Re: can horses pick their ration?

[Tivers@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/2/98 8:46:22 PM Pacific Standard Time,
csabe@servicepaper.com writes:

<< i again!  I offer my horses free choice minerals and salt in feeders in
 their stalls in the winter and in their sheds in the Spring/Summer/Fall, and
 they do indeed take what they need, this way I don't feel I'm under or
 over-doing it on these types of supplements.  It's also nice to monitor how
 they are doing during different times of the year or their work/stress level
 by how much is eaten.
 Cathy :) >>

They do indeed? By what criteria are you judging this phenomenon? If the
criteria is that they're eating what you think they need, then how did you
arrive at those figures?  I don't even know what my horses need, day to day,
month to month, in terms of   measureable amounts of salts and minerals. If I
set out 4 or 5 piles of different nutrients, I'd have next to no idea if they
were eating the right stuff in the right quantities--and we do frequent blood
testing. I don't think the NRC has a handle on the requirements of horses in
athletic training and competition. Nor have I seen any valid testing
procedures that ensure the horse is getting the appropriate quantity of these
nutrients. The horse's blood and urine minerals are all over the place from
day to day--and about all you can tell is that the horse is getting way too
much of some items or is disease-producing underfed others. 

I just can't see how you can come to that conclusion in a farm setting.

ti