Yummy Yummy - but good for your horse's tummy?

I often see articles and posts on various horse groups encouraging the feeding of fresh fruits and veggies to your horse. Many think this provides an oft times missing link to "live" foods that many hay fed horses miss out on. But is this really a good practice?

I scoured the internet - well, I went through the first 3 or 4 pages of related search arguments about safety of fruits, veggies and greens for our horses - and came up with a lot of comments, lists and opinions but not one which was documented and referenced.

Shotgun Equine Nutrition to the rescue! My compadre Claire recently took the time to review and find source material to come up with a list: Fruits and Veggies for your Horse: What's safe and what's not...
This downloadable pdf can be printed and stored in your feed room or kitchen - or wherever you might prepare fresh snacks for your horses.

While a few of the veggies listed in the "Avoid" group are considered "safe" in small amounts by some fresh veggie advocates, knowing that experts in toxicology consider them potentially poisonous for horses would have me leery of even considering them.  But the list of yummy things your horse can enjoy is long enough that the "avoids" certainly won't be missed.

Best regards,

Patti in Vail AZ
where Dreamer thinks she heard someone say "Strawberries for dessert? Yum!"

Links:
http://www.shotgunranch.me/Fruits-vegetables-safe-unsafe.pdf
Shotgun Equine Nutrition http://www.shotgunranch.me/
Desert Equine Balance http://www.desertequinebalance.com/

This Month's Issue of THM

Processing Feed Ingredients - the lead article in the July issue of Dr. Eleanor Kellon's The Horse's Mouth can give you some insight on reasons to include - or not include - processed feeds for your horse.  I've long been a fan of using "straights" or "hard feed" - grain with as little handling and processing as possible but there are many circumstances where your horse might benefit from the improved energy availability of a processed grain. 

                                           

An eye opener in Electrolyte Replacement is that low potassium may actually reflect inadequate sodium (salt) intake.  Most "pleasure" horses don't need commercial electrolytes but would benefit from making sure their daily requirements for salt are being met - which they won't get from a salt block.  In the Southwest, where the dry air can cause a horse's sweat to dry up before it's noticed that the horse is sweating, an average size horse should be getting two to three ounces of plain white salt a day.

Veterinarian Lisa Lancaster of Lancaster Veterinary Services in Denver, CO explores the effectiveness of acupuncture in Equine Acupuncture, especially as an adjunct to treating pain and inflammation.  As we see more veterinarians learning and practicing alternative modalities themselves or referring their clients to  Integrative Medicine practitioners, it's important that we have some understanding of these modalities so we know what to look for and what to expect.

If you haven't looked into subscribing to The Horse's Mouth, you'll find it's a bargain.  Your monthly downloaded pdf issue will become a resource that you'll return to over and over again.  A subscription will give you access to past issues plus the opportunity to "Ask the Vet" - pose questions directly to Dr. Kellon in an international discussion forum.

Links:
Dr. Kellon's website www.drkellon.com
Subscribe to The Horse's Mouth here and check out the Equine Nutrition course offerings.
The Horse's Mouth discussion group http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Thehorsemouth/

Lisa Lancaster, MSc, PhD, DVM  www.lisavet.com
More information about the alternative modalities Dr. Lancaster practices.


Salt Deprivation: more common than you think  www.shotgunranch.me
by Claire Cox-Wilson, RN, BA  originally published in Bridle and Bit July 2011


Introducing New Feeds and Supplements (or "salting the environment") www.desertequinebalance.com  Introducing salt (and other new stuff) to your horse's diet

Can My IR Horse Still Live Like a Horse?

Many people feel "a horse's place is in the pasture" and are often dismayed to find out their Insulin Resistant horses shouldn't be grazing on all that lovely green grass.

"A frequent question/concern emerges with the newly diagnosed insulin resistant or Cushings horse: How can my horse enjoy life if he is not living like a
horse? How can he have any quality of life if not allowed to graze? Will he have to be confined, locked away in lonely isolation while the other horses are out in the fields?" 



In How Can My Horse Live Like a Horse  veterinarian and ECIR Group moderator Jaini Clougher explains how you can continue to provide movement and social interaction for your horse without exposing him to the problems associated with grass for IR horses.  You can read Dr. Clougher's article here .


If you suspect your horse may have Insulin Resistance/Equine Metabolic Syndrome or Cushing's Disease/PPID, you can get detailed information and support from the ECIR Group and their information website ECIRHorse.org.  

Vitamin A Question

A reader asked about my article Making It Through the Tough Times:  Would a Vitamin A source be needed, and if yes, which one would you suggest?

In the article I outlined the essential basics our horses need to maintain good health. 

Included were:

• The best hay you can find and afford (grass or mixed)
• The trace minerals copper and zinc
• Iodized salt (to provide both salt and iodine)
• Selenium if you're not in a high selenium area

plus flax and vitamin E when your horse does not have access to growing pasture.

Hay will retain good levels of vitamin A for several months.  In addition, horses store vitamin A in the liver - this is usually sufficient to carry them over the winter until new pasture or spring cuttings of hay are available.  

Once hay is more than six months old, especially in late winter to early spring, you may want to supplement some vitamin A.  In the Arizona regional mixes, vitamin A has been included at a minimum level (15,000 IU) to provide an "insurance" level. 

I like to evaluate the horse's coat condition in the spring to help me decide if I should begin adding some vitamin A until spring forage is available.  If the skin is "scurfy" - dry and flakey with an excess amount of "dandruff" even after a good grooming - I'll add some vitamin A and evaluate for improvement in ten days to two weeks.  Several other things can cause poor coat and skin condition including mineral imbalance, inadequate protein, parasites, illness or dehydration, or can interfere with vitamin A absorption or storage.  But in an otherwise healthy horse I'll expect to see improvement in skin and coat texture.

