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Is it not? Well could you tell me what is, please, because every aspect of my equine educational background has taught me that it is!
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Bran mash is just bran + hot water, maybe with a dash of limestone powder if we're feeling vaguely nutritionally aware. Fed traditionally to convalescent horses.
Your feed is just a normal feed mixed with hot water as opposed to cold
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Is it not? Well could you tell me what is, please, because every aspect of my equine educational background has taught me that it is!
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a bran mash is surprisingly made up of................................................................................................................................................................................
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BTW you will find the bran information on the HHO main website - not that that can be trusted either, i suppose
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Nutritionist Ruth Bishop says: "Bran used to be made differently in the past. Due to changes in the milling process the particles are smaller now. The fibre (12%) and energy supply is what has made bran so popular as a feed for days off and after hunting. In feeding it, you up the fibre supply, cut the starch and maintain a similar amount of energy in the diet. It is also tasty and great for tempting a tired or fussy horse.
"But bran, like other cereals, contains a high level of phosphorus and almost no calcium, which is not good. A horse needs about twice as much calcium as phosphorus. Feeding just bran on a day off also means a drastic cut in vitamins and minerals, just when a horse needs them for repair after exertion.
"If it's a double handful in a fully nutritious feed, bran won't do any harm. But a bran mash once a week is not recommended because there is a risk of colic associated with any sudden dietary change."
Teresa Hollands adds: "I would not generally recommend bran. It has little nutritional value and is not easily digested, so it can absorb minerals, reducing their availability to the horse.
"Bran can be useful for older horses that suffer from impaction problems, as it has a laxative effect. But because of its inverse calcium to phosphorus ratio, the horse might need its calcium levels boosted, by feeding alfalfa, for example, which is rich in calcium."
This formed part of a feature in Horse & Hound's feeding special (13 October, '05)
IMO, if you listened to all the scientific studies and findings these days, you'd be scared to feed anything! The fact is that many horses have been fed bran for years and years, and they didnt suddenly fall ill because of it! I've been brought up the old fashioned way, and it works for me!
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Just because it has been fed for years and years doesn't mean it is right
and IMHO the scientific studies are a step forwards.
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Is it not? Well could you tell me what is, please, because every aspect of my equine educational background has taught me that it is!
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a bran mash is surprisingly made up of................................................................................................................................................................................
BRAN!!!!!
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Gosh, I would never have guessed! How silly of me to have thought that by adding ingredients, the 'original' name may remain unaltered. If you have a 'chicken casserole', do you assume that it contains ONLY chicken? Perhaps 'Chicken-and-onion-and-carrot-and-leek' etc would be more appropriate?
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Is it not? Well could you tell me what is, please, because every aspect of my equine educational background has taught me that it is!
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a bran mash is surprisingly made up of................................................................................................................................................................................
BRAN!!!!!
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Gosh, I would never have guessed! How silly of me to have thought that by adding ingredients, the 'original' name may remain unaltered. If you have a 'chicken casserole', do you assume that it contains ONLY chicken? Perhaps 'Chicken-and-onion-and-carrot-and-leek' etc would be more appropriate?
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not sure about the cassarole...i dont DO cooking......
but i certainly know how to make a bran mash.......
Fact is Miz, you are not feeding a bran mash in any way, shape, or form - you are feeding a hot feed, end of. Not sure why you are bothering to put bran in it though, as it doesn't add anything
yes, I learned that the three horses I was in charge of were fed twice a day. When I asked what exactly their feed consisted of, I was told:
'They both have bran mashes twice a day - one scoop of mix, one scoop of alfa a, 3/4 scoop of bran and 3 cups of water.'
Funny, in my training for PC tests, the story wasnt much different....and I passed them, so something must have been right!
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but didn't you just say you use ONE scoop of bran in yours? The above IS similar to a bran mash - what you described was a 'normal' feed with a scoop of bran in.
For me a bran mash is obviously Bran (the best broad leaf you can get) Epsom salts & hot water, with a little molasses if necessary to temp a fussy feeder. For me it would be given after a hard days hunting, & maybe on a day off after hard work, & should release any toxins in the horses system. A bit like a laxative or diuretic. I would use it as a flushing out. Horses tend to enjoy it although I would not feed it regularly especially without adding limestone flour. I actually heard of a horse recently still being fed thirds !!!!!! Now that is showing my age.
the difference there though is that the horses were being fed alfalfa, the calcium content of which would go towards balancing the bran, whereas you are feeding chaff, which does not.
Sometimes doing things and not knowing why can be a bit dangerous
but didn't you just say you use ONE scoop of bran in yours? The above IS similar to a bran mash - what you described was a 'normal' feed with a scoop of bran in.
And can someone PLEASE fix this page?
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hang on.....so you're telling me that the fact that I feed ONE SCOOP not THREE QUARTERS of a scoop makes the difference between a 'hot dinner' and a 'mash'? WTF!!!!!!!
or is it the chaff vs. alfa that you have picked up on? because Ellie won't eat alfa! Not for the want of trying!
QR Miz Elz- i dont think the quantity of bran is the issue here , it could be one scoop or three scoops, i think the point is that a bran mash is ONLY bran no other feeds mixed through.
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the difference there though is that the horses were being fed alfalfa, the calcium content of which would go towards balancing the bran, whereas you are feeding chaff, which does not.
Sometimes doing things and not knowing why can be a bit dangerous
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That last statement sounds dangerously close to being patronising......
If calcium is the thing to be worried about, then no fear; Ellie has three different types of mineral lick to choose from! And yes, one of them IS calcium rich - I'm not that ignorant!