Re: can horses pick their ration?

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

> That proves the inadequecy of most poorly designed tests. The 2 identical
> blocks are not consumed at the same rate. If that had been different, it
> would have appeared to prove something when in fact it proved nothing other
> than horses are creatures of habit. Try 4 piles of loose CaCl, NaCl, KCl,
> P2Cl. Track the consumption and also track the mineral input from the normal
> diet. Then change the diet substantially - say go from an alfalfa and beet
> pulp diet to orchardgrass and rice bran. See if the horse makes the
> appropriate transition in his mineral choice. Personally, it is not an
> experiment I am going to try on my horses. But if indeed they eat what they
> need, the risk to the horse would be zero.

Actually, that pretty closely describes the field trials that were done
to see if horses could balance their own diet--and the horses did not
adjust their mineral intake, even when the imbalances were starting to
approach life threatening.


Bob, I wonder if the horses that came to your property that were
"beavers" eventually stopped chewing simply because your set-up is a
pretty ideal one for horses---constant turn-out, a natural diet, others
of their own kind to socialize with, no blankets, stalls, lights, etc. 
Horse paradise.  I think Heidi may have hit the nail on the head
IMO---gastric ulcers caused discomfort and the odd chewing and eating
behaviors, and as the ulcers went away through a primarily forage ration
and good turnout, so did the aberrant behavior.  Just a thought.

Susan G