You can use either beta carotene or "preformed" vitamin A - both are available as human gel-caps from the drug store or from online sources such as http://www.swansonvitamins.com/.  If using beta carotene, look for one that provides a minimum of 25,000 IU of vitamin A activity.  I have used beta carotene with good results but, as horses convert only a portion of the beta carotene to useable vitamin A,   preformed vitamin A will likely give faster results.

If your hay was a late season cutting, deep green and still looks, smells and feels fresh in late winter/early spring and your horse is shedding out to a soft shiny coat with no signs of skin dryness, you probably don't need to add vitamin A.  But if your hay was put up early last summer and your horse's skin and coat are dry and lifeless despite knowing he's getting the essentials, give a couple of weeks of vitamin A a try. 

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To learn all the essential requirements your horse should have, consider starting with  Dr. Kellon's NRC Plus nutrition courses.  

Desert Hoofprints Email

Because of both the cost and "commercial" appearance of a newsletter service, I'm changing the way I keep friends and clients updated.  You can now subscribe on my blog to receive email updates - which will let you know when there is something new to learn about or if there have been important changes or updates to articles and files on my website.

I will also be including replies to questions emailed to me or asked in "comments" - if you have a question you'd like me to talk about in a Desert Hoofprints article, you can submit it by email from the home page or send directly to DesertEquineBalance@gmail.com.

Hope you enjoy the new format and find it more casual and friendly.

Patti
Making Desert Hoofprints in Vail, Arizona

EPSM/PSSM - A Quarter Horse Named Doc updated

Since I wrote this three years ago, there has been an increased awareness of equine neuro-muscular disorders by horse owners and their veterinarians. Draft-crosses are becoming popular - spurred by PMU mare/foal rescues many are being ridden by new or first-time horse owners - and their susceptibility to "traditional" draft horse neuro-muscular issues often forces their owners into a sharp learning curve.

go to the updated EPSM/PSSM and a Quarter Horse Named Doc

Update on Understanding Supplement Labels

More and more US supplement manufacturers are showing supplement serving sizes in "grams". To us metrically challenged Yanks, this is confusing. So I'll try to lay out some general terms and "easy" math - with the understanding, of course, that if you're math challenged 2+2 can be tricky.

First some basics. The metric system uses kilograms (equivalent to 2.2 lbs), grams and milligrams to weigh things.

Where we might use 3 or 4 ounces, in the metric system a similar convenient amount might be 100 grams.

• Kilogram (Kg or kg) - 1,000 grams
• Gram (g, gm) - a basic unit of weight
• Milligram (mg) - 1/1,000 of a gram; there are 1,000 mg in one gram
• Microgram (mcg or µ) - 1/1000 of a milligram; there are 1,000 mcg in a mg
• PPM or ppm - parts per million which = mg/kg
• % or percent - 100ths of a gram per gram; how much (by weight) of an elemental mineral is in a gram of compound or product. The elemental mineral will show as a fraction [99% = 99/100 = 0.99 g]

In case you get lost, you can check your math at the Online Conversion site.

Because American supplements and feeds do still show pounds and ounces, you need to know that

• One pound = 453.6 grams; there are 2.2 lbs in a kilogram (1,000 g / 453.6 = 2.20]
• One ounce = 28.4 grams

You can also do metric to US weight conversions at the Online Conversion site.

Let's look at some examples.

A popular selenium yeast product shows the product analysis on the label as:

Active ingredients per 1 gram scoop - Selenium (as Selenium Yeast) 2,000 mcg

This really is a lot of information. You can divide 2,000 mcg by 1,000 to see that there are 2 mg selenium in one scoop.

Because the scoop size is given at one gram, you can see there are 453 scoops (or servings) in a one pound jar of this product.

Looking at some of the ingredients in another highly advertised product, we see:

Per 132 gram serving

Copper 13.2 mg

Iodine 660 mcg

This tells us that the serving size is approximately 4-1/2 ounces

[132 grams/28.4 grams = 4.6 oz]

You would need to use more than 890 grams (30 ounces) of this product to provide your horse's copper requirement of 90 mg/day.

[90 mg/13.2 mg = 6.8 servings x 132 grams per serving = 899 grams]

and [899 grams/28.4 grams = 31.6 oz]

So you can see this is not a cost effective product for supplying your horse's copper.

We also know that we want to give our horse 2-4 mg of iodine per day. At 660 mcg, this product only supplies 0.6 mg of iodine [660 mcg/1000 = 0.66 mg]

Here's another popular product with the analysis shown on their web site:

Phosphorus 1.25%

Magnesium 1.5%

Copper 500 ppm

Iron 350 ppm

Selenium 5 ppm

Iodine 8 ppm

Starting with copper (because copper is usually the first mineral I address when I'm evaluating a supplement), we see that this has 500 ppm, or 500 mg/kg. Dividing by 1,000 (remember, there are 1,000 grams in 1 kg) gives us 0.5 mg copper per gram of product. [ (500 mg/kg)/1,000 = 0.5 mg/gm]

If you multiply the grams by 28.4, you'll see there are 14.2 mg per ounce. So you will need around 6 ounces of this product to supply your horse's minimum 90 mg copper requirement.

[500 ppm = (5 mg/kg)/1000 = 0.5 mg per gram] [ 0.5 x 28.4 = 14.2 mg/oz]

[need 90 mg / 14.2 mg/oz = 6.3 oz]

You could also divide the 90 mg requirement by the 0.5 mg/gm to see how many grams you would need to feed.

