Re: RC: Re: alfalfa diet for horses that "tie-up"

["GESA BRINKS" <gesaeqfx@pe.net>]

Thank you Heidi.  I feel lucky that I accidentally found the source of
Annee's tying up.  I sure hope that I dont have to deal with it ever again.
Does a blood test help in determining the cause of tying up?  A friend of
mine has a really good mare that doesnt tie up at home but has tied up on a
few rides lately.  She makes it about 15 miles out and ties up.  Her
workouts at home are harder and longer sometimes, and she is fine.
The mare is also spayed.  The tie ups occured prior to the spaying too.
gesa .
-----Original Message-----
From: CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com <CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com>
To: gesaeqfx@pe.net <gesaeqfx@pe.net>; ridecamp@endurance.net
<ridecamp@endurance.net>; mountss@usfca.edu <mountss@usfca.edu>
Date: Monday, March 27, 2000 11:19 PM
Subject: Re: RC: Re: alfalfa diet for horses that "tie-up"


>In a message dated 3/27/00 9:37:19 PM Pacific Standard Time,
gesaeqfx@pe.net
>writes:
>
><< When I STOPPED feeding alfalfa my appy mare stopped tying up.  Havent
had
>an
> episode since.  Cant understand why someone would recommend feeding it to
a
> horse that ties up.  Now Im curious to hear the answers from the ones in
the
> know.   Thanks in advance.     >>
>
>Depends entirely why your horse is tying up.  Some have difficulty with
>calcitonin and calcium regulation, and for those, feeding a daily ration
that
>is rich in calcium (such as alfalfa) can be a problem.  For others, there
are
>various aspects of carbohydrate metabolism that are the issue.  For still
>others, there are micronutrient deficiencies.  All present with the same
>clinical syndrome, which is tying up.  But to accurately deal with the
>problem, you have to get back to the root cause (or causes) for each
>individual horse.  It always bothers me to see anyone assert that "one"
>particular method will "handle" tying up--it is actually a group of
problems
>with one manifestation rather than a single problem.
>
>If your mare stopped tying up when you stopped feeding alfalfa, then she
was
>likely one for whom calcium was the major issue.
>
>Heidi
>