and does not exfoliate like regular sole or frog. Exfoliation is a good thing, retained is not.
And under the shell, things can work their way in and hide. I have repeatedly found products that create a great looking frog, but through a crack, etc., thrush has found it's way to the inside of the frog and underneath that exterior the interior is being eaten away. The shell will pop off, revealing a ratty tattered frog underneath.
Keratex Hoof Gel does not do that. Soles harden but exfoliate. Frogs plump and grow but do not periodically "shed".
I still use the Today product or Pete's goo if I want to knock down a particularly rabid looking case of thrush, but for daily maintenance of the hoof, the Keratex Hoof Gel is my product of choice.
Monday, December 26, 2011
And for everything a reason.
For years Ian has had a jekyl and hyde personality between summer and winter. Although I had chalked it up to "horses are more wound up in the winter" I still tried to find ways to prevent it, as it's annoying as hell to me and must be uncomfortable for him.
It starts predictably at the same time of the year every year. He becomes uncomfortable in his own skin- spooking while standing out in the pasture, tight in his body, unwilling to move well under saddle. Under saddle I describe it as "it's like his hind end falls off".
Over the years I've tried everything. More hay. Blankets. Joint stuff. More grain. (oddly enough, more grain does seem to help) But still it's never *quite right*.
This year, same thing. He went from Mr. Wonderful to Mr. Tight and Insane. I did all my usual things. Do what you always do, get what you always get. Yup.
So I tried some Gastrogard. Magic. Back to his quiet, nuzzly, summer self.
Is the answer to keep him on Gastrogard all winter? (or even the Blue Pop Rocks gastrogard?) My wallet cringed!!
I can't keep hay in front of him all day, both he and his pony would be founder fat in no time. I tried to think of what I could keep available to them all day long that wasn't particularly tasty.
Straw.
Googling found that horses on an all straw for forage diet showed a higher incidence of ulcers. BUT, horses bedded on straw showed a lower incidence of ulcers. http://www.kohnkesown.com/ulcers1.pdf The assumption is that in conjunction with their regular forage, the straw gives them something to nibble on all day.
Bedding on straw? Would hurt my wallet about as much as the Gastrogard!
My compromise was this: After I clean the stalls I put one thin flake of straw on top of the shavings.
I sat back and watched, fingers crossed that they wouldn't gorge and create an impaction colic.
They didn't gorge. They lightly pick at the straw all day, which is exactly as I intended. The rest gets trodden into the bedding. I go through about a bale of straw a week for all 2.3 of them.
So far, Ian does seem happy.
It starts predictably at the same time of the year every year. He becomes uncomfortable in his own skin- spooking while standing out in the pasture, tight in his body, unwilling to move well under saddle. Under saddle I describe it as "it's like his hind end falls off".
Over the years I've tried everything. More hay. Blankets. Joint stuff. More grain. (oddly enough, more grain does seem to help) But still it's never *quite right*.
This year, same thing. He went from Mr. Wonderful to Mr. Tight and Insane. I did all my usual things. Do what you always do, get what you always get. Yup.
So I tried some Gastrogard. Magic. Back to his quiet, nuzzly, summer self.
Is the answer to keep him on Gastrogard all winter? (or even the Blue Pop Rocks gastrogard?) My wallet cringed!!
I can't keep hay in front of him all day, both he and his pony would be founder fat in no time. I tried to think of what I could keep available to them all day long that wasn't particularly tasty.
Straw.
Googling found that horses on an all straw for forage diet showed a higher incidence of ulcers. BUT, horses bedded on straw showed a lower incidence of ulcers. http://www.kohnkesown.com/ulcers1.pdf The assumption is that in conjunction with their regular forage, the straw gives them something to nibble on all day.
Bedding on straw? Would hurt my wallet about as much as the Gastrogard!
My compromise was this: After I clean the stalls I put one thin flake of straw on top of the shavings.
I sat back and watched, fingers crossed that they wouldn't gorge and create an impaction colic.
They didn't gorge. They lightly pick at the straw all day, which is exactly as I intended. The rest gets trodden into the bedding. I go through about a bale of straw a week for all 2.3 of them.
