First of all I will talk about the products I use:
Gumnuts – Aged Care and Condition
I use gumnuts for all horses that come into the sanctuary who are either aged or emaciated. Gumnuts was formulated for older horses however I have found it the best for weight gain as well. It is very high in protein so its important to remember that one your "younger" horse is at an ideal weight then you must change to another mitavite product. Breeda or xrtra cool is amazing depending on what your horse is being used for. It is best to contiune feeding your aged horse gumnuts as long as he isn't over weight and prone to laminitis. Gumnuts is highly nutritious, palatable and provides a unique balance of vitamins and minerals specifically formulated to address the challenges of old age. It contains omega 3 oils, antioxidants and essential amino acids are provided in highly digestible form. Gumnuts is best fed soaked in water as the mash is soft on horses who have no teeth or rescue horses that have sore teeth.
Roughage
I feed lucerne chaff, wheaten chaff, lucerne hay and rhodes grassy hay.
Supplements
Supplements will depend on each horse as they all have different requirements, but the most common ones I feed to all of the rescues are listed here.
Apple Cider Vinegar ~ It is a proven arthritic treatment/preventative, useful in the prevention/treatment of tying up, oxidises blood, helping to keep it healthy and aids in blood circulation that in turn promotes soft tissue healing. It is also an antiviral and aids in strengthening the immune system. This is a great package for improving/maintaining overall health.
Rosehip Herb ~ Rosehip has a high vitamin C content which helps fight off infection and maintain a strong immune system, It's also helpful with gut disturbances and scouring, and is beneficial to boost poor coat and hoof condition.
Chamomile Herb ~ Works as a sedative by reducing nervous tension or excitement, carminative, eases flatulence and colic in the gut and improves digestion, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antispasmodic – reducing spasm or tension in the gut. A good general purpose herb.
Slippery Elm ~ I put all TB's on this as its a natural way of dealing with tummy ulcers. Slippery Elm Bark Powder is used to treat irritation and ulceration of all mucosal membranes within the body. It will completely repair the mucus lining of any affected area and can be used in conjunction with Chamomile to treat scouring in the horse by healing the lining of the whole of the gastro-intestinal tract. Please note, if your horse has bad tummy ulcers a course of Omagraud may be needed. Consult your vet for advise. I do put all TB's on slippery elm because 90% of TB's have ulcer related problems and even windsucking can be caused by ulcers.
Vitamin B "complex" ~ Extremely valuable in the recovery from parasitic burdens, injury, surgery and illness, and in old age. I give 5 ml twice per week in the chest muscle (between from legs).
My Feeding Program (based on a large horse in poor condition)
When I say kilo, I mean a 1 kilo scoop.
Morning & night: Feed this amount both morning and night and based on a 2litre sized dipper.
4 dippers Lucerne chaff
2 dippers Wheaten chaff
2 dippers Mitavite Gumnuts
Vitamite super amino 66 100g
Vitamite performa 3 oil 70ml
1/2 cup apple cyder vinger
1 table spoon rosehip herb
1 handful camomile herb
1 table spoon slippery elm herb
Molasses and water
1 biscuit of Lucerne hay and if your grazing isn't the best 1 biscuit of rhodes grassy as well per meal.
I hope that this helps with feeding your rescue horses. :-) Please note that this is a guide only and what I have found to help our rescue horses, it may need adjusting to suit each individual horse.
Healing Ulcers with herbs:
•1 teaspoon of licorice root - This is NOT the licorice treat or sweet. It is the root of the plant. Licorice is anti inflammatory and antiulcerogenic. It is a potent herb and dosage should not be exceeded and not be given more than 3 months in a row. Can be repeated after a 2 week break.
•1 cup of marshmallow root or leaf. This herb is used internally in veterinary medicine for digestive problems, gastric ulcers, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, bronchitis.
•1/2 a cup of comfrey leaves.This herb is analgesic, demulcent, anti inflammatory and anti ulcer. Caution should be taken when feeding this herb as it may be toxic in high quantity. You can grow your own and give few fresh leaves a day.
•1 cup of meadowsweet leaves: a natural antacid, antiulcerogenic and analgesic commonly used in equine herbal practice
•1 tablespoon of slippery elm bark. This herb is a demulcent and is traditionally used for digestive upsets
•Probiotics to restore the gut flora (from the produce store, like Protexin)
•25-50ml Apple cider vinegar to encourage saliva, a natural protection against gastric acidity
3 months on, then 2 weeks off. Reassess and if necessary, do another 3 months.
If the ulcer is severe, the horse would present some bad behaviour (heated up) or cribbing, pacing up and down or in circle, aggression etc. Once the ulcer is treated, the behaviour is likely to change.
If there is no sign of bad behaviour, the ulcer could be mild and could be treated within 3 months.
Please note that vet adviced should be taken if you suspect that your horse has an extreme case of ulcers and a course of Omagurad maybe needed. This can work in conjunction with herbal treatment, also no health related advise on this website of offered by S.A.H.A should be substituted for advise by a veterinarian.
I place all OTT TB's and TB rescue horses along with other rescues if they are showing signs of ulcers on this herbal treatment.
•Vetrinary Herbal Medicine, Susan G. Wynn, Barbara J. Fougere