[90/0.5 = 180 gm] Divided by 28.4 should give us ounces [180/28.4 = 6.3 oz] which answer as the first method.

The feeding directions for this product call for 1 oz per 100 pounds body weight, so you can see this product will supply a generous level of copper.

Selenium, at 5 ppm, will supply 0.005 mg/gm, or 0.852 mg in a 6 ounce serving. This would be about right for your 600 lb pony.

[5 ppm = 5 mg/kg] [ (5 mg/kg)/1000 = 0.005 mg/gm] [0.005 x 28.4 = 0.142 mg/oz] [0.142 x 6 = 0.85 mg in 6 oz]

Exercise -try working out the phosphorus, iron and iodine levels in a six ounce serving. The answers are at the end of this post.

Working out the levels of a mineral or nutrient in a fortified feed follows the same math except you convert to pounds or kilograms instead of ounces

Looking at a well known heavily fortified feed, the analysis shows

Calcium (min) 2%

Phosphorus (min) 1%

Copper (min) 130 ppm

Selenium (min) 2.3 ppm

The (min) indicates that the product contains at least (minimum) this level of nutrient; exact levels are more difficult to control in the larger bulk of feed vs the smaller, more precise requirements of a supplement.

Like most fortified feeds, it is "balanced to itself" i.e. it will have correct Ca:P and trace mineral ratios independently of any other forage/feed you are providing. [Calcium 2% / Phosphorus 1% = 2:1]

Because we'll feed this in pounds (or kilos), we'll figure the levels for 1 pound and for 1 kg (2.2 lbs).

Calcium 2% divided by 100 gives 0.02 grams calcium per gram of product. Multiply by 453.6 for grams per pound. Multiply by 1,000 for grams per kilogram.

[2% / 100 = 0.02 g/gm] [0.02 x 453.6 = 9.07 g calcium per pound] [0.02 x 1000 = 20 g calcium per kilogram]

Copper 130 ppm divided by 1,000 gives 0.13 mg per gram. Multiply by 453.6 for mg per pound; by 1,000 for mg per kg.

[130 ppm = (130 mg/kg)/1000 = 0.13 mg/gm x 453.6 = 59 mg copper per lb of feed]

[130 ppm = 130 mg/kg - well, we don't have to go any further to see how many mg of copper are in a kilogram of feed]

Try working out the Phosphorus and selenium levels and check your results against the answers below.

By now you are either digging through your tack room looking for feed bag and supplement labels to practice on or you are reaching for a cold one having thrown your calculator in the trash (you didn't try to do this by hand, did you?) Either way, I hope this gives you some ammunition against snake oil products and helps you choose appropriate feeds and supplements. If you have a question, you can enter it as a comment to this post or email me directly at DesertEquineBalance@gmail.com.

Exercise answers:

Minerals in 6 ounces of popular supplement

Phosphorus 1.25%

[1.25/100 = 0.0125 g/gm x 28.4 = 0.355 g/oz x 6 = 2.13 g Phosphorus in 6 oz supplement]

Iron 350 ppm

[350 ppm = (350 mg/kg)/1000 = 0.35 mg/gm x 28.4 = 9.94 mg/oz x 6 = 59.6 mg Iron in 6 oz]

Iodine 8 ppm

[8 / 1000 = 0.008 mg/gm x 28.4 = 0.227 mg/oz x 6 = 1.4 mg Iodine in 6 oz]

Minerals in 1 lb and 1 kg of a well know heavily fortified feed

Phosphorus (min) 1%

[1/100 = 0.01 g/gm x 453.6 = 4.5 g Phosphorus per pound of feed]

Selenium (min) 2.3 ppm

[2.3/1000 = 0.0023 mg/gm x 453.6 = 1.04 mg Selenium per lb of feed]

Go here to review the original Understanding Supplement Labels article.

The Bigger They Are...

I was talking with Sheila, my equine management associate here at Desert Equine Balance, this morning when we got on the topic of "big" horses and some of the different management issues they have.

Draft horses generally have been bred for strength and size rather than being mainly a refined version of a more naturally evolved light horse. They were bred for heavy work on a regular basis - pulling or carrying heavy loads - and weren't really expected to jump things or carry us on adventures around the countryside.

The appeal of these large purebred drafts and draft crosses can't be denied. For the most part they seem laid back, willing to please and are beautiful to look at. As more and more draft crosses show up at rescues, more people make the decision to bring one home as their primary riding horse. I find I'm working with more and more of these horses as time goes on and some owners find themselves with big horses that just aren't doing as well as they should.

Draft and draft crosses are susceptible to a condition called EPSM - Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy, a muscle condition that causes weakness and a specific type of rhabdomyolysis - known as "Sunday Morning Disease" to working draft horse owners.

Some new large horse owners have heard that drafts may have special needs or requirements and spent time preparing for their "gentle giant". They can be prone to insulin resistance (IR) and poor performance related to stiffness and gait abnormalities related to the EPSM. Obesity is sometimes not "noticed" because of their large size. Compare the large yet fit Clydesdales above to the fat workhorse here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/78953809@N00/1688846112/.

Some draft/draft cross owners have told me "my horse doesn't have EPSM". It's possible that the question isn't "if" the horse has EPSM but "when" it might show up. But with appropriate nutrition and management, the effects of EPSM don't have to affect your large horse.

• Monitor your big horse's weight and condition frequently. http://www.draftresource.com/Draft_Wt_Tape.html has an interesting discussion on measuring for weight; useful as most weight tapes don't go around.
• Avoid grain unless your horse is working hard. Use NRC guidelines to avoid over feeding your draft horse.
• Feed low sugar/low starch hay - try to buy tested hay or learn to test it yourself. See http://desertequinebalance.blogspot.com/2006/08/analyzing-hay-and-feeds.html
• Exercise your draft horse every day. Owners on the ESPM group report seeing more symptoms when they skip exercise. "Turnout" does not have the same effect as structured exercise.
• Learn all you can about diet, EPSM and caring for draft horses.