So far, Ian does seem happy.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Horsie electrolytes, homemade or???
Ever the frugal horse owner I scoured the internet looking for a good homemade electrolyte recipe, hoping to save myself some cash. I found one I really liked.
26oz (1 canister) non-iodized salt
22oz (2 canisters) lite salt (salt/potassium chloride)
2T epsom salts (magnesium sulfate)
Mix thoroughly, feed as you would any other electrolyte. I mixed up a few batches and fed them out, utterly proud of myself. Then I bothered to add up the expense. Totalling the prices of the ingredients as purchased at the local grocery store came up with a total of $5.79 for 49 ounces, or .12 per one ounce serving.
A 15# bucket of Apple-A-Day electrolytes through Smartpak costs me .12 per one ounce serving with a lot less work. Plus it smells yummy.
26oz (1 canister) non-iodized salt
22oz (2 canisters) lite salt (salt/potassium chloride)
2T epsom salts (magnesium sulfate)
Mix thoroughly, feed as you would any other electrolyte. I mixed up a few batches and fed them out, utterly proud of myself. Then I bothered to add up the expense. Totalling the prices of the ingredients as purchased at the local grocery store came up with a total of $5.79 for 49 ounces, or .12 per one ounce serving.
A 15# bucket of Apple-A-Day electrolytes through Smartpak costs me .12 per one ounce serving with a lot less work. Plus it smells yummy.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Units of Freedom!
Being a fan of using ration balancers as a base of every ration for my horses, I face a dilemma during the winter months, or any time the horse needs more calories than a ration balancer can provide.
Most companies offer this system to use with their products:
Ration balancer
if horse needs more calories...
Ration balancer plus top dress of high fat product
if horse still needs more calories...
Switch to a regular type feed that requires anywhere from 4-6# fed as a daily minimum.
or
utilize a minimally fortified feed as a top dress, ie. Triple Crown Complete, Beet Pulp, Oats, etc.
Although those options are all valid answers, none of them provide the freedom I like in choosing an additional feed for extra calories. I sat around for a while scheming of a system to create an easy way to calculate "exchanges" ie. if I were to feed a typically fortified feed how would I balance the two out so that I don't overdose my horse on vitamins/minerals.
Progressive Nutrition has the answer. They utilize Units. Units pertain to the levels of vitamins and minerals in the feedstuff. A pound of ration balancer = one unit. Their typical grain (for example, one that runs .60ppm selenium) equates to 4# of grain = 1 unit. Read about it here.
For example, Gelin, requires 2.0 units of his ration balancer. Using the unit system if I want to provide additional calories from Blue Seal's Sentinel LS, I would assign the LS the 4#= 1 unit and formulate something along the lines of...
4# LS= 1 unit
1# Nutrena Balance = 1.5 units
for a total of 2 units.
or
6#LS = 1.5units
.5#NB = .5 unit
or
2#LS = .5 units
1.5#NB = 1.5 units
up until
8#LS = 2 units.
Using the unit system I can easily utilize any feed I choose as an addition to the ration balancer. The volume of feed per unit would depend on how fortified the additional feed is- I use the ration balancer itself as a guide- how many pounds of the other feed would it take to equal 1# of the ration balancer, in regard to vitamins and minerals.
Thank you Progressive Nutrition! If only they distributed to New England, I would be a huge fan of their feeds, as I love the unit system and how they emphasize the RFV of your forage when making decisions about which grains to feed.
Most companies offer this system to use with their products:
Ration balancer
if horse needs more calories...
Ration balancer plus top dress of high fat product
if horse still needs more calories...
Switch to a regular type feed that requires anywhere from 4-6# fed as a daily minimum.
or
utilize a minimally fortified feed as a top dress, ie. Triple Crown Complete, Beet Pulp, Oats, etc.
Although those options are all valid answers, none of them provide the freedom I like in choosing an additional feed for extra calories. I sat around for a while scheming of a system to create an easy way to calculate "exchanges" ie. if I were to feed a typically fortified feed how would I balance the two out so that I don't overdose my horse on vitamins/minerals.
