mel16
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Post by mel16 on Dec 16, 2012 21:22:05 GMT 1
Solly you're right its not strictly 'nutrition' but as Dr Kellon would say 'nutrition as therapy'....let food be your medicine and all that! Pony nutt I believe it was B12? when I was in Oz I was told all the ranch dudes took high doses of B12 to stop the mozzies biting, it acts as a repellant, I think.
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Post by donnalex on Dec 16, 2012 21:35:09 GMT 1
www.woodlandherbs.co.uk/acatalog/natural_insect_repellents.htmlDefinitely B1 I think B12 is for nerves but not sure. Apparently midges are attracted to carbon dioxide in our breath and this either changes it or stops the reactions, people are split on which way it is. Im not convinced it works but worth a try. Flyfree and Skratch both definitely do work for horses, if you can get them to eat enough of it but that works by stopping them biting not reducing the reaction. Some also say yeast extract works. So has anyone had their horse on bespoke minerals for over a year and either got uncontrollable mud rash or recurring azoturia? Its looking like a no?
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mel16
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Posts: 119
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Post by mel16 on Dec 16, 2012 21:55:37 GMT 1
Ahh mixing it up with the marmite thing...which I take for b12 being veggie, vergin on vegan as I remember a naturopath prescribed high dose Bcomplex to deter mozzies when I went to Thailand. Looks like the answers no then!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2012 11:54:29 GMT 1
a theory i have swimming around in jen land-aka brain, that is the liver and kidneys are busy trying to remove excess mineral or not removing is more to the point, them there not going to be able to fight infection to the optimum, surely a bespoke balanced diet equals far healthier horse, Darn it Jen, youve sent my mind round in circles on this one!! I'm going to have to speak to a nutritionist. My first response to this would be to agree. But the liver and kidneys are designed to remove unwanted minerals and compounds from the body, it's their job, so unless they're getting a massive excess then there's no reason it should make them unhealthy. I agree that mineral balancing has worked well for lots of people and I'm still probably going to get it done, but I think the improvement is from the ability to use the required minerals to build strong cells and structures, not because the liver and kidneys are compromised by not balancing. In fact I can prove it, Talin's got MF, he's not on bespoke minerals and his liver function, white blood cells and lymphocytes are normal. We know that living in too clean an environment and giving the immune system nothing to do makes it hyper reactive and causea allergies, and I know one feed company believe that feeding minerals every day prevent the body from storing minerals and then using those stores in times of deficiency as it should do. I wouldn't mind betting this becomes a new trend at some point in the future. PN, have you asked how many people responding to this thread have been mineral balanced for over a year? If the answer to that is zero/ one/ two then you can't really draw a conclusion that it's preventing mud fever just because those haven't had it!
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Post by clipclop on Dec 17, 2012 12:12:41 GMT 1
PN, have you asked how many people responding to this thread have been mineral balanced for over a year? If the answer to that is zero/ one/ two then you can't really draw a conclusion that it's preventing mud fever just because those haven't had it! Plus, these horses would have to have been on the same land for a good number of years to be anywhere near conclusive as it's bacteria and ph levels on the particular ground rather than how muddy it is. Also, you'd also have to take into account whether natural immunity was a was building up over time rather than in being a direct result of minerals being fed. Just as an aside point, my one with leg filling issues did respond extremely well to a detox supplement (more so than to steroid injections) despite bloods all appearing fine. Sent from my ST18i using proboards
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Post by mrsfields on Dec 17, 2012 14:08:42 GMT 1
my two have been on balanced minerals for a couple of months now - did a forage analysis as we have our own hay, and feed plans, and just feed them straights (whole soaked oats, unmollassed sugar beet, alfalfa and linseed) with their supplements - our forage was very low in zinc and copper and very high in manganese so we need very large amounts of zinc and copper which is tricky as it's not very palatable, but i started with a teeny tiny dose, while sticking to the Cu:Zn ratio, and increased it gradually - am now just about at half dose levels and the ponies are eating it happily, and will see if i can increase it a little more...
i cannot wait to see the positive effects on their hooves and general condition etc. in the long-term, but i'm very happy with how things are going so far!
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mel16
Intermediate Poster
Posts: 119
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Post by mel16 on Dec 17, 2012 19:32:52 GMT 1
I have been mineral balancing for 20 months. Tho only on this land for 1year. The good thing tho about Dr K's courses is you have access to folk who have been balancing for years...I could pass the question on? As I remember the only mineral that is stored in the horse is iron, and that is stored in the liver.
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Post by Solly on Dec 17, 2012 19:47:24 GMT 1
Is it a bad idea then to feed Formula4Feet, which apparently contains a lot of iron, especially in a field where there are huge patches of nettles that the horses have been munching with gusto? What happens when iron is stored? Does it ever leave the body? I'm worried I've poisoned my horses now.
Also, re mud-fever, which one of my horses with Cushings has, please could you tell me about the soil pH? Presumably the horse's immunity is impaired with the Cushings, but maybe changes could be made to the pH. Or maybe not!
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Post by donnalex on Dec 17, 2012 22:58:23 GMT 1
Hi mel. Yes please do pass the question on. Azoturia too please. I struggled with a pony for a while, the vets were baffled. Her 'cure' came from having hay not haylage, being out all day every day no matter what and when she came in she had sugar beet and pony nuts with NAF electro salts added morning and night and a full net of carrots every night plus straw if she wanted it. She was a bad crib biter too which I used to let her do. Once on that set up she never got it again full cost me a small fortune! Was an amazing hunter though
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Post by Solly on Dec 18, 2012 18:39:55 GMT 1
Is it a high or a low pH that predisposes to MF?
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Post by donnalex on Dec 19, 2012 18:06:16 GMT 1
I dont know but it didnt make any difference that I could see when we had the land limed to make the land less acididc.
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