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[RC] Pot bellies/foals - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Natalie Hodges nhodges@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Hi Stef, You asked for ideas..so here goes. There was a discussion in Horsescience awhile back, and Eleanor Kellen commented about 1 Probiotic in particular she likes for horses with digestion issues. Here is the link below, and the product is "Equine Generator". I used it only for a short time with one foal who had almost constant loosish stools. http://www.bio-vet.com./equineproducts.htm Probiotics as a topic, were also in the May, 2004 Horse Journal. Under the heading of "Hay Belly" ( assuming the horse is wormed regularly), is poor digestion of fiber. She mentioned a Pre-Probiotic, Ration Plus, which is a liquid product of fermentation products, with no live organisms. I have fed both to my foals, who went through a pot bellied stage at some point before 6 mos. old. Mine are on grass pasture part of the day, and get orchard /alfalfa hay, and Triple Crown 30% Supplement (2 lbs a day), which is soy based, and has the mineral ratios I like. No molasses based feeds, or grain, and regular worming. For me the probiotic and Pre-probiotic worked well to slim down the hay belly in foals.I still use the Ration Plus periodically, like after worming. By the way, "Big Headed" disease, or"Miller's" disease, is from too much Phosphorus, and not enough Calcium. Some straight grass hays have an inverted ratio, so adding a little alfalfa is a good thing. My hay is 80 %grass/20%alfalfa,and it has a 3 to 1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus.I buy hay once a year, so I test it first. Here is an article, with a link to the lab you can send your hay and pasture samples to,if you want to know what mineral ratios you are feeding. This probably more than you and everyone else on Ridecamp wanted to know! http://www.bridleandbit.com/artman/publish/article_5728.shtml Natalie =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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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