Progressive Nutrition has the answer. They utilize Units. Units pertain to the levels of vitamins and minerals in the feedstuff. A pound of ration balancer = one unit. Their typical grain (for example, one that runs .60ppm selenium) equates to 4# of grain = 1 unit. Read about it here.
For example, Gelin, requires 2.0 units of his ration balancer. Using the unit system if I want to provide additional calories from Blue Seal's Sentinel LS, I would assign the LS the 4#= 1 unit and formulate something along the lines of...
4# LS= 1 unit
1# Nutrena Balance = 1.5 units
for a total of 2 units.
or
6#LS = 1.5units
.5#NB = .5 unit
or
2#LS = .5 units
1.5#NB = 1.5 units
up until
8#LS = 2 units.
Using the unit system I can easily utilize any feed I choose as an addition to the ration balancer. The volume of feed per unit would depend on how fortified the additional feed is- I use the ration balancer itself as a guide- how many pounds of the other feed would it take to equal 1# of the ration balancer, in regard to vitamins and minerals.
Thank you Progressive Nutrition! If only they distributed to New England, I would be a huge fan of their feeds, as I love the unit system and how they emphasize the RFV of your forage when making decisions about which grains to feed.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Competence Confidence
Stages of competence and their relation to confidence in the rider....
Unconscious Incompetence- The beginner. Isn't aware of what they don't know. Confidence can be variable, either the beginner is overconfident and unaware of their lack of skill*, or fearful because of the lack of skill. Ignorance is bliss!
Conscious Incompetence- Through some facet of learning (via an instructor or hitting the dirt ;) ), the rider becomes aware of a lack of skill, but is also unable to perform the skill needed. This marks the lowest point of confidence for the rider. "I suck!"
Conscious Competence- The rider has become proficient at the skill, as long as the skill is within conscious thought. Confidence rises, but is not static as when the skill drops from within conscious thought it does not exist for the rider. "I can! Sometimes!"
Unconscious Competence- Practice makes permanent and with enough conscious competence the skill finally rises to the point where the rider is able to perform it without thinking about it. "I dunno, I just ride. Doesn't everyone?"
Studies have reinforced that that there often isn't a direct relation between confidence and competence- the Dunning Kruger effect. Confidence levels of the uneducated are often disproportionately high, and confidence of the very competent are often low. http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2010/05/ssw_20100508_1237.mp3
Also important, during the conscious competence phase, is how many tasks the conscious mind can process at once. Answer: two.
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/04/multitasking-splits-the-brain.html
PLUS, and this is critical to remember during lessons, the mind considers active listening one of those tasks.
It's been theorized that the length of time it takes to master a particular sport/art/etc. is 10,000 hours (or roughly 10 years). I'm not so sure that applies to horse sport, where we often hear that it takes three lifetimes! If I quickly add up some vague stats for myself, I've had approx. 380 hours of instruction from 13 different instructors, mostly during the past 5 years but beginning specifically in dressage about 18 years ago, so if I add in a minimum of 10 hours of practice for each lesson... 4,180 hours. Only 5,820 hours to go! (and to think I gave the horses tonight off!)
Unconscious Incompetence- The beginner. Isn't aware of what they don't know. Confidence can be variable, either the beginner is overconfident and unaware of their lack of skill*, or fearful because of the lack of skill. Ignorance is bliss!
Conscious Incompetence- Through some facet of learning (via an instructor or hitting the dirt ;) ), the rider becomes aware of a lack of skill, but is also unable to perform the skill needed. This marks the lowest point of confidence for the rider. "I suck!"
Conscious Competence- The rider has become proficient at the skill, as long as the skill is within conscious thought. Confidence rises, but is not static as when the skill drops from within conscious thought it does not exist for the rider. "I can! Sometimes!"
Unconscious Competence- Practice makes permanent and with enough conscious competence the skill finally rises to the point where the rider is able to perform it without thinking about it. "I dunno, I just ride. Doesn't everyone?"
