I have a 3 yr old PMU mare and I have noticed that she is haveing a hard time digesting her food...she was starved before I got her so she eats really fast and I am afraid she will colic. I am going to try Riva's Remedies Pro-Colon which is a Probiotic, she only has 3-5 poops in her stall/paddock when I go feed in the morning. I find that she bloats really fast and I am having a hard time getting her shape. This is what I feed her daily.....2 cups of complete,4 cups of whole oats,1 cup of Dr.Reeds mare and foal, and half a cup of gelotine to help her joints.....this is in 2 feedings and she has turn out during the day and gets 1 flake of hay at night. what should I cut her down too because its not like Im giving her a lot of food. I would like to stay with what I am feeding because she has a tempermental stomach although I may switch to an All Phase feed supplement( i beleive thats what its called, my Aunt feeds it)instead of the mare and foal. So I just need to cut her down with out her thinking she is going to starve. Thank you in advance

Where are you from? Campbell River B.C Canada

How did you locate this forum? ASKJEEVES.COM

Hi Roxy,

The probiotic is a good idea. She may require two doses each day, depending on how many CFUs (colony forming unit) your product contains. She should have between 10 and 100 billion (that's 10, to the 9th power) CFUs per day.

I would not suggest that you cut back on her feed. Instead, feed her more forage and less grain. Forage is better for her digestive system and takes longer for her to eat. Add some alfalfa to the mix - a small amount -- say one flake each day.

Also gelatin is not a good idea – this may be causing her bloating. Gelatin is a very poor quality protein, from animal origin, and I do not recommend it for horses. To assist her with her joints, give her a joint supplement that contains glucosamine sulfate, msm, and hyaluronic acid.

She needs to be able to eat hay and/or pasture 24/7. That means, when she is stalled at night, she should have access to enough hay that there is left over hay in the morning. Letting her go for hours without eating is further upsetting her digestive system with excessive acid.

I hope this is helpful. Cutting back on her feed is not the answer. Feeding her differently, as I suggested, is.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Hello DR. Getty....
Thank you for your reply....I didnt want to cut down her feed but didnt know what else to do.She is on grass during the day and gets a flake of hay at night, I have given her more flakes but no matter how many she gets she still eats them all. She is a PIG!!! hahah.
What do you suggest I put her on for her joints then?? I was told to use Geletine because it had the same effect as anything else and cheaper then Recovery and other supplements. Plus it WORKS great for her so I havent switched to anything else...I thought it was strange giving that to a horse but thought what the hay lets try it. As for the Riva's Remedies she is getting 1 tsp daily but it may become a hassel as I have to keep it in a fridge which I dont have at the barn so I was thinking of trying FastTrack, have you heard of this?? It contains both Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes...any info would be great...thank you

Where are you from? Campbell River B.C Canada

How did you locate this forum? askjeeves.com

Hi Roxy,

She sounds just delightful and let me commend you for taking such good care of her.

Go ahead and keep giving her hay, unless you could let her out on grass during the night, as well (that would be the ideal thing to do, if it is feasible).

I really don’t like using gelatin because it is a poor quality protein. Is her urine very strong smelling? If so, it’s because of this.

One of the best joint supplements available is Acti- Flex made by Cox Veterinary Labs. I am not certain if I can have it shipped to Canada, but if you like, I can check on it for you and let you know. I continue to get calls from clients about how well it works.

Fast Track is a good product – check the CFU count to make sure it is enough. Or, instead of a live microbial, she would do well with a prebiotic such as Ration Plus.

Keep up the fine work!

Dr. Getty