Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Dr. Getty
Greetings Rhonda,
Thank you for writing about your mare. It seems that you are doing a very good job with her. I do have a few suggestions to reduce her risk of colic that you may find helpful.
First, if you can eliminate the high amount of sugar in her diet, that would be a good thing. Do you need to add apple juice to her water in the winter to get her to drink? Adding plain, white table salt -- one tablespoon, twice each day, will meet her sodium needs (which are very important for proper intestinal function) and will encourage her to drink. Avoid the carrot juice, as well. This high level of sugar increases insulin levels which may have an effect on her motility of her intestines. Plus reducing sugar will have a positive effect on her moods.
Second, Ration Plus will boost the health of the bacterial flora that live in the hind gut, making her digestive system healthier. So, yes, I would suggest giving this to her to reduce the incidence of colic.
Third, you mentioned a daily wormer, which is fine. But, she also requires a paste worming twice each year -- once with Ivermectin in the fall and once with Ivermectin combined with prazaquantel (for tapeworms) in the spring. Also, you should consider giving her a five day, double dose of a wormer known as fenbendazole to get rid of encysted larvae. All horses can benefit from this once or twice each year. The brand name is Panacur PowerPak. You would stop the daily wormer during the days that she is receiving this dosage.
Are her teeth ok? Poor teeth can lead to inadequately chewed hay, which can cause compaction. So, have her teeth floated if they haven't been done within the past year.
And finally, is there a chance of sand consumption? Sand colic creeps up on horses very gradually. If she grazes in sandy areas, she likely has some sand in her gut. You can test this by placing one or two manure balls in a large freezer bag full of warm water. Let it dissolve and shake it well. Then see if sand settles to the bottom.
So, these are several things to look for -- keep me posted on how she's doing.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO