Lets talk suppliments...

[Tootsie4U]

It seems most of the show horses at our barn are on 5 or 6 different suppliments! Something for their hooves, something for their coat, something for their joints, something for their immune system....... Does it really make a difference?!?!?!?

My vet advised to put Bonfire on a general multi-vitamin suppliment while in training. So, I have him on "Vita-Plus" but I really cannot see any major difference. His previous owner had him on "Pro-Form" (another multi) but she had all her horses on it whether they worked or not.

What do you all give your horses and why (other than necessary suppliments for health problems)? Do you notice a drastic difference?

Im just curious as to the necessity of it if I do not notice any benefits in my horse....

[galadriel]

Keeping it simple if you can is a great attitude; you often don't need supllements if you have a healthy horse.

My horses sadly need a hoof supplement, but it does help them a lot. They also both get a joint supplement; I've noticed stiffnesses in their joints that were not relieved by stretching and working the joints. They're stretching and working more freely now. I wouldn't feed them either without a good reason; any "complete" feed distributed by a major feed company should have a balanced amount of vitamins, nutrients, etc. You shouldn't need more unless your horse has a deficiency.

[Bebe]

I give Bebe a general purpose multi vitamin and mineral supplement called Benevit. I've actually just dropped her down to half the recommended daily amount as she should be getting about half of the vits, etc from her haylage and bucket feed. I can't say that I've noticed her looking any less well since I did this.

I'm quite lucky though in that our grazing has lots of herbs and different grasses in it, not something that is common nowadays (according to all the horsey mags anyway). We also have lots of horse friendly hedgerows and trees which the horses do pick at so I think she probably has a slightly more natural diet than a lot of horses. Our hay and haylage is cut from similar grazing too so it's really good quality. If she was on a field that had no herbs, no hedges and was the same type of grass throughout I would probably have kept her on the full amount of Benevit.

I don't give any other supplements though, unless you count a splash of sunflower oil. In summer I swop the sunflower oil for apple cider vinegar to help with flies. Bebe is fairly young (coming up for 10) though so shouldn't need much else. If she was older with joint problems or something I'd probably put her on Cortaflex or a similar product.

[Cochise]

Im trying to keep it as natural as possible! I feed Coprice, a rice based feed with enough energy for the work he is giving. It has many of the supplements that he needs already in the feed.
I supplement this with selenium once a week as my area has very little selenium from natural sources in the ground. I also feed dolomite as he has had a history of tying up. I feel seaweed meal, rosehips tea, offer a free range to a mineral block, linseed and millet etc etc. There are many natural remedies out there and all have great effects!

[Cochise]

Oh and manuka honey and garlic of course!

[Alison+Rio]

Rio gets:
Cider Apple Vinegar, helps with his arthritis
Soya Oil, helps keep weight on him in winter
Garlic, respiration in winter, flies in summer!
Salt, even if hes soaking in sweat he wont touch a salt lick
Nettles, helps with circulation
Celery, natural anti inflammatory.

I do notice a difference if hes off any of them!

Bonny only gets a little salt and garlic. Ive not had her long enough to notice any difference yet but thats what she was on before i got her so ill keep it that way for now!

[nat17]

minnie has a mutli vitimin thing for all the trace elments she needs, because she does not have the manafactors recommended amounts of feed to supply the trace elements required.

[Tootsie4U]

So you feed whole pieces of celery, or something like celery powder?

Cochise - do you notice benefits to feeding these natural supps, rather than store bought? Do you see benefits period?

bebe - my situations is alot like yours. He gets GREAT quality haylage (and its winter here now so hedgerows dont apply as of now). I only give him a very tiny amount of grain with his mulit- vitamin. I havent noticed ANY changes.

One other thing... when I bought him he had a bit of a hay belly. Nothing horrid, but I'd like to see him more fit and toned? Other than excersise, does anyone know how to remedy this?

Thanks everyone for your comments!

[Mossy]

If you feed the recommended weight of hard feed the horses will get all the vits and mins they need. - fine but you will probably have a fat horse! Mine get minimal hard feed, loadsahay, and CLOP. Yes I do notice the difference if they do not get it. The vet complimented me on Moss' coat yesterday, so I must be doing something right - for once!

[Gracie]

PM Wally shes great with supplements!:)
But I have a feeling I know what her answer will be, if your horse is in a certain area, it should already be getting most of its supplements through the grass, hay and grain and water!

Ask her though she has an excellent explaination!

[Cochise]

Tootsie4you,
I just feed the natural products because I am not too sure really what is in all these flash harry products that you can buy, Some of the chemical names scare me a bit! I am sure that they are harmless, but they just sound awful!
I have been interested in the celery too!
I am also doing some more research around as to natural supplements. Does anyone know any good websites on this (reliable ones)?
I have only really started on the natural stuff

[Alison+Rio]

I just buy the stalks of celery from the supermarket! i use 3 or 4 pieces of it every day. My horses love it but some wont touch it! ive never heard of powder celery. I like to put it in their feed but i also give it as a treat from time to time!

[Tootsie4U]

:D You can buy celery powder for cooking human food!

I dont think Bonfire would eat celery stalks by his own choice. I'd like to try though, especially after those hard training sessions! Thanks Alison+Rio

[Alison+Rio]

Thats ok it was a friend of mine that told me about celery! Rio loves it and its healthier than always giving him polos and mints! U can only try! Good Luck!