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Re: [RC] Flax seed - Susan GarlinghouseSince you're not feeding a lot of flax, I'm okay with you continuing to feed it during ride weekend, especially if the horses like it and it therefore makes their mash more tasty for them. The same goes for any other fat-containing feeds, like a moderate amount of rice bran. I just don't suggest outright adding fat during ride weekends, such as liquid oil or any of the dry fats. There's even possibly a school of thought that flax seed might be a little helpful in 'keeping the mail moving' as it were. The oil within flax is linseed oil and in larger quantities can be used as a cathartic---a nice way of saying don't stand behind the horse within five feet when he raises his tail. That's not going to happen with a cup or two of flax seed, but who knows, there may be a slight laxative quality to be gained. If that is true, then a handful of flax might be a good thing for horses that tend to have dehydration issues during ride weekend, but probably would not be such a good idea for the stressed out types that tend to blow with stress-colitis and diarrhea (the ones that have dirty legs even before the start), even though those horses are ultimately more at risk of dehydration than most. BTW, be careful about the changes in diet you make before a ride. I know your horses are air ferns, but changes in diet are a big risk factor in creating a colic situation, so be careful. As for how much flax to feed for an older horse that needs more weight, you can easily add several cups a day if you want, although adding in more beet pulp would add more calories more efficiently. I usually just add the flax to the beet pulp as I add water and let it all soften up together. Hope this helps and thanks for the nice post, Kathy. :-))) Susan Garlinghouse DVM ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Copeland" <ponyup1@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 8:26 AM Subject: [RC] Flax seed This is a question for Susan, We have been using flax seed in our horses diets. What I need to know is before an endurance ride do you back off the flax seed and not feed it starting the nite before the ride like you do grain or do you continue to feed it? We don't feed that much of it as our horses are very easy keepers but do get them going on beet pulp, all in one, handful of grain, and a little flax seed and hay the week before a ride. They survive well on good pasture and a little beet pulp on ride days when we ride them hard. We ride Spanish Mustangs and but do have one Arab in the group that gets to eat a lot all the time. This program has worked well for us. In the winter of course they are on hay, a good quality oat or wheat hay. We do have one mustang in the group with skin issues and have been feeding her about a cup of flax seed a day to help with that. How much flax seed should one feed and elder horse in it's diet also to help keep weight on ? Thanks in advance and as always you are the greatest. The world would not be the same without you! Team Slow Poke, Kathy Copeland =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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