Mineral supplement needed?

[evie's mummy]

Hi Guys, I have just taken on 3 mini shetlands re homed from Redwings. Beautiful friendly little things:p But I'm wondering whether I should be supplying some sort of supplements because one in particular is causing me concern. His coat is incredibly dull (I know they can look tatty when losing winter coat but this is much worse in comparison to other two) He seems to have some small bald patches on his face which are not rubbed and sore but look a bit dry and scurfy. I notice he also has a bit of a sticky eye which I am now bathing. He is bright and alert and has enough energy but just looks like he is generally lacking. At the moment we have good grazing so they are strip grazed as they are all a little bit round! Should I just give them a mineral lick for the field or is there maybe something else worth feeding? I don't want to spend a fortune as it is all too easy to be sucked into the manufacturers hype and feel that I need to buy tons of stuff. Also need to be aware that whatever I give is suitable for ponies that may be prone to laminitis. Any suggestions appreciated!

[Shadowlark]

Beyond a good worming and having a salt/mineral block available I probably wouldn't worry. Ground Flax is very high in Omega fatty acids, they can realy pick up his coat and his spirits, as well as help him fight his cold (it sounds like he has a touch of something)

If after doing that for a while you see no difference, i would probably suggest talking to the vet and maybe running some bloods to be sure everything is in good order.

[puzzles]

grass and forage alone - even with a salt lick - will not provide any horse, ragardless of size or breed, with a healthy, balanced diet.
you need to add a broad spectrum mineral and vitamin supplement to each of your horses' daily feeds: in balancer form or as a powdered supplement, some of the most suitable examples being Baileys Lo-Cal, Blue Chip Original/Lami-Light and Topspec Feed Balancer (balancers), or Global Herbs Globalvite, Baileys Opitinum and Feelgood 30 minerals and vitamins (supplements).

to boost your pony's coat condition, I recommend that you add oil to his diet; the best available including Flax and Soya oils (both available from Global Herbs; one of the highest quality around) for the omega oils they provide.

I would not feed a lot if i were you; follow the instructions on the container, and be prepared to wait a few weeks for the best results. don't be tempted to feed more as oil generally contains 2 1/4 times the energy found in a mix or cube, and especially since your horse is a good doer you should monitor his weight carefully anyway.

A balanced diet and the additional benefit of oil will do wonders for your horse's coat and condition, though just to be safe have him checked for a worm burden and by a vet for general health, if not all of your ponies.

Good luck!

[taffy's mum]

i use something called equidermis for Taffy which is for skin conditions and also helps to keep their coat in top condition. I started using this last summer when Taffy got rain rot and lost some hair on his back within 1 week you could really see the new hair coming in and he now has a full healthy coat. It costs £36 for a large container and lasted me 3 months, considering Taffy is 14.2hh you will not need anywhere as much.

[CurlyWurlyRach]

I adore the Feelgood 30 everyday Vit and Min supplement, about £9 a tub and lasts me just over a month for a 16.2hh so would probs last much longer for a shetty.

Ive reccomended this product to a few people now and as far as i know they are all happy with it, i used the NAF one for a while but it doesnt contain biotin as the FG30 one does which is exellent for hooves and hair.

[Shadowlark]

http://home.att.net/~horsenutrition101/

That site is very basic.. there is loads more info out there - but it outlines the very basics of what a horse needs, what they may need more of, what they may need less of all in laymens terms.

It also bears a friendly reminder that you CAN oversupplement... in Alberta and other provinces it is now illegal to offer advice on supplementation due to animals perishing from that advice. The stock answer is now to speak to a vet and find out what the horse needs before adding to it's diet.

[puzzles]

And good luck with your ponies, they're lucky to have the caring owner that they deserve.

try these sites also, for professional nutritional advice:

www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
www.spillers-feeds.com
www.dengie.com
www.bluechipfeeds.com
www.saracen-horse-feeds.co.uk
www.allenandpage.com
www.badmintonfeeds.co.uk

shadowlark is right of course, but the likely thing is that your horse is lacking in essential nutrients - ask any nutritionist. with humans it is different as we often over-supplement opurselves several times over, though this case isn't found in horses receiving correct, balaced diets with plenty of quality forage.

[Shadowlark]

All manufacturers.. all wanting you to buy thier product. They will gladly tell you what you want to hear. If you ever want a good example. Go to a pet food store on demo day and talk to some different food reps.. every single one has a different story. Corn is bad because.. Corn is good because.. it goes on and on.

This is where the problem starts. Here at least there is NO law governing supplements and no guarantee what is on the box is what is IN the box. This includes human supplements. Which is why you want to be sure you purchase something that is at the very least "Third Party tested and Varified"

For me I will ONLY accept info from nutritionists or independant testing companies I am afriad that for anything beyond basic nutrition I won't even take it from a vet - I want to hear it from a speicalist.


Sorry Puzzles this isn't me going at you, this is someone who has been in the Biz too long and has seen too much going on. My friend who is a soft tissue human therapist has shown me stacks of testing done on a lot of human supplements that TOTALY failed to live up to spec.. and yet people shell out millions every year on what is essentialy grabage.

[evie's mummy]

Wow guys thanks for taking the time and trouble to give me so much advice, really appreciated:)

[Wally]

How old is the tatty looking one?

If he is a baby he will look like an utter embarassment as he loses his winter coat!

Shetland generally lack nothing and will derive most of what they need from fresh air!

However, if none are pregnant a seaweed supplement in a bit of chaff can make them look better, otherwise just an ordinary mineralised salt block in the field, or one of those mollassed buckets with added oomph.
Be careful feeding oil to Shetlands, a little goes a long way and thy'll be like barrage ballons in no time!

If they have been rescued, and had a rough time of it during winter their skin and coats will be dull. Give them a month or so on some decent pickings, curry combe the old manky stuff out and there will be sleek, shiny coat unerneath.

[evie's mummy]

[QUOTE=Wally;1233093]How old is the tatty looking one?

Wally, the tatty one is 12 so I imagine should really be in prime of life. Was quite worried this morning as he is really losing the fur from his face. Its definately not sore but just seems to be coming out in large areas. Eye was again sticky. These ponies were rescued many years ago and have been living in comparative luxury at Redwings so his condition isn't due to his previous neglect. Think I'll provide some extra minerals/vitamins either by supplement or field licks and then continue with the grooming. Thanks once again for all your help.