Feed help please

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Brandylion

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I hVe 14.2 3 year old who does eat soil and sand . I desperately need to stop her doing this as she has colicked from it .She has been fed a balancer and a light chaff through out the summer. And has access to a salt lick
Someone has said to me she must be lacking calcium or fibre . But surely the balancer contains essential vitamins and minerals so she shouldn’t be lacking anything in theory . I’ve also been told she could be lacking in fibre . Please advise me on the best diet for her . Thanks for reading
 
The problem with feeding a balancer is that you are being misled into believing it will be providing everything required for a balanced diet but in reality it is just a vit/ min compound that is made to cover the basic daily needs with no account taken for the area you live in and the differences in what will be in the soil/ grass/ forage so she may well be lacking something or even getting too much of something else which makes the diet unbalanced despite or even because of the balancer.

As she obviously has a dietary need that is not being provided at the moment I would contact one of the specialist providers of balanced vits/ mins for advice and also get a soil/ forage analysis done, I would also ensure she is given adlib access to hay so she has no reason to be lacking fibre in her diet. I think forage plus will offer what you need but someone else may be able to advise on where is best to go for advice.
 
It could actually be the balancer which is causing the problem, unless you gave the balancer as a response to her colicking. I would stop the balancer and make sure that she has access to ad-lib forage with a tablespoonful of salt, not just a salt-lick. If that doesn't help, then have your soil tested and get a bespoke balancer.
 
She has been on the balancer all summer . Had vet back out today as she was looking uncomfortable . Thanks for your advice and help . Outcome of Vets visit today was basically repeat treatment and I have to stop her doing it !
 
If she's colicky because of sand feed a fibre feed and psyllium. Then make sure she has plenty of fibre. Mine live on sandy soil they have feeds of soaked grass nuts and grass chaff so basically grass all year round. One recommended product was seaweed. It's not suitable for pregnant mares though
 
Brandylion said:
She has been on the balancer all summer . Had vet back out today as she was looking uncomfortable . Thanks for your advice and help . Outcome of Vets visit today was basically repeat treatment and I have to stop her doing it !
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So when did she start licking the soil/sand?

I can't say that I think your vet's advice was particularly helpful!
 
They need 10gms of salt per 100kgs of bodyweight, and they cant absorb enough through licks. I'd increase the salt and if grazing/forage analysis wasn't a sensible option I'd feed the highest spec balancer from Forage Plus or Progressive Earth.

Is she out full time? Whats he condition like?
 
If she is actively seeking out and eating soil rather than accidentally ingesting it from a poor pasture then you have a more significant issue. Neither are ideal of course - but it is harder to stop an idiopathy than something accidental. I'm not sure a grazing muzzle would actually help if she is actively seeking soil. She can lick it up just as easily having scraped a hole with hooves or the muzzle edge.

If you are on bare or poor pasture it might help to move her to better grazing. But if this is deliberate on her part you need to get a forage and diet analysis done - and fairly quickly. The last thing you need is for this to develop into a comfort habit rather than a need. Psyllium and high quality forage will help to move the sand from her gut - but sorting out the deficiency would be better long term.
 
She actively digs to get the soil ! She is currently stabled for a few days until I have a proper plan in place then she will be on gradually increased turnout with a grazing muzzle . Am not in a position to get a soil analysis done . But I am attempting to overhaul her diet to a completely fibre based one . One of my friends at the yard has suggested ulcers could be a cause and ulcers would account for colic and discomfort . She is a little stressy she freaked when her friend in the next stable went to a new home another horse moved in to it and definitely needs bucket feed throughout the winter to help her maintain condition . Thank you for your advice
 
Speak to Forageplus - they do a generic mineral supplement formulated to correct deficiencies across a rnage of samples they have tested, And they might have other ideas. https://forageplus.co.uk/about-forageplus/ Meanwhile can you let her have some hedge cuttings or branches to browse? They are deeper rooted than grass and can contain minerals lacking in the grass.
BTW a salt lick doesn't provide sufficient salt - their tongues aren't rough enough, A dessertspoon of basic table salt once a day in feeds is what my two get - and it's cheap as chips in most supermarkets
 
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