Equitop Myoplast

This article really only refers to 'normal' horses (if such a thing exists!). Cushings horses often have very different dietary requirements.
 
Ben2684 said:
There is a very interesting article somewhere (I know that’s not helpful) on the addition of proteins to a horses diet. Basically the article (from a respected biologist) states that any ‘extra’ protein you fed your horse was wasted as it would be expelled. Your horse can only utilise what it’s body needs and any extra was wasted. The underline of the ariticke was basically Correct consistent work builds muscle nothing else does. Therefore I am very wary of anything that claims to build muscle. If it was as easy as diet wouldn’t we all be doing it??
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Except that however you work them you can't build muscle if the basic ingredients to build soft tissue (i.e. proteins) are there. There is a very good article here http://davidmarlin.co.uk/portfolio/the-science-of-equine-muscle-building-supplements/
 
Ben2684 said:
There is a very interesting article somewhere (I know that’s not helpful) on the addition of proteins to a horses diet. Basically the article (from a respected biologist) states that any ‘extra’ protein you fed your horse was wasted as it would be expelled. Your horse can only utilise what it’s body needs and any extra was wasted. The underline of the ariticke was basically Correct consistent work builds muscle nothing else does. Therefore I am very wary of anything that claims to build muscle. If it was as easy as diet wouldn’t we all be doing it??
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To some horses, protein is essential. At a recent dressage clinic, people could not believe my horse was the same as last year's... I consulted a qualified independent equine nutritionist and it's the best money I've spent.
 
Thanks all for your thoughts and comments.

He gets a pretty decent diet, mostly fibre and oil but a decent amount of protein too.

I’ve to up hia workload, he is getting a 1-1.5hr hack twice a week at present in hilly surrounding and goes on trips on the trailer to different places for additional hacks as well.

I’ll up his work and his calories with oil and see how we get on.

He gets a cup of the below in each feed

Dengie Grassnuts and Alfalfa nut mixed together
Hifi senior
Equerry mash

500g of linseed daily
Joint supplement
Balancer
Cushings meds

Hes now getting 4 feeds of the above a day, he was getting three and an extra one when I rode, he will now get 5 the days i ride, he’s going through 3/4 big slices of hay daily. I’ve also started to give him a medium sized trug of beetpulp for him to pick away at in the stable.

He was out from 8am to 4pm but th field is pretty much bare now so I’ve started him coming in at 12 for hay and a feed and leaving him with 2 big slices in his haybar. These shook up pretty much fill it and he’s eaten 2/3rds when I go back down at 4pm. It’s good quality hay grown organically on site :)

Oh and he’s a fussy ****** so I’ve been through just about most feeds cheap and expensive that is out there even remotely suitable for elderly or Cushings horses :(
 
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Black Beastie said:
Thanks all for your thoughts and comments.

He gets a pretty decent diet, mostly fibre and oil but a decent amount of protein too.

I’ve to up hia workload, he is getting a 1-1.5hr hack twice a week at present in hilly surrounding and goes on trips on the trailer to different places for additional hacks as well.

I’ll up his work and his calories with oil and see how we get on.

He gets a cup of the below in each feed

Dengie Grassnuts and Alfalfa nut mixed together
Hifi senior
Equerry mash

500g of linseed daily
Joint supplement
Balancer
Cushings meds

Hes now getting 4 feeds of the above a day, he was getting three and an extra one when I rode, he will now get 5 the days i ride, he’s going through 3/4 big slices of hay daily. I’ve also started to give him a medium sized trug of beetpulp for him to pick away at in the stable.

He was out from 8am to 4pm but th field is pretty much bare now so I’ve started him coming in at 12 for hay and a feed and leaving him with 2 big slices in his haybar. These shook up pretty much fill it and he’s eaten 2/3rds when I go back down at 4pm. It’s good quality hay grown organically on site :)
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To be honest, with his age you may find he puts on very little muscle. He is mid to late 20s from what I remember? Lou (25 now - not sure if you remember her from trotonline?) definitely sags in the middle far more than she used to!
 
