As my brain is turning towards fall and winter again (especially after the chilly misty mornings we've been having) I've been looking at my girls' diets and trying to prepare them for cooler weather with extra calories and to make sure I'm happy with the changes I've made in their diets both for Bailey's choke and trying to consolidate my feeding. I've also been thinking again about Arya's ulcers, and was hoping the blogger community could help me out with supplements.
Arya is no longer getting the Gastric Care Ultium; I wasn't really convinced it was doing anything other than being just as expensive as her previous feed with fewer calories. From what I could tell, Ultium Competition has more calcium in it than the Gastric care, and while it's a nice feed, I figured calories was more important to me this winter. So I am thinking of changing out Arya's pre-ride meal with Alfalfa pellets (soaked) which is less fun in the winter, but doable. I am also thinking I should try to find a supplement to add to her routine to help safeguard against the stresses of this time of year; swapping from pasture to hay and changing weather sounds like something that would set off her gastric issues and I'd like to prevent any recurrences.
I found a video I took last winter (January) right before I quit riding her for a month to get her back adjusted, and eventually treated for ulcers, and guys... it's painful. Arya is never lacking in sass under saddle but her lashing tail and tiny steps and the throwing herself sideways shows me a horse that (while she was being rude and definitely defaults easily to the wild asshole side of her) was really in a lot of discomfort. And I don't want to have that happen again. Not only because I really don't want to die, but also because that isn't a very nice way to exist.
Sooo, blogger folks:
What type of gastric or ulcer support supplement do you feed? Do you take any seasonal precautions to prevent ulcers?
Arya is no longer getting the Gastric Care Ultium; I wasn't really convinced it was doing anything other than being just as expensive as her previous feed with fewer calories. From what I could tell, Ultium Competition has more calcium in it than the Gastric care, and while it's a nice feed, I figured calories was more important to me this winter. So I am thinking of changing out Arya's pre-ride meal with Alfalfa pellets (soaked) which is less fun in the winter, but doable. I am also thinking I should try to find a supplement to add to her routine to help safeguard against the stresses of this time of year; swapping from pasture to hay and changing weather sounds like something that would set off her gastric issues and I'd like to prevent any recurrences.
I found a video I took last winter (January) right before I quit riding her for a month to get her back adjusted, and eventually treated for ulcers, and guys... it's painful. Arya is never lacking in sass under saddle but her lashing tail and tiny steps and the throwing herself sideways shows me a horse that (while she was being rude and definitely defaults easily to the wild asshole side of her) was really in a lot of discomfort. And I don't want to have that happen again. Not only because I really don't want to die, but also because that isn't a very nice way to exist.
Sooo, blogger folks:
What type of gastric or ulcer support supplement do you feed? Do you take any seasonal precautions to prevent ulcers?
Boat had ulcer issues earlier this year and colicing as a result, which we treated aggressively. Since then he has been on UGuard pellets! He started with a double dose and after a few weeks went back to a regular dose, but around shows we double it and he gets omeprazole before trailering anywhere :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emily! I hope your pony is feeling better. Did you choose the UGuard pellets for a specific reason? People seem to love it, so I'll definitely look into it!
DeleteIt was recommended specifically by my vet, had great reviews, was easy to get ahold of, and didn't break the bank!
DeleteMy trainer feeds U Gard as well. (: I did a course of Nexium with Spring and now she's on Probios - nothing specific for ulcers but I don't know for sure that she had them, and she is 100% less girthy and now actually enjoys having her stomach area groomed. It's $10 a month for the Probios and the Nexium treatment was maybe $45 total. She gets a can of Purina Senior Active plus a quarter can of sweet feed twice a day and her wait is perfect. SmartPaks with Elevate SE and Quiessence as well.
ReplyDeleteU Guard sure is popular! I also did Nexium for my treatment and saw a big difference (like... I can actually ride my horse without feeling like I'm going to die) so I'd like to keep that going. I'm glad you've got a good mix figured out for Spring, she looks great!!
DeleteI actually don't feed one. I was pilot programming the Purina Gastric top feed on Dante but I really didn't see a difference (and it was fucking difficult for me to feed it 4x a day...)
ReplyDeleteAlthough the Tank has a lesser capacity than its older brother, Yeti tank 85. The Yeti tank 45 can hold up to 52 cans of beer, and 43 pounds of ice respectively. This is enough to suffice for a small house party and enough for a boat or hunting adventure. click for source
ReplyDelete