Anyone tested grazing for contaminants? Useful?

catembi

catembi

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Grasping at straws here... Both my horses are unwell - one has EPSM & the other has ulcers that won't respond to treatment. My previous horse Catembi (in avatar) died of protein losing enteropathy. I am beginning to wonder whether my water or soil is contaminated. We are surrounded by agricultural land. I've put in a request for a specialist company to come & test the water in the trough & the tap outside the feed room, but I'm not sure re soil.

I've had a google & the companies that pop up seem to deal more with contaminated industrial land than just a couple of acres at home used for horses.

All suggestions or experiences appreciated.

T x
 
I've found Anglian Soil Analysis, & they do water too, so I've contacted them. We will see. Might be the answer, or if not, one more thing to cross off the list.

T x
 
i don't know much about it... but do know of people who have found their soil is too acidic or alkali, and have treated with different fertilizers because of it. guess an acid imbalance could cause problems? but don't know about contamination, worth investigating as you never know
 
I agree OP testing is certainly worth doing. A yard that my hubby used to shoe at had all sorts of foot problems - the horses could not keep a shoe on their hooves were brittle and cracking with little growth - the horse owners changed farriers and hubby ended up with them. The horses got repeated abscesses. He advised them to move that something had to be wrong and sure enough now 6 months down the line at a different yard the feet are different and all is well. It wasn't their land so they didn;t test, but clearly there was something very deficient in the soil. I think if you can identify that then you will be able to supplement as needed.
I hope it is not actual contamination. The yard I speak of used to be a fruit farm.
 
My land has septic tank runoffs under it from neighbouring properties which might be an issue, & is surrounded by agricultural land which is regularly sprayed, so that might be a prob too.

That's really interesting re the horses' feet!

T x
 
Testing the grass would be useful as well as soil for minerals as well as heavy metals and toxins. Also if the hay comes from a single source that as well. ot sure about where to get it done, ring companies and ask. Bioparametrics might do it.

ps. Deficiences and imbalances of minerals in grazing and hays can have dramatic effect on health and hooves.
 
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