Ridecamp: Re: [RC] anything essential missing from grass? AKA,how to deal with barn manager?

Oh, boy...barn managers and trainers like that really tick me off.  Protein
is not adequate in pasture for a yearling, so Sombre needs a protein
supplement...but too much energy for a yearling can be dangerous, and can
lead to bone problems.  The collective term for that is DOD...developmental
orthopedic disease...and includes such problems as osteochondrosis,
physitis, contracted tendons, cervical vertebral problems, etc.  Generic
mixes are usually formulated for adult horses and are critically deficient
in protein. Be sure she's getting adequate phosporus and a proper
calcium/phosphorus ratio as well.

Are you by any chance near the Middletown/Myersville exit at I-70?  I know a
nutritionist in that area that does some horse work and might could help you
out.  He works primarily with dairy cattle, but he also does some horse
work.  Let me know if you want his name and how to get in touch with him.

Lisa
----- Original Message -----
From: "julie fox" <treaster@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 8:15 PM
Subject: [RC] anything essential missing from grass? AKA, how to deal with
barn manager?


> Hi everybody.
>
> I am hoping that someone out there can at least ease my mind.  I have a
yearling Kiger filly, who I think could subsist on air alone if she had to.
Unfortunately, the barn manager has always known Thoroughbreds, and insists
on feeding my little mustang like a TB.  This means one "ration" (about 3.5
pounds) of generic sweet feed twice a day.  Needless to say, Sombre has
blown up like a balloon since the grass turned green.  She is out 24 hrs a
day in a HUGE pasture with 8 other horses, with unbeatable trail access, and
close to my house, so I really can't move her to another barn.  The problem
is that every time I ask the barn manager to reduce her grain, she gives me
the "I don't like it, but she's your horse" speech and reduces the grain,
but within a week she's back up to where she started.
>
> I have finally convinced her to not feed Sombre any grain at all.  I truly
believe that she will get plenty of calories from the pasture, but I am
concerned about essential nutrients or vitamins that the grass alone may not
provide.  For example, I know the east coast is notorious for being low in
selenium.  (We live in central Maryland).
>
> So my question is this.  Is anything essential to a growing yearling
missing from a 100% grass diet?  If so, can somebody recommend a good
supplement that will provide the missing essentials, without adding
calories?  Also, since our barn-manager-problem is guaranteed to repeat
itself when fall comes around and the grass isn't so rich, can anybody
suggest a way to deal with the barn manager so that she will listen to me
and my instructions on how much to feed?
>
> I really appreciate any thoughts on these issues.  I'm so stressed about
it that I'm actually dreaming about grass and sweet feed at night.
>
> Thanks a ton,
>
> Cristin
>
>
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=