Black Beastie said:
Thanks all for your thoughts and comments.

He gets a pretty decent diet, mostly fibre and oil but a decent amount of protein too.

I’ve to up hia workload, he is getting a 1-1.5hr hack twice a week at present in hilly surrounding and goes on trips on the trailer to different places for additional hacks as well.

I’ll up his work and his calories with oil and see how we get on.

He gets a cup of the below in each feed

Dengie Grassnuts and Alfalfa nut mixed together
Hifi senior
Equerry mash

500g of linseed daily
Joint supplement
Balancer
Cushings meds

Hes now getting 4 feeds of the above a day, he was getting three and an extra one when I rode, he will now get 5 the days i ride, he’s going through 3/4 big slices of hay daily. I’ve also started to give him a medium sized trug of beetpulp for him to pick away at in the stable.

He was out from 8am to 4pm but th field is pretty much bare now so I’ve started him coming in at 12 for hay and a feed and leaving him with 2 big slices in his haybar. These shook up pretty much fill it and he’s eaten 2/3rds when I go back down at 4pm. It’s good quality hay grown organically on site :)

Oh and he’s a fussy ****** so I’ve been through just about most feeds cheap and expensive that is out there even remotely suitable for elderly or Cushings horses :(
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The Saracen’s horse food website has an excellent lonknto an automatic ration creation tool. You could try that.
 
He had bloods done in sept as per his MoT :) nothing showed up in regards to liver enzymes or any nasties.

I can’t increase his Prascend he just stops eating and gets depressed so the vet thinks bloods for that would be pointless as regardless as to what they say I can’t give him anymore :(
 
tallyho! said:
To some horses, protein is essential. At a recent dressage clinic, people could not believe my horse was the same as last year's... I consulted a qualified independent equine nutritionist and it's the best money I've spent.
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Mine is a retired draft not a dressage horse, but wow did he look better when he took over the mare's ERS pellets when they disagreed with her. They are high protein and supposed to be for horses in hard work, but he thrives on them. I've tried taking them away and upping his copra and linseed, but his hindquarters disappear within a fortnight so they are staying. I guess some horses need the extra.
 
There are horses with protein maladsorption issues. Rockley Farm own one, Bailey, if she is still alive. Her feet cracked dreadfully until they discovered her issue. Horses like that will need extra high protein food.
 
ester said:
I can't quite fathom something that is mostly sugar being suggested for a cushings horse?
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Yes indeed. A friend of our put a pony on it to increase topline and it promptly went down with laminitis. Tests later revealed she had Cushings.
 
ycbm said:
There are horses with protein maladsorption issues. Rockley Farm own one, Bailey, if she is still alive. Her feet cracked dreadfully until they discovered her issue. Horses like that will need extra high protein food.
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Sounds like my big ex chaser who almost starved to death 8 years ago - even with high protein it is a struggle to get any muscle over his back. Was there anything else they did do you know - mine is on amino acids, whey protein as well as yeasacc but it only makes a slight difference? Or should I ask Rockley?
 
JillA said:
Sounds like my big ex chaser who almost starved to death 8 years ago - even with high protein it is a struggle to get any muscle over his back. Was there anything else they did do you know - mine is on amino acids, whey protein as well as yeasacc but it only makes a slight difference? Or should I ask Rockley?
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Yes, email Nic and ask what they fed her, I don't know, but she did hunt for many years barefoot so whatever it was worked. I think they fed alfalfa pellets, but we can't all get away with that, I've got one they goes loopy on tiny amounts of it.
 
My vets said the same to me with my cushings horse but I refused, I’d already heard of it and looked it up, full of sugar, to disguise the taste of the spirulina...I then looked on the laminitis site, where they recommended whey protein isolate (Holland and Barrett sell it) so I started him on that together with hi if molasses free, linseed, salt and a balancer, worked him in the school x3 a week, hacked twice a week and the muscle started to build up again top line bum etc...he’s 20 now and still has some muscle despite not working him for a while, I only fed it’s when I was trying to get topline back but it works and I still cheaper than equitop!
 
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