Studies have reinforced that that there often isn't a direct relation between confidence and competence- the Dunning Kruger effect. Confidence levels of the uneducated are often disproportionately high, and confidence of the very competent are often low. http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2010/05/ssw_20100508_1237.mp3
Also important, during the conscious competence phase, is how many tasks the conscious mind can process at once. Answer: two.
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/04/multitasking-splits-the-brain.html
PLUS, and this is critical to remember during lessons, the mind considers active listening one of those tasks.
It's been theorized that the length of time it takes to master a particular sport/art/etc. is 10,000 hours (or roughly 10 years). I'm not so sure that applies to horse sport, where we often hear that it takes three lifetimes! If I quickly add up some vague stats for myself, I've had approx. 380 hours of instruction from 13 different instructors, mostly during the past 5 years but beginning specifically in dressage about 18 years ago, so if I add in a minimum of 10 hours of practice for each lesson... 4,180 hours. Only 5,820 hours to go! (and to think I gave the horses tonight off!)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
What I want in a horse feed
I have to say that there are a few companies that start to address my whims by offering ration balancers, but none that seem to finish the job in that they do not provide a balanced feedstuff for additional calories. Most suggest the feeding of oats.
I'm not a big oat fan. They tend to be dusty, the digestibility is poor, they're not cal/phos balanced...etc. Every once in a while I'll feed them out to see if I like them better, but I never do.
All I want is to be offered a product to be fed in conjunction with the ration balancer for added energy if needed.
I'm fussy. In particular I want a product that runs around 20% NSC (I'm not feeding metabolically challenged horses), and has 10-12% fat. It would have minimal vitamin/mineral fortification, just enough to balance its ratios, nothing more. And I want it extruded. I like some of the science behind extruded feeds- particularly the science that shows them to have more complete starch digestibility before the feedstuffs reach the hindgut. (Of course the potential lies to create different energy source feeds- for example a low NSC feed for the metabolically challenged, but I'm focusing on the athletic type horse here.)
So, for my wonderful Gelin, I would perhaps feed 2# daily of his ration balancer plus 4# daily of additional energy feed for when he's working, and just the 2# daily of the ration balancer when he's having periods of time off. (please note that ration balancers tend to be very low in calories, they usually have the caloric equivalent of grass hay.)
Triple Crown's suggestion was that I feed their Complete as a top dress of energy for their 30% supplement.
Good idea, but Complete isn't extruded. I WANT EXTRUDED.
And I want it now, thankyouverymuch! ;)
(to answer the most obvious question, of course I dream of this at night and even have designs for the bags in my head of my ultimate, elite two-phase feeding system- the name I'm still debating over!)
I'm not a big oat fan. They tend to be dusty, the digestibility is poor, they're not cal/phos balanced...etc. Every once in a while I'll feed them out to see if I like them better, but I never do.
All I want is to be offered a product to be fed in conjunction with the ration balancer for added energy if needed.
I'm fussy. In particular I want a product that runs around 20% NSC (I'm not feeding metabolically challenged horses), and has 10-12% fat. It would have minimal vitamin/mineral fortification, just enough to balance its ratios, nothing more. And I want it extruded. I like some of the science behind extruded feeds- particularly the science that shows them to have more complete starch digestibility before the feedstuffs reach the hindgut. (Of course the potential lies to create different energy source feeds- for example a low NSC feed for the metabolically challenged, but I'm focusing on the athletic type horse here.)
So, for my wonderful Gelin, I would perhaps feed 2# daily of his ration balancer plus 4# daily of additional energy feed for when he's working, and just the 2# daily of the ration balancer when he's having periods of time off. (please note that ration balancers tend to be very low in calories, they usually have the caloric equivalent of grass hay.)
Triple Crown's suggestion was that I feed their Complete as a top dress of energy for their 30% supplement.
Good idea, but Complete isn't extruded. I WANT EXTRUDED.
And I want it now, thankyouverymuch! ;)
(to answer the most obvious question, of course I dream of this at night and even have designs for the bags in my head of my ultimate, elite two-phase feeding system- the name I'm still debating over!)
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