It's That Time of Year Again!!

Just a friendly reminder that with the weather temperatures changing, we need to keep an eye on our horses’ behavior for signs of colic.  Although colic is common, in the spring and fall we are always hearing episodes of colic than any other time of year.  Anytime their routines or diet change it is important to do it very gradually, especially this time of year or wait until the weather is more consistent.

            -We had a horse back in the spring die from severe colic. His diet and routine had been as consistent as it gets. Fed in evening, no signs, he ate like he always did, had poop in his stall and acted like always and turned everyone out as we always do.  At feeding time the next morning we found immediately he had colic symptoms and did everything you would do for colic. The colic went on too long during the night and his intestines had twisted.  

If you are able to catch colic early it will make a difference in how the outcome will be.  Early signs of colic are hard dry stool, no bowel movement, no gut sounds, lying down and getting up over and over, kicking/nipping at belly or pawing, not wanting his feed. If you notice any unusual behavior it’s best to call your vet immediately!

Colic Prevention –

            Always be consistent and maintain your horse’s routine and diet! If any changes need to be made, take care and do it gradually. Of course never feed him moldy hay or feed, always keep him fresh clean water at all times and maybe add some warm water in his cold water in the winter. It is important that they are drinking water! Don’t let a hot horse drink too much water after exercising without cooling him first, being infested with worms can cause colic so keep him on a de-worming program, and don’t let him ingest sand, this can lead to sand colic.

We hope this will be helpful information and good luck!!

Is Your Horse Losing Weight?

At South Ridge Farms Inc one of the most common problems that we encounter from our customers is their horses losing weight. We decided to investigate this problem and found a great article on horsechannel.com. The following is a summation of the article written by Sarah Christie who interviewed James Kerr, DVM, who has an equine practice in Santa Rosa, Calif., where he specializes in performance horses. In addition to his practice, Dr. Kerr is also active with the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) both as a competitor and a ride veterinarian. We hope this information can offer some solutions on increasing and maintaining your horse’s weight.

Most underweight horses get that way because of poor management, not a finicky metabolism. So before cutting out the alfalfa hay or breaking out the beet pulp, it helps to understand why your horse has weight issues. Genetics definitely play a role in regulating equine body mass and metabolic rates, but the environment, exercise and overall health also contribute significantly to whether your horse is ribby or rotund.

If your horse is underweight, it’s essential to eliminate any hidden health concerns that may be contributing to your horse’s condition. Illness, parasites, dental problems, gastric ulcers and stress can all contribute to weight loss. Veterinary exams can help rule out diseases that lead to weight loss. Sticking to a regular deworming program will help safeguard against internal parasites. Scheduling an annual dental exam will ensure that your horse is actually eating all the food you serve up, instead of dribbling it out onto the ground or passing it through undigested.

 Stress can also contribute to weight loss. If your horse is a chronic stall walker, weaver or fence runner, he is burning calories needlessly, all day long. Simple management changes, such as daily turnout or the addition of a stall buddy, can alleviate these behaviors. Rigorous training schedules also cause residual stress after the workout is over, and can lead to gastric ulcers that put horses off their feed. Don’t forget horses need vacations too. If your horse is getting mentally strained from intensive training, consider giving him a month or two off to relax and regroup. If he acts hungry but doesn’t clean up his feed, or exhibits frequent, mild colic symptoms, you may want to ask your veterinarian to perform a gastric endoscopy to determine whether a stomach ulcer is present.

One feed requirement all horses have in common is the need for high-quality forage. In a natural setting, horses will graze up to 22 hours per day. So try to keep something in front of them to munch on all day long, or else they will start to eat the fence posts, the barn and the trees

Feeding for Weight Gain

Hay
Alfalfa hay is often recommended for weight gain. Alfalfa cut at the beginning or end of the growing season is appropriate for horses because of its protein levels. Even when weight gain is the goal, avoid feeding alfalfa hay cut at the height of the growing season because of its high protein levels. (Dr. Kerr suggests not exceeding a 14 percent protein level.)

Complete Feeds
"Complete feeds" refer to any highly digestible processed feed product made from a combination of chopped forage, grain, vitamins and minerals. Underweight horses can often benefit from the addition of a complete feed to the diet.

A good complete feed will be high in fiber and include trace minerals, fats and vitamins. Although billed as nutritionally "complete”, It is recommended to include at least a low-protein grass hay to give horses something to munch on, thus reducing the risk of colic by keeping the gut active.

Senior feeds are a specialized type of complete feed formulated for older horses. They are typically heat extruded milled grain products, some with higher forage contents than others. They are designed to be more digestible and easier to chew. Because older equines often have trouble holding their weight, particularly in cold winter weather, senior feeds usually have a higher percentage of fats, with a combination of grains, forage, rice bran or stabilized oils.

Fabulous Fats
If after adjusting feed amounts, formulations and exercise your horse still doesn’t achieve the desired weight gain, it may be time to consider a weight-gain supplement. The quickest route to increased weight gain without risky side effects is by adding fat in the form of a top dressing.

"Horses utilize fat much more efficiently than human beings do," Dr. Kerr says. "It is a good source of energy as well as an additive for weight gain." Fat has a number of benefits for the working equine. Not only is it 85 percent digestible, it’s free from carbohydrates, which means it doesn’t contribute to a risk of colic or founder. It produces 30 percent less heat than protein in the metabolic process, and it is an easy way to increase calories without increasing feed volume. Not to mention the glossy coat it produces!

Commercial weight-gain supplements often contain stabilized rice bran or flaxseed products as major ingredients. Both are excellent sources of high-quality fat calories. Stabilized rice bran alone can be fed as a top dressing, but it is extremely high in phosphorus, which creates the possibility of a calcium/phosphorous imbalance unless the diet is carefully modified. Flaxseed meal can also be fed alone. Freshness is the key, and it can be ground at home from whole flaxseeds using an electric coffee grinder. Flaxseed must be ground for horses to benefit; otherwise it passes right through the digestive system.

The most economic way to increase fat calories in the diet is by adding common vegetable oil. One cup of corn or safflower oil contains 240 grams of fat, the equivalent of 1.2 pounds of corn or 1.5 pounds of sweet feed. Thus it can be substituted as part of the daily grain ration. But standard cooking oil does not contain the beneficial fatty acids found in flaxseed oil, and it is important to store properly to avoid rancidity.

We here at South Ridge Farms Inc hope this information will be helpful in getting your horse back to a healthy weight. Any suggestions or comments are always welcome.