Resources:

EPSM: List for owners of horses with EPSM, a common problem of big horses. Lots of information from owners of big horses who have or want to prevent problems.

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSM/

Eleanor Kellon, VMD is a frequent visitor here and works with list members on diet and supplements. Many owners have been using a low sugar/low starch diet along with ALCAR (Acetyl L-carnitine or plain L-carnitine) and other supplements to effectively manage EPSM symptoms.

Rural Heritage Vet Clinic - Dr. Beth Valentine

http://www.ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/index.htm

Lots of background on draft horses. Dr. Valentine is an advocate of a high fat diet for draft horses.

Information on muscle biopsy to diagnose EPSM

http://www.ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/epsm_biopsy.htm

U of Minnesota PSSM testing information

http://www.cvm.umn.edu/umec/lab/PSSM/

Information on both genetic testing and muscle biopsy, plus a "decision tree". PSSM is similar to EPSM, seen most often in Quarter Horses but also in draft horses and other breeds.

NRC Plus - online nutrition courses by Eleanor Kellon, VMD.

http://drkellon.com/

NRC Plus is the basic and gives the framework for the advanced courses that follow.

Making It Through the Tough Times

I work with a few people who simply can't afford a basic commercial supplement, even the very cost-effective HorseTech flax-based supplements (including AZ Regional Mix or Rod's standard products).

A healthy horse doesn't need all the extras included in many supplements, such as biotin, methionine, probiotics, etc. As long as requirements are met, pasture or good quality hay with some supporting trace minerals and salt will provide what most horses not in intense work need.

Horses on hay only (often the case in the Southwest) should receive a source of Omega-3 fatty acids (flax) and vitamin E. Horses on good pasture usually are well supplied with these during grazing season.

If you are willing to trade off some convenience, this is what I suggest when money is tight:

• Buy the best hay you can find - this is not the area to skimp in.
  
• Fresh ground flax - 4 oz/day (one full cup). Purchase 50 lb bags, grind once a week and store in freezer or refrigerator.
  
• Poly copper and poly zinc - 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon/day. (Available from HorseTech or Uckele)
  
• Vitamin E - 2,000 IU. Use human gel caps - the 400 IU size are usually barely noticed and most horses just eat them right down when mixed in their feed. The oil base improves absorption - this is more important than whether the vitamin E is "natural" or synthetic.
  
• Iodized table salt - minimum 1 ounce, up to 3 ounces for idle horses and more for working horses.
  
• Selenium - generally 2 mg/day if not in a high selenium area. If in doubt about your horse's selenium status, ask your vet to check whole blood levels. (Selenium yeast from Platinum)
  
• Chromium - only if hay is grown in arid conditions where it is likely deficient. 2 mg/day for working horses, more for an IR horse, none for idle horses. (Chromium yeast from Platinum)

Along with quality hay, the best thing you can give your horse is exercise. When we confine our horses, it is our obligation to provide them with as much turn out and movement as possible. Lack of exercise can not be fixed with a "supplement".

The best treat? A good grooming. Besides being inexpensive, it provides exercise for you and an opportunity to bond with your horse. But a healthy inexpensive "food" treat is split peas from your grocery store. Crunchy, yummy and they have a complete amino acid profile.

Does your working horse need a little more in the way of protein, calories and energy? Use a 50/50 mix- by weight - of beet pulp and oats (or alfalfa and oats). This is pretty well balanced for major minerals - and most horses will enjoy a beet pulp/oat mash after a workout. Don't forget the extra salt to replace sodium and chloride losses Unless you're doing intense work, there's no need for commercial electrolytes - many don't supply enough sodium and chloride and the feed will replace potassium and calcium.

You can give your horse what he needs without breaking the bank. Of course, basic hay/forage testing will help you do this more precisely - and is usually the most cost effective method, but the suggestions above will ensure your horse is getting the basics. If your horse has special needs (pregnant, nursing, growth, high level intense work, illness) they may require other additions - but this also can usually be done without costing a small fortune.

As always, I wish to credit Eleanor Kellon, VMD for giving me opportunities to learn the basics of equine nutrition. See the sidebar for links to Dr. Kellon's nutrition courses.

Why Weigh Feed?

I was browsing through some messages on the Equine Cushings and IR group when I came across this - 

Can someone also put the emergency diet in laymens terms (cups/flakes). I don't have a weight scale and not sure what things weigh. 

The Emergency Diet - for those unfamiliar with it - is a short term low sugar-low starch maintenance ration for horses experiencing laminitis or suspected of being insulin resistant. It was developed by Eleanor Kellon, VMD and is meant to be a temporary diet to safely help your horse through the critical acute period while you, the owner, catch your breath and start getting a correct diagnosis.

So why is it important to weigh your horse's hay, feed and supplements? 

The entire concept of determining equine nutritional needs, then meeting their requirements with forage is based on weight. Weight of the horse and weight of the forage and feed.

A 1,000 lb horse at maintenance (just hanging around the corral looking pretty) needs a minimum of 15 mega calories (Mcal, or 15,000 Calories) every day. A 250 pound mini needs only 3.8 Mcal, a working ranch horse might use up 24 or more Mcal a day when he's working.

A general rule of thumb is to provide a horse with 1.5 to 2% of it's body weight in forage (hay or hay plus pasture). That would be around 15 lbs of hay for the pasture ornament, 3-3/4 lbs for the mini, and at least 20 lbs a day for the ranch horse. 

