tobyh
Grand Prix Poster
My horse of a lifetime!!. Magnus 1985 - 2005.
Posts: 1,616
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Post by tobyh on Nov 25, 2008 16:16:51 GMT 1
I am going to amaze most, but Oxyshot really really does work for my eventer. Before nerves always got the better of him, rearing, shaking and napping before going near either dressage, SJ or XC. His rider had been through all calmers to try and get him to relax and had given up.
As it wasnt to dear I thought I would be a syringe and see if it did work with all the hype and how can "oxygen calm a horse".
It really has made the difference, you can get to the collecting ring in one piece and he actually stands still. I am more than happy for anyone to come and see the before and after as he is out SJ this winter.
Apart from that I dont feed supplements, apart from Gaviscon to a cribber, as far cheaper than all the horsey versions.
Whats facecream?
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Post by graymare on Nov 25, 2008 16:23:43 GMT 1
Linseed oil for her coat - works, minimal itching, much denser fur and the skin beneath isn't flaky or dry. Took a while to kick in though. Magnesium - works, took her off it twice this past summer for varying reasons and had a nutter on my hands after about a week each time, athe improvement was replicated each time she went back on it, again within a similar timespan. Selenvite E - hmm, don't know but smells good! Glucosamine - again, not wholly conviced about the 'science' here, this one definitly for my benefit atm. This may be becuase improvement is a gradual process so not easily discernible, or it's snake oil! And my face cream? Definite. It Works. No Question. At all. I only look 65 now.
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Post by Kelly Marks on Nov 25, 2008 16:43:59 GMT 1
Graymare - same face cream as me then! I think this could be a really helpful thread in Credit Crunch times particularly maybe we could publish some of the product claims and then the ingredients and then ask a bio chemist or nutritional scientist to comment?
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Post by penny70 on Nov 25, 2008 17:22:15 GMT 1
Last comment great idea Kelly - does Anyone know have a friendly biochemist or nutritionist to hand?
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sixfootblonde
Grand Prix Poster
www.western-saddler.co.uk
Posts: 1,138
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Post by sixfootblonde on Nov 25, 2008 17:42:03 GMT 1
Dr Kellon runs an online nutrition course and have heard many great things about it. She says that horses rarely need vitamins to be supplemented, but minerals yes. The course is about learning what the horse needs then working out what they are getting and then only feed them what they NEED. Could save yourself a fortune! Great thread.
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Post by tikkatonks on Nov 25, 2008 19:42:58 GMT 1
I feed Equine Answers 365 complete multi vit balancer powder. I have no idea if it works but bought in bulk its only £7 per month so not the end of the worrld if it doesnt.
I also use Equine answers Premier Flex HA which contains glucosamine, chondriatin HA and various other lovely stuff works out much cheaper than most joint stuff and similar spec to the more expensive ones. This is my favorite and I am sure it works. I also take glucosamine and so does one of my dogs. When I stopped taking the glucosamine I really struggled with my knees and am totally convinced it is worth it! The grey mare in my pics was 22yrs old at the time of the pic and she really benefitted from glucosamine.
I also feed Calmag to all my horses. Have no idea if it works but people seem to think it does and its so cheap its worth a try.
And finally a handful of linseed nuggets for a nice shiny coat. Pretty convinced this works!
I think you are right about often being for the owner, if you go through the global herbs catalogue you could be spending £200 + on stopping your horse from itching, wee smelling, cribbing, having sarcoids, being stroppy mare, grumpy gelding, having allergies, careful you may find you no longer have a horse ;D
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Post by arabmania on Nov 25, 2008 19:56:21 GMT 1
I swear by aloe vera (99.9%) for any dry or/and itchy skin especially those prone to sweet itch. asti, the mare who i have onloan had been 'diagnosed' with sweet itch and had been having injections from the vet to no avail. hardly any mane or tail left! 9 months on and nearly a full mane and tail with daily applications. magnesium... no tying up and better hooves in the time i have had her.
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Post by Kelly Marks on Nov 25, 2008 20:14:55 GMT 1
Oxyshot - I asked my scientist friend to explain - a similar reply to why dark leaves don't (as Gillian McKeith claims) mean you're eating Oxygen - "The facts are about 98% of the blood of a horse/human is already saturated with oxygen thanks to the lungs so IF it worked you could only increase it by 2%. Also I am not aware that the stomach or intestines have any capacity to absorb oxygen! IF they did the oxygen would be absorbed into the gut cells and not delivered to the bloodstream anyway!" Bad Science reports "you don't want oxygen in your abdomen anyway because there's methane fart gas in there too, and we don't want anyone cathing fire inside".
