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Re: [RC] [RC] allergies, feed, etc. - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Nicole nkinsey@xxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Her blood work showed well past boderline almost into a severe allergy at 276...so that basically means no alfalfa. Ok, that number means nothing to me. :-) That's what I was feeding as well....but since she is allergic to both oat and is borderline on wheat I am not considering a good choice for her anymore. I wouldn't think that skipping the 3-way alone would result in weight loss. At least not the stuff I get which is virtually straw -- the horses think so, too, since they use much of it as bedding... I am doing that since I got her bloodwork back and she is dropping weight like mad. Now I'm feeding straight bermuda, Empower (1 pound) and beet pulp. I'm not even doing training rides on her and she's looking skinny to me. How much beet pulp? With my critters if I up the beet pulp it packs on the pounds. That's why most of them only get enough to mix the flax seed into and so they don't feel like I'm leaving them out. ;-) I meant rolled barley as that is pretty much the only grain she isn't allergic to! I feel I need to supplement her Bermuda with something and put on some weight. I don't feel comfortable feeding huge amounts of rice bran...and she is allergic to corn too so that rules out corn oil. I would agree with you on the rice bran. Without alfalfa in her diet the bran would be too high in phosphorus. What about a different oil? Canola, soy, etc? I've never fed a whole lot of straight oils, but I'm sure Susan will chime in and let you know if that's an OK option (just not during rides). However, if Tess doesn't get hot on grains, why don't you try some barley and see how she does? I'm pretty much in the camp of try it and see what happens when it comes to new feeds since each horse is so different (I'm lucky that most of mine are so closely related to one another that they are much the same in their food use). Tess is a hard keeper when she's working. She must really burn calories. When she's idle she can pack on weight though. I actually consider Phlyrt a hard keeper when she's working, too, but it sounds like Tess is harder. Sorry. I was thinking the same thing EXCEPT that I've had problems with bumps, watery eyes, scratching herself bloody in the chest from March to Nov. Her eyes are red and runny year round...as well as a nasal discharge. I've had her on eye ointment, as well as having her eye ducts flushed out through the nose thinking the ducts were clogged. When I bought her 4 years she was covered in bumps but I thought it was because she was tunred out in a hot crowded pasture with lots of flies. Since then I've EVERYTHING thinking it was just a fly allergy. She is allergic to flies as well as gnats...on top of the food stuff. Each year she has been getting worse and last summer I said I wouldn't put her through it again. SHe's only 7. Well, I was going to mention sweet itch, but obviously you've done that already. I have one with it, and it's not pleasant. She's only 3-1/2, it started her yearling summer. :-( And, I guess Tess' eye issues aren't just a dust allergy? I have one mare (milder than Tess sounds) & cats that have that (indoor cats, but when the wind blows outside, they get runny eyes anyway). I think Karen brought up an important consideration: what will you do at vet checks? Will you allow Tess to munch on alfalfa or whatever hay is there? That's the only time Phlyrt gets any alfalfa hay since I let her eat ANYTHING she wants at checks, but it's part of the reason I feed her the alfalfa-bermuda pellets as part of her regular diet, so the hay isn't a total shock to her system at vet checks. Good luck! I don't want you and Tess to miss out! You guys are fun to ride with! ~Nicole ============================================================ Why should I look good if I don`t smell good? ~ author unknown ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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