Working with horses since before he could walk, the cowboy knows his horse is going to get skinny on 20 lbs of hay. While he might not be consciously doing the math, he knows his horse will need to be knee deep in grass hay and will probably benefit from something "extra" - more calories, higher protein, more carbs - so will also give him a bit of alfalfa and a measure of oats. Is he using a scale? No - but when your livelihood (and possibly your life) depend on the health of your partner, you've likely developed a keen eye and feel for how much is enough, too much or too little.

A lot of us don't have the life-long horseman/horsewoman's eye.

Let's take my weekend warrior who's a bit on the chubby side. I "know" an average bale of Bermuda hay in Arizona weighs around 100 lbs, +/- 5-10 lbs or so, and that if I split a bale over two days for three horses, they're getting around 16 lbs of hay a day.   That will work - as long as the hay is pretty "average", around 0.8 to 0.9 Mcal per lb. But, when I look at my "herd" of three, I see I'm actually feeding around 2550 lbs of horse (1000 lb mare, 900 lb gelding, 650 lb pony gelding) and they, collectively, only need around 38 Mcal/day.

And this last load of hay is really nice - almost 110 lbs per bale and the horses really like it.  My horses are fat and sassy - uh oh, did I say fat?  I weigh my "flakes" of hay - each one is closer to 9 lbs than the 5 or 6 lbs I have in my mind. So I cut back one flake per day (I've been putting out six). 

 I could probably have figured this out without a scale - but it made it easier. Like most horse owners, I tend to think along the lines of "Am I feeding them enough?" rather than "Am I giving them too much?" And, without a scale, I typically under-estimate the weight of the hay I am feeding (and this has been my experience with almost all the folks I have worked with).

Let's look at the mini. Our kind of average grass hay has around 8.5 Mcal/lb. The mini needs around 3.8 Mcal - if he's fairly active in a good size paddock. That works out to 4-1/2 lbs of hay a day - and nothing else (no concentrates, no grain, no treats). What if your "flake" weighs 5 lbs and you give him a whole flake every day? 

Over a week, that's an extra 3 Mcal, almost a whole day's ration. Over a year, that's an extra 155 Mcal - or enough to maintain your mini for over a month! You could have enjoyed your mini for 13 months for the same cost as 12 months, and he would be healthier!

One last example - as this is where we see a lot of folks get into trouble.

Your vet tells you to put your cresty necked 1100 lb horse on a diet. You, or your vet, interpret this as feeding less - a lot less - to lose weight. That's how people do it, right? So you cut back to two "flakes" of hay/day, plus a little senior feed to provide some vitamins and minerals.

What's wrong with this picture?

Your two 5-1/2 lb flakes provide 11 lbs of forage, or only 1% of your horse's body weight. This is not sufficient gut fill to avoid problems such as colic or maintaining immune function - your horse needs a minimum of 1.5% BW in forage to lose weight safely - or 16-1/2 lbs of forage (hay) a day. To see the disastrous results of using a "starvation" diet to get a horse to lose weight, read Perla's Story.

The hay needs to be low sugar-low starch - preferably less than 10%, with a DE of 0.9 or less (alfalfa, many small grain hays and some grass hays will exceed this - have your hay analyzed to find out the DE). 

Your horse does not need any "concentrate" feed at all (grain, "senior" feed, "complete" feed, etc.) as they likely contain too much sugar/starch and won't supply the necessary level of minerals and vitamins unless fed at the minimum levels shown on the product label (usually around 2 lbs/day or more for an "average" horse). 

Your horse does need minerals at least at the minimum levels recommended by the NRC or, even better, balanced to a hay analysis, plus some vitamins if not eating fresh forage/grass. As an interim measure, an iron-free supplement, such as the flax-based supplements from HorseTech, can provide basic support until you have hay analyzed and determine your horse's specific needs. A small amount of soaked beet pulp or hay pellets can be used as a "supplement carrier".

Basic requirements are available in tables at Equi-Analytical's website, or at the NRC's online program.  Neither the tables nor the online calculator tell you how to interpret or balance the results, and they both give you only minimum requirements - similar to the human "RDA", not the levels recommended for optimal health.

You can learn more by checking out the other articles and links on this blog. Joining the Equine Cushings and IR group will give you access to a wealth of science-based information that's been developed over the years, as well as support if your horse is currently laminitic (or suspected of having laminitis). Eleanor Kellon, VMD has begun offering a series of online equine nutrition courses, from the very basic through nutrition for the elite equine athlete, which you can complete at your own pace.

My own bit of cynicism -

I am always amazed at the folks who will pay large sums for the right tack, a new truck or trailer, correct riding clothes, but balk at $30 for a good scale, $26 for a hay analysis or taking the few hours to have someone help them to "learn the math".

Obviously, if you've read down this far, you aren't one of them. But, because you obviously care for your equine partner, you are vulnerable to any and all of the magic bullets offered to make us think we are doing the best for our horses. 

Your strongest weapon - and best resource - is knowledge. It's out there - I hope this helps you navigate the map but then its up to you to use it.

Pete Ramey - Equine Nutrition Warrior

Barefoot Hoof Guru Pete Ramey has been taking Eleanor Kellon, VMD's basic nutrition course, NRC Plus.  Pete has enlivened the discussion on this online program - coining the title Equine Nutrition Warrior - and recently summarized his experience on his web site in an article called Feeding the Hoof.