I've heard good things re. Aloe Vera for healing, and had success with honey myself. Would sugar and water be just as good honey though? Both will cause granulation which is what we're looking for in most wounds (within reason).
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Post by mandal on Nov 25, 2008 20:19:11 GMT 1
I'm a firm believer that the vast majority of supplements sold for horses are given to the horses for the humans benefits, rather than the horses. The humans do mean well & give them to the horses with the best of intentions, but the horses don't really get anything out of it, but the humans feel much better - probably because they're doing something! ;D I've gone from salt and mineral blocks through the 'top spec ant lam' phase as I call it back to loose salt and mineral block! I would give magnesium but the soil here is full of the stuff! Sophie(TB) is usually fed in the winter to keep her weight up...speedibeet,alfafa and linseed. She is in such good nick with a really thick coat this year I'm reluctant to start! Toby is fed too as he is underweight. My face cream when I remember, is ...yes wait for it...Bepanthol nappy cream!!!! Yes you heard it here first!! I look 21!
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dingbat
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 2,481
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Post by dingbat on Nov 25, 2008 20:43:11 GMT 1
god, i have tried loads too. its hard to see what works and what doesnt to be honest. most the time you just dont know.
i think herbs have their place - even just if in general because they'd get snippets of them in the wild. mine is on gastri-x right now. i think its helping but hes only been on it 6 weeks. he was on mag-ox but i've ran out so not replaced it. might start that again in spring though (for lgl prevention). i also feed benevit. i think oil does work - i've just starting feeding global herbs flax oil. will see how that goes.
steady up never worked for me. no calmers i tried did.
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Post by arabmania on Nov 25, 2008 20:47:48 GMT 1
I've heard good things re. Aloe Vera for healing, and had success with honey myself. Would sugar and water be just as good honey though? Both will cause granulation which is what we're looking for in most wounds (within reason). i dont think we can disguise sugar in any shape or form from the mites that we want to be rid of tbh. wasps too would surely be rife?! i see where you are coming from but not sure whether i would risk it myself.
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Post by ba on Nov 25, 2008 21:07:29 GMT 1
I love this thread, its so interesting especially as i have just bought a horse (collecting her on fri) and need to sort out a feeding programme for her. I have emailed all the feed company's and im sure you can imagine what their reccommendations are!!
Can I ask what people think of pink powder, fed for 1 month only at a time of change? I am toying with the idea of giving it to me new mare just for a month to help her with the new hay/grass/feed? but i am now wondering if there is any point?
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naria
Grand Prix Poster
yet when all books have been read it boils down to the horse, his human & what goes on between them
Posts: 1,455
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Post by naria on Nov 25, 2008 21:26:58 GMT 1
I'm a huge fan of Top Spec AntiLam, since being on it Jim's feet have improved more than I ever believed possible. It doesn't make him too sharp either & he looks good. The other supplements I feed him are Cortaflex (but largely as a preventitive so hard to say how well it works) & U-Gard Plus which seems to have settled his delicate tummy & helped calm him down, I can notice a difference if he misses a few days.
Little Un doesn't get anything, he seems fine without.
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Bella
Olympic Poster
Posts: 506
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Post by Bella on Nov 25, 2008 21:29:50 GMT 1
I feed Blue Chip Original and know for sure it works for my horse. I fed it for a year, then left it out for a year and have again started to put it in her feed. The difference in her coat and well being just stands out. She has a lovely shiney coat still when she is clipped. My mare is quite spooky and have tried Naf Magic and Magnesium - she refuses point blank to eat either I bought some Blue Chip Kalmer and she is deffinately less spooky, she will look to me first and will lower her head. Where before she couldn't think, it was straight to flight mode. Another supplement I have tried with a very itchy scaby pony was Global Herbs - after 2 weeks the difference was amazing.
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Post by Del Boy on Nov 25, 2008 21:52:11 GMT 1
I'm going to my local tack shop tomorrow, so if you are free, why not pop in and ask some questions, about supplements etc If you can't make it, I'll try ask on your behalf, but can't promise anything! www.surreyequestrian.co.uk/News-Information.htmlLyon Road, Hersham Trading Estate, Hersham, Surrey KT12 3PU Any excuse to spend some money, well, it is a sale, so you're saving really & "With minced pies and wine for all customers". ;D
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