i have 2 horses an 8 yr old mare and a 23 yr old gelding. i'm wondering what i should supplement them with because they both eat sand. they'll be out in the pasture making dirt spots with their noses and eat the dirt. what mineral you think they need. i give them fiberpsyll so that the sand goes through them so they won't get sand colic. but i still wonder what they think they need any suggestions?
2007-06-14 09:07:43 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Horse Racing
Sarah
Nutritional needs for an 8 yr old and a 23 are diverse. Address their different needs for weight,weather,age,hay type and quality and more. Psyllium is good every 4Th week, but it won't solve bore dome.
Your feed dealer can show you a line of vitamin and mineral supplements for each horse.
Dirt eating is a vice-just like cribbing, water guzzeling,pawing ,weaving,pacing etc.
Its normal for horses to make a bathing spot in even the best maintained pasture, or a "lounge". In fly season its very useful to roll and get a nice dirt coating to help deter flys. Could you be mistaking this lounge making for eating dirt? You can do a stool float test: dissolve 2 firm balls of feces in a gallon of water, stir, pour off the feed like muck, and see if there is dirt and sand in the botom of the bucket. Your vet can give you a lot more info,though with behavioral problems you will get ten answers per vet. Kudos for including Psyllium in their program.
2007-06-14 10:17:15 · answer #1 · answered by Zair 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You might want to put some hay in a hay-net out where they can pick at it. Horses are genetically programmed to graze for many hours each day, not to eat their feed quickly in a couple of daily feedings. Giving your horses free-choice access to some hay will keep them from ingesting so much sand.
The other thing you might try is giving them something to play with-- a horse-toy of some kind. If they have something to do other than nose around in the sand, it should help.
2007-06-14 09:25:56 · answer #2 · answered by Karin C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really couldn't tell you, but you may have better luck posting this Question under the Horse Category, which is located under PETS.
2007-06-14 09:25:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Willy Nelson said whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.
2007-06-14 09:15:52 · answer #4 · answered by Pengy 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
THAT HAPPENED TO MY HORSES JUST TRY TO ATTRACT THEM TO WHATEVER THEY LIKE AND KEEP THEM ON FIBERPSYLL UNTIL THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO WHAT EVER U GIVE THEM
GOOD LUCK
2007-06-14 09:12:56 · answer #5 · answered by arifugiato 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