“I got so much out of the "NRC Plus"course- I can’t wait for the others. Join me in the “Equine Cushings/Insulin Resistance” and “Nutrition as Therapy” classes this fall. We’ll get better for our horses together.”  Pete

Dr. Kellon presented the first NRC Plus basic ("basic" being a bit of an understatement) course this past spring and so far, close to 250 students - ranging from single horse owners to breeders and trainers to veterinarians and nutritionists - and yes, farriers and hoof trimmers - have enrolled in the basic and advanced courses. You can see all of the course listings at drkellon.com (some of the advanced courses do have prerequisites).

That's not what the label says...

Purina's foot dragging in their recent feed recall (or "retrieval", as they preferred to call it) has left us wondering about safety and quality control in our horse feeds. Some mistakes may make it out the door with even the best quality control but in horse feed, as in politics, it's the response that matters.

About a week ago (June 3rd) I bought a couple of bags of Eagle Milling brand beet pulp pellets. It was getting dark when I got home, but I went ahead and dumped them into the the heavy duty trash can I use to store them in. I couldn't see the pellets well in the dark and didn't take a real good look until I had finished up the remaining previous stock and started to feed the new ones Friday evening.

I noticed that about half the pellets were pink-brown, not the usual color - which is kind of a "frosted" deep green.  There was also quite a bit of corn mixed in, along with some tiny pellets and a lot of  "dust", which looked like it might be from the tiny pellets. This is not adding up to something I want to feed my insulin resistant horse - or, actually, any of my horses as I haven't a clue what's really in these pellets. Alfalfa? Grain? Minerals? There's something in there that's obviously NOT beet pulp.

I separated some of the "pink" pellets out and put them to soak, next to some of the more normal appearing green pellets. The green pellets looked "normal"  after soaking - a bit like chopped spinach. The "mystery pellets", on the left, resisted softening - a lot of the pellets were still firm and formed. They appeared to be made of a variety of material - possibly some beet pulp or other forage, lighter colored stuff that might be grain, and smaller particles that could be ground up minerals or ...

Using the phone number on the bag tag for Eagle Milling I called and left a message describing the problem.  (Apparently Eagle Milling, a "local" Arizona feed mill, is now a subsidiary of behemoth Cargill.)

Fast forward to Monday morning (after spending a sweaty hour in Sunday's 104+ heat repacking the pellets into their bags to return).  Stacy from Cargill called, wanting complete information about lot numbers, where and when purchased, etc., and she is making arrangements for a no-hassle exchange and appears to be genuinely interested in not having this happen again. It's complicated by the bags, even though purchased the same day, being from two different lots; we can't be certain which bag contained the mystery pellets. I received additional calls from the plant manager; they will send someone out to pick up the feed today.

So what should you do if you open a bag of feed and its not what you expected?

• If you're feeding "straights", you are more likely to quickly spot if something is not "right".
  
• If in doubt, don't feed the product. It won't hurt your horse to miss a few meals as long as you're feeding sufficient hay.
• Contact the feed company directly if you suspect something is not right with a feed, don't just rely on the feed store to follow up.
• Document, document, document. Take pictures of the feed, the bag, the bag tag. If the photo doesn't clearly show the label/tag information, write it down. Write a description of what you see and smell that makes you believe there is a problem.
• Don't throw the feed or product out - it should be returned to the dealer, distributor or feed company. Retain a good size sample, along with your documentation, until any issues are resolved to your satisfaction. Try to keep the product/sample in the same condition it was in when you purchased it (i.e. - keep dry, protect from rodents, etc.)

If you suspect a feed or product has caused illness, in addition to notifying the feed company and your feed store, notify your regular veterinarian and your State veterinarian. Most State veterinarian offices are able to have feeds tested and can initiate action if necessary. You can also have feed analyzed for some of the common toxins on your own through one of the forage testing laboratories.

When a product doesn't meet our expectations, our initial reaction is often to just discard it and resolve not to use that product or brand again, especially if no actual harm was done. Taking the time to throughly document the problem and notify the right people isn't always easy in our busy lives. 

But you will likely find, as I did, that conscientious manufacturers do care about quality control, appreciate that you took the time to notify them of a problem and will go out of their way to make resolving any issues simpler. 

Sure it's good business for a company to respond to customer concerns. But the rapid response and personal interest taken by the folks at Eagle Milling/Cargill reassures me that, had this been a serious or health related concern, there would be prompt action and resolution. 

 Update 

Angel from Cargill came out to pick up my beet pulp and bring some new bags. The new bags still had quite a few of the "brown" pellets with what might be some grain mixed in, but not near as much corn as my original bags. So we decided I'll go with shreds, at least for the time being until they have a chance to test these pellets and double check the manufacturing. (These apparently are manufactured in California and bagged locally.)

He called the dealer to double check that they have shreds without molasses in stock so I can pick them up when I go into town tomorrow.

Turns out Angel also works with the local 4-H swine program, knows all my friends. Vail, Tucson and large parts of Arizona are still pleasantly "small town".

EPSM/PSSM and a Quarter Horse Named Doc

Since I wrote this three years ago, there has been an increased awareness of equine neuro-muscular disorders by horse owners and their veterinarians. Draft-crosses are becoming popular - spurred by PMU mare/foal rescues many are being ridden by new or first-time horse owners - and their susceptibility to "traditional" draft horse neuro-muscular issues often forces their owners into a sharp learning curve. (See The Bigger They Are...)

The EPSM group - a group of owners of horses with EPSM/PSSM which includes not only draft horses but warm bloods - many trained at high levels of dressage - and some light horse breeds has become more active. Eleanor Kellon, VMD has been working with group members helping them develop and fine tune treatment protocols and her course on Neuro and Muscular Disorders expands on the information from the earlier Nutrition as Therapy program. While feed companies scramble to develop new ways to market "magic feed", Dr. Kellon's approach begins with sound nutritional foundations based on NRC guidelines and a basic understanding of how the parts of the equine body works - no gimmicks or magic bullets.

