Selenium

[Rayna5@aol.com]

Howdy Heidi!

Saw your post, you'll have great fun!

Rayna too ate old snag stumps after tying up.  I havent noticed it much
lately, but it wouldnt surprise me if it has something to do with low
selenium.  She has always eaten rotten wood when I'm riding real hard and stop
to take a break.  She also licks while she eats, but I dont think this is the
same, as she will lick anything close to her feed bucket, regardless of
composition.

Rayna also ate several small beech trees and even ate the dirt out of one of
the rootballs. She also ate some sword ferns, which she hasnt done before.
This tells me she needs something, although I have heard evidence to the
contrary.

About the selenium block:  I bought one and Rayna hasnt touched it much at
all. 
I think its a good idea, as I was told that you cant OD a horse in this part
of the country with the kind of riding we do. (Maybe you could if they were
high to begin with, but that seems unlikley in horses from around here.) I
have also heard mention several times that horses will rarely eat something
like minerals or salt that they dont need. ( Unless of coure they are locked
in a stall 24 hours a day, where they develope all kinds of psychotic
behaviors) My selenium block will stay, but I am tempted to bust it up with a
hammer and let her at it loose.  I worry that with all the licking she does,
she may have a tongue sore enough to not want to lick on a block she may need.

I certainly hope neither of us have any more problems with tying up!

See ya on the trails!

Julie and Rayna