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Post by clipclop on Nov 9, 2012 21:50:42 GMT 1
Thanks for the replies - I am going to hopefully get chance to research it properly this weekend.
As they really do get very little sunlight exposure, if there isn't enough in the hay then what is my best way of supplementing it? An all round balancer, something like seaweed or is there a specific vit d supplement available does anyone know?
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Post by donnalex on Nov 10, 2012 12:32:17 GMT 1
In her book Pat Coleby suggests supplementing with cod liver oil in the winter to avoid yucky eyes. Apparently yucky eyes is a sign of deficiency of vitamin D caused by lack of sunlight and simply giving a tablespoon a day clears up gungey eyes. Georgia has them at the moment.
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Post by highlanderpony2002 on Nov 10, 2012 12:46:30 GMT 1
I had horse that nearly died of vitamin d deficiency as and adult so he didnt have rickets but did have sudden weight loss sweating and staggering. He was rugged in an old fashioned canvas new zealand out 24/7 but he was extremely ill. He fell ill while I was away for christmas for a week when I came home he looked like a rescue case so it happened in a very short time. He was soaked to the skin in sweat but cold, which I think contributed to his massive weight loss. He was put on a codlivine supplement, injections, stabled in a well lit and ventilated stable with one of the very first breathable stable rugs and had adlib hay it took from christmas until july until he was fit to be seen in public out show jumping but I will say it took lots of spring grass to make him look better. I am very careful now to make sure they spend at least a couple of hours per day without a rug
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Post by donnalex on Nov 11, 2012 6:34:51 GMT 1
That is scary! How did you find out it was a Vit D deficiency?
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Post by highlanderpony2002 on Nov 11, 2012 14:49:25 GMT 1
The vet diagnosed it very quickly he had seen it in a couple of horses before when they were kept in dark conditions and rugged up I will add that we lived in the north east of Scotland so in winter we didnt have many hours of sunlight at the best of times
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Post by cookie on Nov 11, 2012 18:51:54 GMT 1
Thing is, with humans the problem if vit d deficiency is only just becoming apparent again so I would not be surprised if we are underestimating the potential effects on horses.
highlanderpony, thank you for sharing you're experience, c glad you're very spotted it quickly.
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Post by donnalex on Nov 12, 2012 10:16:10 GMT 1
The vet diagnosed it very quickly he had seen it in a couple of horses before when they were kept in dark conditions and rugged up I will add that we lived in the north east of Scotland so in winter we didnt have many hours of sunlight at the best of times I am in Caithness! Cant get much more NE than that. Thing is, my ponies have never had so much sun, this morning for instance is dazzling. My perlino colt is squinting half the time. Back down in Rossendale they were permanently under an overcast grey sky. I suppose it is daylight as opposed to actual sun? We are not noticing any less hours of daylight either. Do you know if the sunlight has to be on their skin or is it what goes through the retina that counts? I have emailed Sarah at Forageplus with the query as now it is bothering me. That is the good thing about being a client of hers, the help goes on way after the feed plan in my case!
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Post by donnalex on Nov 12, 2012 10:51:28 GMT 1
In the mean time - fish, sun dried shiitake mushrooms and soy milk are the best ones for us to eat. No wonder horses have been fed on cod liver oil for so long.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2012 12:12:55 GMT 1
Lets not forget horses turned out in normal rugs still have skin on show, moreso if they don't have neck covers, the whoel of the horses' body doesn't need to be exposed to have some benefit.
As PN says, I expect daylight offers some benefit just not as much as direct sunlight, I'd be interested to hear if anyone can find anything conclusive on that though. If that is the case then a rugged horse in the field has it's whole underside, head and neck exposed, and unrugged horses in stables still have daylight exposure all over them.
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Post by specialized on Nov 12, 2012 13:05:45 GMT 1
The vet diagnosed it very quickly he had seen it in a couple of horses before when they were kept in dark conditions and rugged up I will add that we lived in the north east of Scotland so in winter we didnt have many hours of sunlight at the best of times I am in Caithness! Cant get much more NE than that. Thing is, my ponies have never had so much sun, this morning for instance is dazzling. My perlino colt is squinting half the time. Back down in Rossendale they were permanently under an overcast grey sky. I suppose it is daylight as opposed to actual sun? We are not noticing any less hours of daylight either. Do you know if the sunlight has to be on their skin or is it what goes through the retina that counts? I have emailed Sarah at Forageplus with the query as now it is bothering me. That is the good thing about being a client of hers, the help goes on way after the feed plan in my case! Going off on a slight tangent, new research is being done on the prevalence of red hair in Scotland and they think it is not simply being in the north, as there are more northern countries with lower percentage of red hair, but more due to the lack of sunshine.
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Post by highlanderpony2002 on Nov 12, 2012 14:27:32 GMT 1
Things have changed a lot though this was a very long time ago with compound feeds supplements and balancers I would very much doubt this is a likely deficiency now. I am talking about 1976 winter into 1977 cant off hand remember what sort of winter it was. Daylight is the issue sunlight obviously would be better. He was fed oats, bran, grass and hay nothing else
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Amanda Seater
Grand Prix Poster
Listen to your horse you may be surprised what he may tell you about yourself
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Post by Amanda Seater on Nov 12, 2012 14:32:04 GMT 1
PN - please let us know what Sarah says, I too am a client but if you are asking no point in me mythering too.
Oh and it sounds like you may turn ginger too! LOL
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Post by donnalex on Nov 12, 2012 15:26:44 GMT 1
The ginger thing is surely down to genetics? As with horses to get chestnut you have to have chestnut on both sides. My sister is ginger, my mother is ginger and my fathers father was ginger so that is how she got it surely not from being kept like a mushroom in the dark I may carry ginger too but out of four children have never popped a ginger one although my eldest has been described on occasion as strawberry blonde. Ginger is simply the most recessive colour so any other genes present and the ginger gets hidden. Foreign blood added to the gene pool (as it is being done a lot more down south than up here) is hiding the ginger gene. As it happens, I quite like ginger hair so I wont worry too much about turning ginger especially if it hides the greys Im getting Back to horses now My likkle brain has been on overdrive again, never good. Surely native ponies such as Shetlands (far north as GB goes) living out in their extremely thick winter coats on very little grass should end up with vitamin D deficiency problems? A fly rug or a normal rug would not cover as much of the pony up as a massive sheep like Shetland winter coat
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Post by bertie666 on Nov 12, 2012 16:41:35 GMT 1
Really interesting about the gummy eyes thing - Im going to put Armana on some codliver oil see if it clears hers up they're always crusty.
Id also be interested in Sarah's response - no point us all emailing her!
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Post by clipclop on Nov 15, 2012 8:50:11 GMT 1
Just an update to this:
Upon speaking to my vet, I have been recommended a supplement called 'event'. It's a vitamin and mineral supplement that is administered by syringe monthly to ensure they are getting all they need. I'm giving it a go to see how the horses get on at it works out far more cost effective for the number of horses I have than using a balancer.
I'd also be very interested in Sarah's response!
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