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Post by relativecolor on Mar 20, 2003 0:31:37 GMT -5
I've noticed Zane and some other horses at the barn have flaky skin. It looks like dandruff. Any suggestions in the feeding department? He seems a little itchy lately too.
He also has me worried because he is eating the dirt in the roundpen and arena. Any ideas on supplements to add to his feed? I asked my trainer about a mineral block but she said that might not be enough.
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Post by Bara on Mar 20, 2003 7:49:11 GMT -5
Vegetable oil and zinc tablets. ;D Add a cup of oil to his feed and drop in a couple of tablets (normal, human chemist stuff.) (Sorry, pharmacy). That was my vet's recommendation - and it works. Takes a little while to see the effects, but it does work. Also, someone (?) sorry - was asking about dandruff? Same cure. (And simple and cheap ...yay!) Mind you, your chemist looks at you a bit funny when you buy 10 packs of zinc tablets ...
Good luck!
B
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Post by niaru on Mar 20, 2003 9:16:15 GMT -5
Bara, I was just going to suggest zinc, too. When I was a student, the horses at the barn started getting bad rubs (blanket rubs, saddle rubs, just poor quality coats etc). The vet recommended zinc, and tada! It did the trick.
Charm also has dandruff, especially on her face. I can't wait for warm weather, so that I can give her a good cleansing bath. I was also waiting for the weather to stop FREEZING so bad, so I can start her on vegetable oil.
How much of the black oil sunflower seeds can I give her? Can it be fed in lieu of veg. oil? Charm seems to be eating them, and it's much easier to handle than oil...although it's more expensive in the long run...
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Post by Bara on Mar 20, 2003 9:55:34 GMT -5
Buy one of those big 3 litre vegetable oil polybottles from the supermarket. You CAN'T overdose. I'd put a cup or two in her feed. What's the benefit in Sunflower Oil? I'm sure you can't overdose, so if that's what you want...? But it's the 'Oil' bit which is beneficial! They don't dislike it - so it's easy. Then watch for a couple of weeks. Foreigner suffers terribly in the summer - dry skin, midge bites, etc. He turns himself (and me!) inside out on a ride. Edgie is totally unaffected by flies etc. How funny are horses. But Forry looks like your bald teddy-bear from when you were a kid. That's why his nick-name is 'Funny Face'. He gets so patchy! It doesn't seem to worry him - but it worries me! So he doesn't get turned out without a fly-mask, he doesn't come out without a fly-fringe. But I know it must be painful and uncomfortable for him. That's why I got the vet out a few years ago. And that's what he suggested. Veg oil and zinc tablets. And Forry has been much less affected since then.
More luck!
B
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Post by Smay on Mar 20, 2003 10:12:08 GMT -5
Yup - RC - just up his fat content in his ration somehow - whether it's by adding corn oil or vegtable oil, giving him a fat supplement or high fat feed additive ( I feed Ultimate Finish, an extruded pellet with 25% fat content - one pound a day) , or black oil sunflower seeds - which I get from the feed store for $9 a 50#bag and feed a cup a day. The zinc thing sounds promising. And believe it or not, I've heard that lots of carrots help the hair coat shine...it's the vitamin A in them. I feed TONS of carrots...no really TONS! and my horses have really glossy hair, even in the winter and no dandruff. They got plenty of DIRT though!
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Post by niaru on Mar 20, 2003 14:14:42 GMT -5
Bara, do you crush the zinc tablets or drop them whole?!
One cup of B.O.Sunflower seeds sounds good. I like them better than oil because it's easier to feed, and I don't know if Charm would eat the oil . Rita didn't like either, but Rita was a picky eater and Charm doesn't seem to be, she eats the seeds. I've been giving her a handful of seeds with a handful of sweet feed to get her used to them. It's hard to deal with supplements at that big barn, but when she's at Kmmom's place I might try the veg. oil. She just doesn't seem to be gaining weight (I know, I know, it's only been a few weeks!) and I can't wait to see her round!
Sorry to babble...
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Post by Bara on Mar 20, 2003 15:08:11 GMT -5
I crush them up. And then he doesn't even notice that they are there! Patience, child!
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Post by adcooper on Mar 20, 2003 17:52:15 GMT -5
Just poured myself a cup of Mazola and am chewing on a Zinc tab now. Expecting supple, younger looking skin by morning. :hahaha:
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Post by jennifer2 on Mar 20, 2003 19:05:59 GMT -5
should be fairly high in zinc.
I'm going to try to grow a LOT of sflowers this summer to feed my horses and chix next winter. Also, horses enjoy pumpkin seeds. There are a few hull-less seed pumpkins on the market.
That makes sense about the zinc and the hair somehow- Aramis has the most appalling bald spots on his shoulders coming into the end of a long Alaska winter. I figured he's finally outgrown his blankets so they rub more, but I'll do some min supplements too now.
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Post by CatB on Mar 20, 2003 20:15:15 GMT -5
Be sure and let me know if the Mazola and zinc work, I'll order vats of each first thing tomorrow. Otherwise, my only other option for skin preservation may be wearing a burka. Hmmm, then again, maybe not such a good idea. ;D
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Post by niaru on Mar 20, 2003 20:21:12 GMT -5
:hahaha: :hahaha:
Yup, prolly NOT a good idea these days...Let's see how Ad fares with her concoction! :coffee:
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Post by Vida on Mar 20, 2003 21:46:56 GMT -5
Don't be scared of the SF seeds. I feed my tb's about 6 huge cups a day, plus oats and beet pulp. Also for the flakey skin, when you get a chance to bathe him, do an apple cider vinegar rinse after the shampoo, let stand for about 5 minutes then rinse off. It helps to restore the ph balance on the skin. If you're worried about vit/min (I feed the Moormon's vit/min every day), you can feed it free choice if he's stalled and he'll probably chow down until he's had his fill then waine off it. You can also get some vit/min from ABC plus that has separate compartments for different vit/min and the horse will choose what he's lacking from the separated compartments. Eating the dirt shows he's desparately seeking something that he needs. When my appy does this, that's when I throw out the vit/min free choice instead of just putting a little on their food. Their needs change as the weather and their forage changes.
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Post by Einstein on Mar 20, 2003 23:57:50 GMT -5
Vida~what's an apple vinegar rinse? Do you dilute it? I heard that free choice minerals are great too, that a regular salt lick isn't enough. Porter came to me with a poor coat/skin~go figure ;D He eats 25% fat Athlete, Ultimat Finish, free choice hay and alfalfa cubes and he STILL not shiny! So this is interesting to me, I want him to be shiny and fat. Oh and I brush him once a day too. This was on COTH kinda informative about coat condition/supliments: chronicleforums.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=6656094911&f=5566064631&m=88060551 |
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Post by niaru on Mar 21, 2003 8:16:00 GMT -5
Since we're talking about washing the beasties, what is everyone's favorite shampoo? I have to admit that I very rarely shampoo. I don't think I even shampooed Rita once...  I'd hose her down after a ride with plain water or water mixed with Absorbine liniment when she was real sweaty, but that's that. I have read that Corona Shampoo was THE best (according to the Horse Journal, I think...) Opinions? |
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Post by Laura on Mar 21, 2003 10:35:02 GMT -5
Gotta give my personal "plug" for the yeast! It works wonders with skin issues... That and it's very inexpensive. It provides many extra nutrients like biotin, B's, etc. Not to mention it helps with digestion. Just a suggestion..  I swear by the stuff! |
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I'd hose her down after a ride with plain water or water mixed with Absorbine liniment when she was real sweaty, but that's that. 
I swear by the stuff!