From: Sue
Hi Jessica,
What would you recommend for a 5yo TB mare as a supplement to maintain weight during a fairly regular 4-days a week training regimen? Janie is confined to what we call the 'diet pens' (called this because they don't have a lot of grass and we can stick horses in there that are putting on too much weight and monitor their feed. The horses all go out during the daytime). In March she had a very scary episode of what we think was EPM. We didn't have the spinal tap done in the beginning (I opted for medicating and then the spinal tap for clearance) but the symptoms were very acute. Anyway, the pasture areas have the creek running thru them and we must cut down on exposure to possum poop so we keep her and another mare in a big paddock with water buckets, low critter hot wire, and close proximity--the possums don't venture this far in with so many dogs.
She is now very healthy, no EPM residual at all, has a wonderful attitude, and is working very well. Since she arrived here, the combination of good work-outs and the diet pen (she gets hay in the diet pen) has started really muscling her up and dropping the fat. She also was getting Vitality (an extruded supplement), Super Gain (to supplement the extras needed during her 4 months of Daraprim & Sulfa), and corn oil. After about a month & a half of Super Gain (which was the most recent edition), she was starting to get quite nervous--a lot of muscle twitchiness and an increase of spookiness and hyper- responsiveness to cues. Since she only had 4 weeks left of the meds (I'm extending it to cover her while I'm gone on vacation), I decided to take her off of the Super Gain (33% protein but only getting half the recommended dosage) and cut back her Vitality from 6 lb. 2x/day to 3 lb. 2x/day.
Since the cutbacks one week ago her twitchiness resolved and is pretty calm for a young TB. She is at a good weight now but I'm concerned that she will start dropping weight with the decreased supplements. She maintained pretty level with them. What should I give her that will maintain weight and energy without making her hot and twitchy? She's stuck pretty permanently in her designated spot for health reasons--she's happy there also, so she's not going to have a lot of grass--enough for entertainment primarily, not a major source of calories.
Looking forward to seeing you in August. When do you start your trip? Are you taking a laptop with you?
Sue (enjoying the *perfect* Washington weather)
Okay, back to our scheduled programming.
Don't worry about the grass, as long as she's getting enough hay to keep her gut healthy. And cutting the protein was probably an excellent idea -- past a point, extra protein doesn't seem to add weight, but it increases nervousness and the tendency for a horse to jump out of its own skin at the slightest provocation. Just keep an eye on her diet to be sure that it's at least meeting NRC requirements! Sometimes it's difficult to remember how much of which nutrient a horse is getting when you mix and match feed, and sometimes this is just wasteful, but it can also be dangerous -- I'm thinking about providing a horse with an overabundance of selenium, for instance. I always suggest that people talk to their veterinarian and put their horses onto a diet consisting of good hay, a good grain mix, salt and water ad lib, and whatever vitamin/mineral supplement your vet would recommend for your geographical area!
However, having said that, I can make two recommendations. One is that you add fat to the mare's diet -- it's a lovely way to increase weight without creating a monster. One or two cups of corn oil (add some vitamin E, because it's fat- soluble, and she needs it) make a good addition to the daily diet. Rice bran is another good source of fat -- so is linseed meal, but then you have to deal with the protein issue again. . . straight fat is probably the best choice.
The second suggestion is that you look at (and have your vet look at) a supplement from Weaver, called Opt-E-Horse. It's a well-thought-out combination of probiotics, minerals, and vitamins, from a reputable company with an excellent research department. It DOES contain selenium, so talk to your vet before you add it -- or any OTHER supplement! -- to your mare's diet.
It sounds as though you've accomplished miracles with her -- EPM is a nasty disease. Congratulations on your management, and on your vet!
Jessica
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