Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
Welcome to my forum.
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All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hello,
I have your new book, and like it a lot. Thanks for writing it! :D
I have found a few things confusing me I would like to clear up. I'll be back with another question later, here is my first:
on page 7, "Getting by with only Hay" you say that I need to supplement with vit.E, essential fatty acids, minerals and beta- carotene. On page 112 you say to add beta-carotene, vit. C, D and E because hay has little, if any, of those.
So what am I going with now, the information on page 7 or 112?
Thank you!
Jennifer
Where are you from? Germany
How did you locate this forum? internet research
Greetings Jennifer,
I'm delighted that you are finding my new book,
I welcome your questions:
Q: "on page 7, "Getting by with only Hay" you say that I need to supplement with vit.E, essential fatty acids, minerals and beta- carotene."
A: Horses that only receive hay (rather than fresh pasture) will have nutritional gaps in their diet because hay no longer contains many nutrients that once existed in fresh, living grass. Once grass is cut, dried, and stored as hay, it loses valuable vitamins such as vitamins E, D, and C. It also loses beta carotene (precursor to vitamin A) as well as omega 3 fatty acids. Your horse cannot produce these vitamins (with the exception of vitamin C while he is in his younger years), and therefore would benefit from a comprehensive supplement to provide these extra nutrients. I often recommend Glanzen Complete as a way to fill in these gaps. Once spring and summer arrive, however, if the horse has access to at least 8 hours of grazing on healthy pasture, this supplement is no longer needed and I sometimes suggest switching to Glanzen (original), depending on the horse's circumstances.
Q: "On page 112 you say to add beta-carotene, vit. C, D and E because hay has little, if any, of those."
A: On page 112, I reiterate the need to supplement grass hay diets because of the same reason mentioned on page 7. On both pages I emphasize the importance of filling in nutritional gaps when feeding only hay -- they are the same message.
Q: "So what am I going with now, the information on page 7 or 112?"
A: They are both the same. The only difference is I mention minerals on page 7, which are also worth considering, to balance out the mineral content of the hay. Is this, perhaps, where the question lies? Minerals are not destroyed but that can be lost when hay is exposed to rain. And hays will vary in their mineral content from cutting to cutting depending on the mineral content of the soil. So a vitamin/mineral supplement will cover all your bases.
Please let me know if I've answered your question.
All the best,
Dr. Getty 
I have your new book, and like it a lot. Thanks for writing it!
I have found a few things confusing me I would like to clear up. I'll be back with another question later, here is my first:
on page 7, "Getting by with only Hay" you say that I need to supplement with vit.E, essential fatty acids, minerals and beta- carotene. On page 112 you say to add beta-carotene, vit. C, D and E because hay has little, if any, of those.
So what am I going with now, the information on page 7 or 112?
Thank you!
Jennifer
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for being specific ... yes, I see the difference and all of the nutrients, including vitamin D and C, as on page 112, should be supplemented. This is relatively easy to do with a good vitamin/mineral supplement, which you should be able to find in Germany. The flaxseed meal is another story and I can offer you two options. First, you can purchase whole seeds and grind them daily in a food processor or coffee grinder. You'll need to do a daily fresh supply since they go rancid very easily. Since flaxseed meal is very high in phosphorus, it is essential that you choose a supplement that will balance out the phosphorus, or you can simply give your horse 4 to 8 lbs of alfalfa hay or cubes each day, or approximately half as much alfalfa pellets.
The second option is have Nutra Flax shipped in. I mentioned Glanzen Complete earlier, which is Nutra Flax plus vitamins and minerals. So if you find a supplement locally, you may wish to consider having just Nutra Flax (the flaxseed meal) shipped to Germany. Nutra Flax is stabilized so it has a 6 month shelf life. And it has added calcium to correct for the high phosphorus level. If you wish to go this route, email me directly and I can assist you.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
P.S. I was not aware that you were in Germany since you mentioned that I wrote in the book and I therefore, likely shipped to a U.S. address.
My question is, do I supplement a hay-only diet with vit.E, minerals, essential acids and beta-carotene as recommended on page 7, or also additionally with vit.D and C, as those are included on page 112? That is the difference between the information on those two pages.
Sadly I'm also having a hard time finding good sensible supplements here in Germany. Have yet to find a stabilized flaxseed meal.
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi Jennifer,
You're right -- I DID misread it. Folks that get the book directly from my website, www.FeedYourHorseLikeAHorse.com will have their book signed and personalized.
If you would like to post your comments about the book on amazon.com or on the GuestBook on the book's website, it would be much appreciated.
I understand about alfalfa when you have mules. Alfalfa pellets are a way of adding alfalfa to meals for individual horses, and worth considering.
Keep in touch,
Dr. Getty
I don't want to feed alfalfa, we have mules and they're not used to it. Shipping the Nutra- Flax would be far too expensive because of the weight, so I'll probably end up grinding everyday.
Thank you again, I might be back when I progress in the book.
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO