Because they're usually the most
available health professional, kind of a weird Aesculapian
authority thing. Besides, some vets *do* know alot oabout
nutrition. Just have to ask and find out.
But, Susan, I had
given this lady your website address, endurance.net's website
address and The Horseman's Advisor's website address. I
had also offered to do her surfing for her. My impression
was that as I'm a "newbie" to this sport (she having
been involved for a whole six months longer than I) any
information which I might have, no matter how credible the
source, was suspect.
It just irks me to
have to watch her horses over the fence every day and know that
someone out there would be able to help her if she would just
ask.
I also had a long
chat to our vet (mutual vet) yesterday, and he said that he's
been trying to get the horses (one a chronic colicker - on
average once per week, and the other with the hives) into the
vet. hospital for testing. No go. Perhaps it is a
financial problem, but if appears a little penny wise and pound
foolish to continue to treat symptoms without getting to the
root of the problem. There, I've vented. I feel
better now.
If he's in Arizona, tell him I'm
teaching an equine nutrition short course through the American
Association of Equine Practitioners next July in Phoenix.
Six hours and I'm gonna do my best to cause brain
damage.
Actually, he's in
Johannesburg, South Africa but I'm sure that, were he in
Arizona, he'd be dead keen.
One, because suddenly adding 4-5
pounds of any grain to the diet is a bad idea. Two,
because there's no scientific argument as to why adding
something else to a diet (short of antihistamines or steroids or
the like) would overcome what is essentially an immune response
gone overboard. Three, because there are alot of reported
cases of hives being *caused* by various types of grain
(including just plain oats), but not *cured*. Adding oats
to make an allergic response go away is like trying to make a
bee sting go away by finding a wasp to sting you as
well.
That was my thinking,
but I couldn't tell her that as I have a feeling that it would
make her run even faster towards whatever it was I was warning
her against. For some reason, I get the feeling that I'm
involved in a competition with this person, who is a little
aggrieved that my horses are generally happy and healthy.
I just wish she could realise that, often, with horses, luck
plays a huge role, and that if she would just open her mind a
little she might find that no-one is trying to tell her she
doesn't know how to look after her animals, we're just trying to
help her find a solution to the problems she is experiencing
with two horses : problems that are not of her
making.
People will never
cease to amaze me.
Tracey