Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Vitamin E and Reactivating Desert Equine Balance Group



I just updated my web article on comparing Vitamin E costs, including links to sources and more information to help clarify forms and types of vitamin E.  I hope you will find the article helpful as this is always a challenging topic. 

It's time to reactivate the Desert Equine Balance Group on Google Groups.  The group is focused on Equine Nutrition in the Southwest and related discussions - especially those pertaining to the differences we often see in some area hays (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, West Texas and other arid areas) as they pertain to all horses - not just those who are insulin resistant or have Cushing's disease.  

Changes in weather patterns, growing practices, increased costs of production and shipping and an expanding export market are affecting the availability and quality of forage for our horses and have, in some instances, caused problems for horse owners. Because of these changes and the scarcity of reliable information, together with the ever increasing knowledge level of horse owners, this seemed like the right time to have these discussions.


More and more horseowners are taking nutrition courses, testing their hay and evaluating the results either on their own or with the help of an independent equine nutritionist - vets and feed manufacturers are responding! Horse owners are no longer willing to accept what's printed the label as gospel without seeing the data to back up claims.  Many have committed more hours to equine nutrition education that their veterinarians received in vet school - but to be fair, do we really expect our vets to be the ultimate authority on everything in this age of specialization?


Savvy consumers understand that "controlled starch" may contain well over an acceptable amount for their Insulin Resistant (IR) horse or pony and that the research about the effect of nitrates on horses is practically non-existant.


If you're already a member of the  Desert Equine Balance Group, feel free to jump in with your questions and experiences.  Try to keep things focused on nutrition and no advertising thank you.
If you're not a member and would like to join, go to  Desert Equine Balance Group and click on the Join Group button. If you have a Google account, you can use your gmail address or your Google profile.  (I apologize - I don't know exactly what it will ask if you don't have a Google account - likely they will want you to create one.)

Looking forward to your equine nutrition questions, experiences and answers!

Warm regards,

Patti in Vail AZ

Links



Comparing the cost of providing Vitamin E for our horses http://www.desertequinebalance.com/supplements/vitamin-e

Desert Equine Balance Group on Google  http://groups.google.com/group/desertequinebalance

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

NO Laminitis! 2013 Conference - It's a Wrap!

Awesome conference, lots of new information.  Some of the best part for me was watching the wonderful expressions as people  saw and heard the latest thinking and research.

Sarah Braithwaite of Forageplus
"Intelligent Nutrition".  That's Sarah and
her amazing horse Fari on the banner. 
Sarah Braithwaite of Forageplus in the UK joined us this year.  Sarah is one of those people who lights up the room when she enters and she has been a driving force in advancing balanced nutrition and laminitis prevention in the UK.

From Forageplus News:
The Primary focus of the No Laminitis Conference is to prevent laminitis through disseminating information that can help metabolic and endocrinopathic horses.  ECIR is committed to providing high-quality information, with scientific backing and real-life experience.
For a great summary of facts, signs and symptoms and diagnosing Insulin Resistance (IR) and Cushing's disease (PPID) see Sarah's latest news update.

Did I hear hints of a NO Laminitis! UK conference happening next year?

Many thanks to all the organizers, volunteers and helpers at the conference, and especially to those who kept the home fires burning at the ECIR online group to make sure no new members needing help were left behind over the weekend.

The conference attendees were wonderful - it's these folks who will be carrying on the grass roots and "boots on the ground" traditions begun on ECIR by founder Robin Siskel and Elenor Kellon, VMD, supported by science-verified information.

More photos on the ECIR Facebook page plus watch for information on when and where the conference proceedings will be available.  And keep an eye on NO Laminitis! for information on the next conference.

Warm regards,

Patti in Vail, AZ
where I'm almost caught up on lost sleep : )

Links
Forageplus - Intelligent Nutrition  http://forageplus.co.uk
ECIR Group on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/ECIRGroup
NO Laminitis! conference site  http://www.nolaminitis.org
Equine Cushings and Insulin Resistance online group - ECIR          http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/EquineCushings/info