For spring and summer they all get a tablespoon of minced garlic straight from the grocery store. This helps with the bugs.
For the fall and winter we top dress their food with table salt to encourage drinking.
For something the good bacteria can hold on to in the gut, we feed pysllium. This is something we feed more in the winter, but continue especially for Winston and Rosemary into the summer.
Another product for good gut health we use is Ration Plus, a type of probio. Since we feed rough hay, Rosemary tends to get a hay belly. This helps her keep pushing it through, so less of a hay belly develops.
For the two over twenty, we give them lysine. This is an amino acid that helps in muscle production. Older horses have a harder time with this, so we give them some help.
For joint health they all get Corta flex. It is an amazing product.
For pain management the two over twenty get BL solution.
Finally for healthy omega IIIs and coat health, they all get Flax.
Combined with great mineral pellets we have a feeding program to be happy about.
Separate from their meal, we offer them free choice Rush Creek loose minerals. I love to see who really wants them and who only needs a little. Most of the time Rosemary inhales hers and then given a chance will walk around eating everybody elses.
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| Rosemary eating DaVinci's minerals while Roscoe looks on |
Okay - I've been curious for a bit about the garlic/vinegar bug solution. Do you really feel that garlic helps repel bugs? Do the horses mind eating it? Do you think it'd be cheaper to get one of the premixed bug-repel supplements that companies like Smartpak sell? Gavin has terrible, terrible, terrible sweet-itch and I've been thinking of going all homeopathic on his ass this year (along with the chemical warfare I wage against the bugs). Thanks :))
ReplyDeleteMy guys have no issues eating the garlic and we used to do vinegar too. I do believe it helps. Our Morgan suffered bad allergies to fly bites so I can relate. I don't know about premixed stuff, but we did do homeopathic with the Morgan. if you can do a phone consult with Dr Joyce Harman. she can help get Gavin the treatment he needs using natural remedies. we also use Shoo Tags which cuts down on the amout of fly spray we use.
ReplyDeleteIt is a tough battle, Comrade too has issues. Good Luck.
I'm guessing they are totally fine with the garlic, always wondered how horses liked that stuff and if it was effective!
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