Hi Dr. Getty,
I have recently moved from Colorado (native) to Florida and let me tell you, Florida is very lacking in good forage. I have a Friesian gelding (Reiden) 5yr old, he will eat anything but, I have been having problems with him recently getting mild colic. Loss of appitite and "down" (he'll lie down, no thrashing, until the Banamine kicks in), this has happened 4 times this month. I was feeding 2nd cut T&A, then I was told to "never" feed Friesians alfalfa by Frieisan breeders more than one(not sure why) so I switched to the only other 1/2 way decent forage, Tifton last saturday. All was well until last night when down he went again. 10cc of Banamine no feed and lots of water. Fine this morning but, he had diarrhea so I gave him a little hay about 1/2 normal amount, and his grain (1c of Seminole feed, 1 scoop of Platinum performance & 4 Winnies cookies). Tonight his attitude is normal and hungry. I made a bran mash for him with 1pt of mineral oil and the other 1/2 of his hay for dinner.
He gets Pysillium 2x's a week, is on Strongid and paste wormed 2x's a year. His weight is normal and he is a heavy drinker. I have mineral/salt blocks available unfortunatly my pasture is sandy as is all of Florida. When this happened before the switch to the Tifton I had the vet out and she gave him a dose of Probios, of course when she got here he was fine. I have 2 other horse, Paso Fino's they are healthy and do not show any signs of colic. Reiden and the others stay out on a small pasture all day and have access to fresh water.salt and shelter.
I am at a loss I did ride yesterday before he felt sick but, we had a mild workout and a lumbering trail ride typical for every weekend. I do not let him eat while we ride, and I did not ride him today. Any ideas also can I get your opinion on Tifton.

Where are you from? Florida

How did you locate this forum? Searching for an equine nutritionist

Hi Kara,

Thank you for writing about your Fresian and I am hoping that this past weekend was better for him (and you!). Colic is very frightening and can have many causes.

Tifton is a grass hay that is similiar to bermuda and is fine to feed. You didn't mention how long ago you moved to Florida, but the change is dramatic from Colorado to the more humid, hot environment that you're in now. And, for a large horse, this can be problematic.

Instead of giving him psyllium twice each week, I would suggest that you give him a cup every day for one week (pick the first week of the month, for example) and then discontinue using it for the remainder of the month. The key is plenty of forage and water.

Alfalfa is fine for Fresians, in moderation. I prefer to offer it separately, rather than as part of a hay mix, because you don't want to overfeed it. But, it does offer several benefits. What's even more important for this breed is to stay away from high starch feeds, so take a look at the ingredients in your Seminole feed. If it has large amounts of oats, corn, barley, etc., choose one that is lower in starch and has more of beet pulp, soybean meal, grain hulls, etc.

Take a look at the cleanliness of his hay and his feeding environment. Mold spores in hay can trigger colic. His water needs to be clean and free of algae accumulation. And, watch for bird droppings that may fall into his water.

Also, check for what weeds or plants he may be eating in the area that are new to him. Many plants are toxic, or mildly toxic and can trigger colic in sensitive horses.

The Winnies cookies may or may not be a good idea because they are a traditional horse treat made with grain and molasses. I will be carrying shortly (sometime later today or tomorrow) on my website a new product called Skode treats which are very low in sugar and starch and are wonderful for large breeds.

I hope this is helpful. Watch his water intake -- this is critical. You ought to add 2 tablespoons of plain, white table salt to his diet each day, to replace his sodium loss and to encourage water intake.

Keep me posted and if he continues to experience colic, and your vet is out of options, let's visit some more about him. Consistent use of banamine concerns me because it can lead to an ulcer, and we don't want to have another problem to deal with.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thank you for your response, I will check the starch in his feed, he only gets 2C a day 1ea feeding. I have been adding electrolytes to his feed since last weekend. He has not had any more bouts with colic but, his stool is still soft, starting to get some solid. He eats from a deep feeder on the ground to avoid sand intake, has plenty of fresh clean water and is drinking well. I lock him up at night so I can check is stool. His eating and attitude are normal. I wormed him on Thursday.
We have been here since July of 2005.
Regarding the pysllium do you think the pelleted or powder is better?
I look forwarded to checking out your new treats for large breeds.
Thank you for your time.

Where are you from? Florida

How did you locate this forum? Searching for an equine nutritionist

Hi Kara,

Sounds like you are on the right track! I prefer a powdered psyllium product that is of high quality such as Sand Relief.

Keep up the fine work!

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO