Re: Unidentified subject!

[CMKSAGEHIL <CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-03-15 18:33:49 EST, rainbow@montana.com writes:

<<  What different type things do you
 guys feed your horses at the vet checks and what is the reasoning for
 feeding them ? >>

I will get up in the night no matter what distance I am riding to make sure my
horse has hay in front of him at all times.  A good roughage fill provides a
long-term energy source in the form of volatile fatty acids absorbed from the
large bowel, provides a natural source of electrolytes, and provides a
"sponge" that holds water.  I will allow my horse to eat ANY and ALL roughage
(hay, grass, bran, whatever) at vet checks.  If I can, I will soak the hay
(and bran is ALWAYS fed sloppy wet) to get more moisture in.  I am kind of the
lone ranger, but I do NOT use electrolytes--I select for horses that are very
efficient with their electrolytes and are natural good eaters, and with this
feeding program, I have not had a problem.  (I have had two PNER mileage
champions in the not-too-distant past, one of which was also reserve champion
for points, so this isn't necessarily a "non-competitive" routine--usually get
A's on hydration and gut sounds--when we have tested, we have not been notably
depleted in electrolytes, and my attitude is, "If it ain't broke, don't fix
it!"  I am NOT saying that this will work for all horses!)  At any rate, I
find that the arbitrary addition of electrolytes causes my guys to eat less,
and as they get electrolytes from the feed, it is not worth the trade-off.  I
DO try to have a small salt block at my rig, and if they want it, they use
it--sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but they make the call, not me.

As to concentrates--I will mix small amounts with the bran mash.  I don't feed
them straight, but I do feed a mix of dry COB (corn-oats-barley) and Equine
Senior (which is really a complete feed, not a concentrate), which is their
normal ration anyway, just more of it on ride day.  I am more particular about
getting  this in front of them on 100's or on really tough 50's where we are
out for a lot of hours grinding up and down tough terrain.  They need the
energy, and as long as they are scarfing down the roughage, I do not see much
danger of colic.  I have had ONE horse of mine colic at a ride in 25 years--my
husband rode my stallion at the Pan-American Championship last September and
pulled with a colic at vet check 6.  (I think the crew was thrilled, as he was
the last horse out on the trail by quite a margin.)  As I was busy running the
ride, I had no time to discuss feeding, etc. with Paul's crew, and afterward
discovered that he had consumed his ENTIRE ration of bran at VC #4 COMPLETELY
DRY, had a "C" for gut sounds at VC #5, and finally admitted that it didn't
feel so hot at VC #6.  He had already recovered to the point of eating by the
time the treatment vet got there, and we opted to give him a small amount of
Banamine for the discomfort, since he appeared to be fully hydrated.  He never
lifted his nose out of the feed the rest of the night, and was right as rain
with normal pulse and gut sounds before we even loaded him to go back to camp.

Hope this helps on your collection of vet check food for horses...

Heidi Smith, DVMm--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)