Claire's story about their Quarter Horse Doc is a must read if you have a horse that is displaying any of the signs of Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM).

In 2001, Doc displayed many of the symptoms commonly associated with PSSM, including

• cranky when asked to canter both under saddle and on a line.
• when he was young he would buck, as he matured he would swish his tail angrily
• extremely hard muscles even when out of shape
• backs up very slowly and reluctantly
• seems uncomfortable when asked to pick up his back legs
• difficulty picking up his right lead
• unexplained episodes of back soreness
• stiff, choppy gaits, he was never relaxed and rhythmical
• tripping, which we attributed entirely to his Navicular Disease/Syndrome
• quivering chest muscles, especially when waiting for his feed
• at times Doc did not want to be groomed, acting as if he was going to bite
• a history of tying-up
  

Finally getting a correct diagnosis, Claire was able to place Doc on a simple targeted nutrition plan with the help of equine nutrition specialist, Eleanor Kellon, VMD, which has alleviated his symptoms.

Read Claire's article to see how applying research and science can provide a straight forward approach to sorting out this often baffling condition.

And check out the EPSM/PSSM group at http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSM/ for support and see how the latest updates on diet and using ALCAR (Acetyl L-Carnitine) or L-carnitine protocols are working.

Other EPSM/PSSM resources -

University of Minnesota Equine Center

Neuromuscular Diagnostic Center main page

U of Mn Decision Tree for Diagnostic Testing

Tests available at the U of Mn Veterinary Diagnostic Lab

Equine Nutrition Courses by Eleanor Kellon, VMD

Source for Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

NutraBio bulk products NutraBio.com

Rural Heritage - Dr. Beth Valentine's high fat diet recommendations

Understanding Supplement Labels

Many supplements will show the actual grams (g) or milligrams (mg) of a mineral per ounce, scoop or pound. But many only show a “guaranteed analysis” – either “%” or “ppm”. So if you want to know how much of a mineral is actually contained in the scoop, you need to do some math. The math is not difficult, but can be confusing at first.
The same math can be used for converting bagged feed label nutrients and minerals into grams or mg.

Major Minerals

Major Minerals are used in large amounts and are usually shown as percent (%), which equals grams (g) of elemental mineral per gram of compound (or product).
The most confusing part is that the term “gram” is used both as the amount of mineral in a compound and as the total weight of the compound/product.
I will use the abbreviation “g” for the elemental major mineral.

For example, a supplement label shows it contains Calcium 6.5%

• The formula to calculate grams is
  percent ÷ 100 = g of mineral per gram of product or
  6.5 ÷ 100 = 0.065g calcium per gram of product
• There are 28.4 grams per ounce, so to see how many grams of calcium are in one ounce of the supplement, you would multiply 0.065 x 28.4.
  0.065 x 28.4 = 1.846
  There are 1.8g of calcium in each ounce of this supplement.
• The complete formula is:
  6.5 ÷ 100 x 28.4 = 1.846
• If the serving size is six ounces, then the complete formula is:
  6.5 ÷ 100 x 28.4 = 1.846 x 6 = 11 grams of calcium per serving
  

Trace Minerals

Trace Minerals are used in much smaller amounts – milligrams instead of grams. The term “ppm” (parts per million) is usually used to show how much of a trace mineral is contained in a supplement. PPM equals mg (milligram) of mineral per kg (kilogram) of product, so we will have to divide by 2.2 to get mg per pound and divide again by 16 to get mg per ounce.
You can use this to figure out how many mg of a trace mineral are contained in a supplement you use. Because supplement-feeding instructions are often “per ounce” (or per 1 ounce scoop), we will figure mg per ounce. (You may have to adjust this for your supplement.)

[1 kg = 2.2 lbs, 1lb = 16oz]

Example:

• Special Hoof contains copper at 540ppm
  ppm = mg per kg
• 540ppm = 540mg copper per 1 kg of Special Hoof
• 540 ÷ 2.2 = 245.5mg copper per 1 lb of Special Hoof
• 245.5 ÷ 16 = 15.3mg copper per 1 oz of Special Hoof or 91.8mg per six ounce serving

• Special Hoof also contains iodine at 4.7ppm
• 4.7 ÷ 2.2 ÷ 16 = 0.13mg iodine per 1 oz of Special Hoof or 0.78mg per six ounce serving
  

Trace Minerals rarely may be shown as percent (%). We treat it the same as for the major minerals above to convert to grams, then multiply by 1000 to see “mg”. [Note – if a supplement used this “non-standard” measurement for trace minerals, I would question if I really wanted to use this supplement.]

Converting A Typical Supplement Label

SuperDooperPooper Supplement guaranteed analysis

Calcium 6.5%
Magnesium 6%
Vitamin E 5,600IU per lb
Selenium 12.7 ppm
Copper 1250 ppm
Manganese 2400 ppm
Zinc 2400 ppm
Feeding directions – feed 2 to 3 ounces daily

What it contains per ounce

Calcium 1.8g [ 6.5 ÷ 100 x 28.4 = 1.846 ]
Magnesium 1.7g [ 6.0 ÷ 100 x 28.4 = 1.704 ]
Vitamin E 350IU [ 5,600 ÷ 16 = 350 ]
Selenium 0.36mg [ 12.7 ÷ 2.2 = 5.77 ÷ 16 = 0.36 ]
Copper 35.5mg [ 1250 ÷ 2.2 = 568.18 ÷ 16 = 35.5 ]
Manganese 68.2mg [ 2400 ÷ 2.2 = 1090.9 ÷ 16 = 68.18 ]
Zinc 68.2mg [ 2400 ÷ 2.2 = 1090.9 ÷ 16 = 68.18 ]

