supplements

[jodiTowne]

This isn't for advice, just a fact. I feel depressed when I have to order all my old guys supplements at once. He is doing great and I wouldn't change a thing...but he is costly. Can anyone beat this:
1) multivitamin
2) pergolide
3) hardkeeper
4) Quiessence
5) Equinyl...glucosamine and chondroitin
6) daily wormer in summer
7) MSM

He has more supplements in his bowl than feed!!!!! But, just this week I have caught him playing with the mini. It's the first time I've seen that and I've had the mini since July. The hardkeeper is great. He no longer has a bloated appearance and has some meat on his ribs. His coat is shiny...he looks good...for a 28 yo!

[Pasogirlz]

That is great Jodie. Wonderful to hear the old guy is getting on so well even with the help of all his supplements.

[Abejita]

Jodi I assume Cushings from the pergolide? (but being on hardkeeper makes me think NOT Cushings?Ask your vet about the Glucosamine..some studies are suggesting that insuline resistant horses should not have it and there are links to Insuline Resistance and Cushings.

[GeorgeGuns]

Sheri is right about the glucosamine and chondroitin. They have no place in a horse's body esp one with cushings! I'd skip the daily wormer too, and just stick to pastes every 8 weeks, every bit as effective. Hard keeper? That may be part of the cushings - get him off the equinyl, and if he is getting sweet feed of any kind, stop it - too much simple sugar. There are low starch low sugar feeds out there now that are great for these horses.
Do not be afraid of alfalfa, your most consistent way to give it is cubes (soaked!) and alf has minerals in it that are good for these horses. If you are feeding beet pulp, soak and drain it - beet pulp is sky high in simple sugars, soaking for at least 30 minutes greatly reduces them. NO more carrots or sweet treats - its tough love time. Carrots and other treat veggies are also high in sugars.

Triple Crown now has a low startch feed, and if you give him that, you can cut out the multi vitamins!!!

So, lets simplify:
free choice hay (not too green, not too stemmy)
MSM
Triple Crown Low startch
Pergolide]
Add a few pounds of alfalfa a day if he fails to gain on the above.

Add one thing - exercise!!!!

[jodiTowne]

Thanks for the info on the supplements. I have actually tried a lot of other combinations. He has a lot of feed aversions and will not eat more than a handful of alfalfa pellets, cubes, beet pulp or most recently Nutrena Safechoice. I give enough to get his supplements in and thats all he'll take. I probably won't do the daily wormer this year as its only the 2 of them. He gets alfalfa cubes as treats and does fine....just won't eat a bowl of them. I did worry about the glucasamine with IR but his labs have been perfectly normal while on it....so I won't worry.

Thanks

Now, can anybody beat the number of supplements my horse gets??!!

[GeorgeGuns]

Now, can anybody beat the number of supplements my horse gets??!!

Well if ya really want me to, I can find out what all my perf founder mare owner is giving her. A lot of is is on recommendation of the vet we took her to, lots of herbal and homeopathic stuff.. its quite a list.