Joint Supplements & Daisies

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Kathy Myers magnumsmom@aol.com
Just in case anyone out there is still wondering whether or not
CS and GAGS are worth the cost, I'd like to bring you up to date
on Magnum.  He was started on CS (Flex Free Max) + MSM and
Adequan injections 4 years ago.  I eventually switched him to
"Sure-Flex" because it has both CS & GAGS in the proper amounts.
Up until last fall I was sorta underdosing the Sure-Flex so I
increased him to the proper amount.  He is still getting the
Adequan injections once a month (I give them myself).

He's a 19 yo arthritic old ex-race horse who was winning in his
racing days until he took a bad step which caused what I'm now
thinking was a "condalyr" (sp?) fracture of his left fore.

He is the sweetest horse around when he's:
a) in pain
or
b) getting enough work

I gotta say, right now he's neither.  At 19 he's a monster.
I can tell he is NOT in any pain.  With working full time and
Blue to condition, I don't have as much time as Magnum needs so
he is enjoying full reign of his pasture.  The less work he gets,
the less anyone wants to ride him.  ;-)

Even after all these years, in the last 6 months I have seen
a marked improvement in his movement and attitude.  If you have
an endurance horse actively competing, leave out the MSM as
it can test just like DMSO.  Otherwise MSM works synergistically
with the CS and GAGS.

Now, about the daisies.  I read a post a while back regarding
certified hay and there was some question as to whether hay
is a significant weed carrier.  I used to board in a large
pasture situation where there was not a whole lot of pasture
maintanece going on.  One load of iffy looking hay came in and
after it was fed the entire pasture was covered in these stupid
white and yellow daisies.  Just that fast.  The tractor went out
and cut as many of them as it could.  The daisies mostly went
away.  I have no doubt the daisies came in in that load of hay.

I don't want the excess cost and issues of certified weedfree
hay, but California is rampant in yellow star thistle and the
more noxious fiddleneck amoungst others.  Trying any irradication
projects won't work as long as the weeds are still being carried
in to the area.  Driving around CA, Idaho, and Nevada I've
passed fields of absolutely beautiful hay, and fields of very
weedy stuff.  We hate to see it, but we do have a big problem.
Those who grow hay don't all do so at the same standards.

Then again, those lovely spanish oats aren't native either...

:) - Kat Myers
in No. Cal. with Magnum the TB ex-racer
and Mr Maajistic... resident endurance weasel