copper deficiency & seaweed

[w1bbler]

Have seen a horse recently with white "spectacles" around its eyes, poor doer & dull coat, which I suspect could be copper deficiency?
Owner feeds chaff with seaweed & garlic & I think she needs to drop the seaweed due to high iron / iodine levels & add a decent all round supplement.
I can find lots of stuff on here to support this theory but nothing "scientific" can anyone point me to some articles I could show her, rather than just saying "i read it in h&h forum?

 

[Lucky Lady]

Hi have you thought of gastric ulcers? If they are in the hind gut, which is where the body does all the absorption, then the body will lack certain nutrition if the body cannot function properly. You say that this horse is a poor doer and dull coat and that could be down to ulcers.

 

[Leo Walker]

She needs to stop the seaweed straight away! I'm in a very, very high iron area, at the foot of hills where they mined for iron ore. Its not uncommon for the water to be orange round here! And either supplement with zinc and copper in the right ratio or feed ProHoof. . Most horses dont need iron which is why seaweed isnt recommended

 

[flintfootfilly]

I'd encourage them to have the grass/hay tested for minerals, so they can see what really is deficient.

It's common in the UK to have copper and zinc deficiencies, and one survey estimated that about 70% of the UK is deficient in selenium too (though some land has plenty). Hopefully comparing the results of forage analysis with NRC recommended intakes will convince her that a good vit/min supplement or balancer is essential. I'd only feed one that contains organic selenium (selenium yeast) having seen how my gang have improved when on a balancer containing that, rather than one with only sodium selenite.

She should be able to google enough stuff on copper spectacles in cattle to realise that it is a possibility in her horse.

Sarah