For 3 oz serving, multiply the above by 3


Symbols for Common Minerals

Major Minerals

Ca - Calcium
P - Phosphate
Mg - Magnesium
K - Potassium
Na - Sodium

Trace Minerals
Fe - Iron
Cu - Copper
Z - Zinc
Mn - Manganese
Co - Cobalt
I - Iodine
Se - Selenium
Cr - Chromium
Mb - Molybdenum (considered contaminant from industrial pollution)
Al - Aluminum (considered contaminant from acid rain)


Some Handy Terms

Gram – g or gm
Milligram – mg
Microgram – mcg or µ
Kilogram – kg
Parts per million - ppm
IU - International Units (commonly used for fat soluble vitamins)

1 g = 1000mg (multiply g by 1000 to get mg or divide mg by 1000 to get g)
1mg = 1000mcg (divide mcg by 1000 to get mg, multiply mg by 1000 to get mcg)
1kg = 2.2 lbs
1lb = 16 oz
1lb = 453.6 grams
1oz = 28.4 grams

Beet Pulp II - How to Soak and Feed

Beet Pulp is available

• Plain - no molasses added. The only ingredient listed on the label will be "Beet Pulp". The sugar content of unmolassed Beet Pulp can range from 6% to 12% but is usually less than 10%.
• Molasses added. The label will list "Beet Pulp" and "Molasses". The sugar content of molassed Beet Pulp can run from around 12% to higher than 20%. Small amounts of molasses may be added for dust control without being listed on the ingredient tag.
• Beet Pulp "shreds" usually have no further processing after the sugar is removed, some shreds are chopped before being bagged. Size can vary from a "rough chop" to larger bark-like flat pieces.
• Beet Pulp pellets are shreds that have been finely chopped and formed into pellets.
• SpeediBeet is a brand of micronized (extremely finely chopped) beet pulp which absorbs water very quickly. Popular in the UK, it is slowly becoming available in the US.
  

How Much to Feed

A half pound (dry weight before soaking) of plain Beet Pulp makes a good low-carbohydrate carrier for supplements. This would be in the range of a couple of handfuls of pellets or a little more than half of a 1lb coffee can of shreds. This is the amount often used to replace a higher sugar/starch "prepared" feed.

Feeding a pound or two (dry weight) of Beet Pulp will help maintain weight and 3 to 4 pounds or more will help with weight gain without increasing starch levels as grain does.

Because of its high fiber content, it can be used as 25-40% of the ration for horses who have difficulty chewing.


Soaking Beet Pulp

Beet Pulp shreds can be fed without soaking - this has long been a practice at race tracks. Dry shreds are no more likely to cause choke than any other dry feed however most horses (and their humans) prefer them soaked, or at least moistened. Some shreds will soak up in as little as ten minutes in warm water; twenty to thirty minutes is usually adequate.

Beet Pulp pellets tend to be much harder than other pellets and it is strongly suggested they be fully soaked. They will soften up in an hour or two depending on the brand and temperature and will expand up to 10 times their original volume in 4-8 hours. It's really difficult to describe if you've never seen it.

Caution - I've soaked beet pulp up to 12 hours without any problem but have heard others report it getting "sour" if left too long, especially in warm weather. You can start soaking in the morning for an evening feed (and in the evening for a morning feed), keeping it out of the sun.

I like to drain the soaked beet pulp (I use a mesh colander) and will also rinse if the dry beet pulp was very dusty or if I think it might have a bit of molasses in it. If I notice a horse isn't drinking as well as I'd like, I will sometimes add some water back in and serve his beet pulp as a "soup".

You can then add supplements, salt and other "stuff" (I toss in a handful of Timothy pellets) either top dressed or stirred in.

Some horses will initially turn up their nose at beet pulp and will take some acclimating. It can help to start with just a little added to something they already like, then gradually increase the beet pulp while decreasing the other feed to make the transition. I've personally never encountered this - every horse I've given beet pulp to just dived right in. But if your horse needs a taste tempter, Megan's website page on Natural Flavorings has some good ideas.

I have found that using feed pans rather than wall feeders simplifies clean up - I can take the pans to a hose to rinse them out. (Left over beet pulp will turn rancid or mold if left in a feeder.)

Tips for Boarders

Boarding your horse always makes controlling your horse’s diet harder but many have found ways to work beet pulp into the routine.

• If you can get to the barn daily, soak the beet pulp at home or at work (a small cooler can work well for soaking and transporting). You can do this once a week or so and keep it in baggies in your freezer, ready for a quick grab on your way out the door.

• If the barn has a refrigerator, you can soak/drain/rinse the beet pulp at home and pack in individual baggies to keep in the barn’s fridge. (For more than 3-4 days, it should be kept in the freezer.)

• While “soak/drain/rinse” is ideal to remove surface iron, dust and residual sugar, the draining/rinsing could be skipped if your beet pulp is unmolassed and relatively dust free.

• If the barn owner is willing to help, make it easy for them. Pre-measure the beet pulp and your supplements into baggies, provide a large closed bucket or other container to keep your stuff neat and together. If needed, provide the bucket for soaking, a colander for draining, a metal sweat scraper for stirring. And be willing to offer paying a bit extra for this service.

Beet pulp is not “necessary” but is a low sugar/low starch alternative to bagged feeds and grain or can be used as a substitute for some of the hay ration (especially if you need to replace some high sugar/starch hay) and is well accepted by most horses. It doesn’t take long to get into a routine and the benefits usually outweigh any inconvenience.

Don't forget to check out Beet Pulp I - You want me to eat WHAT???

if you came here to Part II first.