ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: Pellets vs Hay

Re: Pellets vs Hay

Trailrite@aol.com
Tue, 14 Oct 1997 15:45:00 -0400 (EDT)

Horses are designed to graze 12 hrs per day. It is bad enough that we feed
them dry hay twice a day. To reduce this to 30 minutes twice a day with
pellets or cubes is pushing the natural design for digestion. If you are an
endurance rider, then I hope that when and if you do feed pellets or cubes, I
hope that you pre-soak with water, to add water to the gut. If one day you
go out and dehydrate your horse and he has a gut full of dry pellets the
possibility of inpaction is great. The pellets pull water from the gut
lining to digest, and if your horse has been stressed and is dehydrated then
it doesn't take long for a possible problem to happen some day. I know about
this because I learned the hard way. My horse, after all night treatments,
expelled this large clump of have digested pellets. I almost lost this horse
that night and I thought that I had over-rode during the race, the guilt was
bad. I now pass this on to anyone that wants to feed pellets. I have a
boarding stables with 21 endurance riders boarding there. We will feed
pellets if the owner request them, but, we soak them for about an hour. We
have never again had a problem with impaction before, during or after a ride.

Tammy Robinson

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