Posts Tagged ‘Feed Supplements’

If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. Or so the old saying goes. However, wishes were horses but not horse supplies as well, then the beggars in question would not be riding.

To begin with, anyone who wishes to ride a horse, will need horse supplies in the form of tack. Even the roughest rider who enjoys bareback riding will require a bridle, and most of us would prefer to have a saddle between us and the horse’s spine.

Most saddlers will stock a variety of bridles and saddles, along with a selection of different types of bit, depending on the needs of you and your horse. Other tack items available at a good retailer of horse supplies should include halters, cruppers and breastplates. Other horse supplies are more concerned with the horse’s comfort and well-being.

A horse kept stabled will require good quality food, ranging from the traditional hay and oats to more modern pellets and grain mixes. Racehorses and show horses in particular will require very high quality, high energy feed and supplements in order to perform at their peak.

A horse kept outdoors in pasture will also require hay and other feed supplements, especially over winter. A horse kept in pasture will also require a cover to protect it from the elements, and occasionally an additional neck rug.

Even if you are using your horse for everyday hacking rather than competitions, you will still require a few more items in the way of horse supplies. Grooming is a pleasure for both horse and rider, and for this you will require a body brush or dandy brush at the very least.

A hoofpick is also a vital piece of equipment in order to ensure that your horse’s hooves are in good condition and to make sure that the sensitive frog of the hoof is not being damaged by stones or other hard objects.

If you choose to leave your horse “barefoot”, you will still need to care for your horse’s hooves, which sometimes means filing them – which in turn means a specialized file. Stables and fields alike need to be kept clean from droppings, so a good set of implements such as a shovel, a rake and a wheelbarrow are vital, although you do not need to buy these at a specialist horse supplies retailer – any good garden or hardware shop should stock these.

If you wish to use your horse in competitions, you will need further equipment, and extra grooming equipment such as curry combs and hoof oil are just some of the items on your list. A horse trailer is vital for transporting your mount to the location of the competition.

The feet and legs of your horse will need to be protected with brushing boots and/or bandages. As turnout is an important part of many shows and gymkhanas, you will also require a collection of ribbons for braiding into the mane according to competition standards. Western riding, of course, has its own set of equipment and requirements, chief of which is the specialized Western saddle.

Other supplies could be better referred to as “people supplies.” These are the essential items for the rider. The most important of these is the hard hat or helmet, which comes in a range of styles and types, depending on your needs and any showing you hope to be doing.

Jodhpur boots are robust enough to work outdoors in or if a horse accidentally treads on your foot, but are also shaped to slide in and out of the stirrup easily – hiking boots and Wellington boots run the risk of being caught in the stirrup, which can lead to horrific consequences in the case of a fall. These items of protective clothing, plus others, can easily be bought at a good horse supplies retailer.

For more information on horses, try visiting http://www.interestinghorses.com – a website that specializes in providing horse related tips, advice and resources including information on horse supplies.

Author: Candice Sabrina
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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After years of practicing both conventional and holistic medicine for horses, I decided to compare the cost, effectiveness, and net results of managing and treating horses holistically versus conventionally.

In this article I compare results for the average trail horse that is ridden about 2-3 times a week. I have used average feed and veterinary costs for my area (Austin, Texas), and drug and supplement costs from a major horse supply catalog.

I then discuss the issues related to each area of care, including feed, supplements, vaccines, dewormers, and first aid. Stay tuned for different profiles in coming months, when I will compare horses in different disciplines, young horses, older horses, and broodmares.

>>> Holistic Horse >> Conventional Horse Feed Costs

Grain is slightly cheaper to feed and easier to store than hay, which makes the conventional horse slightly cheaper to feed on the one hand. On the other hand, the holistic horse, which has access to more hay, stays happy and entertained and is less likely to develop expensive habits and vices such as chewing on wood, cribbing, or weaving.

Supplements

In the past, hay and oats provided all the nutrition a horse needed, but these days common farming practices do not produce feeds that are high in vitamins and minerals. Hoof quality is the first area to be affected by such poor nutrition, and few horses can maintain healthy feet on a diet of hay and oats alone. If you doubt this, just check any horse supply catalog. The one I checked offered 22 topical hoof conditioners and 28 separate supplements. Cell Tech’s Super Blue Green Algae offers a wide range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants in a whole food form. It is inexpensive to feed, promotes healthy feet, and supports the horse in all aspects of health.

Vaccines

Some people will choose not to vaccinate at all while others will choose to use more vaccines than the ones I’ve listed in the trail horse comparison. I believe that over-vaccination is one of the most common triggers for chronic diseases such as laminitis and uveitis, and contributes to allergic conditions. Stressing the horse’s system with over-vaccination can also affect the digestive system, leading to mineral deficiencies. Stress also decreases the amount of healthy bacterial flora in the gut, increasing the likelihood of colic.

Dewormers

We are fortunate to have some fairly safe chemical dewormers such as Pyrantel and Fenbendazole, yet some people still prefer using natural products to support the horse’s digestive and immune systems rather than using chemical dewormers. Regardless of which method you use, it is wise to double check your program with fecal exams at least twice a year.

First Aid

When I practiced strictly conventional medicine I found that most horses suffered from minor injuries or infections at least several times a year. These minor emergencies kept me busy, and because they were so common most of my clients started keeping drugs on hand and learned to treat these conditions themselves.

When I began to treat my patients more holistically, with fewer vaccines and better nutrition (including the use of probiotics such as Acidophilus), I noticed that the horses had less and less need for drugs. My patients no longer needed bute or antibiotics for minor cuts and punctures. These wounds healed quickly and easily with no loss of riding time. Gone also was the aggravating chronic nasal discharge that often kept horses out of work for weeks at a time.

A holistically managed horse with a healthy immune system will often run a fever for a short period of time when exposed to a virus or bacteria. This response slows the pathogen’s growth and deprives it of nutrients. A short course of probiotics will help support the horse during this time. Once the fever breaks, the horse bounces back quickly with little nasal discharge or cough. These horses then go right back to work without concern about relapse. Conventionally managed horses taking anti-inflammatories and antibiotics will often get better in the short term, but then relapse or develop a chronic nasal discharge.

The Results Are In!

The trail horse example I have used above precisely demonstrates what I have experienced in my practice. While it costs about the same to manage a horse either conventionally or holistically, I’ve found that holistically managed horses are much healthier overall, which means fewer chronic problems and more days of riding time. In fact, conventionally managed horses have about 7 times the number of sick days as holistically managed horses.

Madalyn Ward, DVM, co-author of Holistic Treatment of Chronic Lamintis, is certified in Veterinary Homeopathy, Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Through her website, Holistic Horsekeeping, (http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com), she publishes a free monthly newsletter, offers the Healthy, Happy Horse resource group, e-books, holistic horsecare products and information for horse and mule owners.

Author: Dr. Madalyn Ward, DVM
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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