Re: GRAIN VS EXCITABILITY

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

The excitibility/hyperness is usually in response to how soluble the
carbohydrates are in the grain, ie, how quickly the grain is converted
to glucose.  Corn has the highest "glycemic index", but any grain is
going to cause the same effect to one extent or another.

If you need to add more calories to the ration without turning them into
orangutans, try adding some vegetable oil to the feed instead.  It's a
denser source of energy and by-passes the glucose loop, so doesn't make
them silly.

In almost every case when a horse "needs something more", it's more
energy, not more protein, etc.  80-90% of all the feed that goes down
the throat is utilized in energy production and almost without
exception, most of the horses I've ever done consulting work on have
just been lacking in plain old energy.

Hope this helps.

Susan G

> John B. Ayers wrote:
> 
> My 6 yo Arab gets VERY excited in competition.  I feed him VT hay to
> supplement
> mediocre turnout,  selenium with vit. E and Blue Seal Charger....a
> sweet feed. (one
> quart morning and evening)
> 
> The gal I rode with today said her Arab was the same as mine until she
> switched
> to Poulin "Challenger".  What should I be looking for in a "non-sweet"
> grain.  Protein,
> and etc.
> 
> John and Meshack (VT)
> 
> 
> Phone or Fax 802/626-5283