RE: Feed formulas and also Strangles vaccines

["Tamara Putman" <nis75p06@mindspring.com>]

owensall@sierranet.net WROTE:
...
The main things to remember when feeding endurance horses is to keep
their weight up(to normal body weight, not really fat) while
conditioning them, and to not feed too high of a diet in protein, which
tends to dehydrate the horse and causes much waste product when feed in
great amounts.  Is your hay grassy or what?...

<Tamara writes>Coastal hay is the only thing available here.  Good quality,
but I'm paying $6.5 a bale (I can only get a few bales at a time right now,
when I can buy in bulk, the price should drop to around $4.5)

...As far as strangles, my horse caught a virus this spring that has laid
him off all year.  He had a residual cough and sore throat that was
difficult to get rid of.  Vet advised strangles vaccine, once a year,
intranasaly....

<Tamara writes>Because of the amount of trailering my horse does, the vet I
was working with(down in Huntsville, TX) had me giving him Strangles vaccine
twice yearly along with EEE/EEW and EHV-4.  My new vet (Dallas TX) says
Strangles vaccine isn't necessary and has too many side effects.  I've never
had side effects before, so I'm a little confused.


> I've never tried to fit an endurance horse before, so I have some
questions
> about feed.
>
> I give Wildfire this stuff called Extru-nique 14 from Muenster Milling Co.
> It's a high fat, high energy extruded nugget feed formulated for show and
> performance horses.
>
> The Analysis reads:
> crude protein (min)     14%
> crude fat (min)         8%
> crude fiber (max)               7.5%
> Calcium (min to max)    .8% to .9%
> phosphorus (min)                .7%
> copper (min)            40 PPM
> selenium                        40 PPM
> zinc                            120 PPM
> Vit A (IU/LB)           6000
> Vit D (IU/LB)           800
> Vit E (IU/LB)           65
>
> I feed this at a rate of 6lbs on light work days up to 8lbs on really
heavy
> work days with about 15 pounds of hay a day, plus Strongid C pellets.  I
> don't give any supplements, unless you count horse candy.  He has done
well
> on this program for a couple of years now, but I don't know a whole lot
> about endurance horses and their needs yet.  I was wondering if any of you
> more experienced types out there could offer any advise.
>
> Wildfire is a 14yr old (15 next month) grade gelding in excellent health.
>
> Also, does anyone else vaccinate against Strangles?  I've always given
> Wildfire, in fact all of my horses that I trailer to different places, a
> twice yearly Strangles vaccine.  My new vet says it's a waste of money and
> could be dangerous to Wildfire.  Any other opinions?
>
> -Tamara (& Wildfire, who would really rather not have to have the
additional
> shot.)