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| Discussion on Equine Metabolic SynDrOme | |
| Author | Message |
| New Member: egray |
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| Member: scooter |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 5, 2009 - 8:26 pm: Hi Elaine, FME you can save yourself some money and forget about the IR supplement. I've tried a few with no noticeable difference. Diet and exercise is what keeps IR under control, some are easier than others. I've never had a problem feeding a joint supplement to them.The best words of wisdom I can give is stay tuff with the diet, I have a very hard time with that sometimes.  Did you read the article on IR? https://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/4/18295.html |
| Member: pattyb |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 5, 2009 - 9:53 pm: Hi there Elaine. I'm new at IR myself, having caught it very early before any laminitis had a chance to set in. I stumbled upon the problem while trying a calming supplement on my Arab/Paint and the more I researched them, the more I realized my horse has IR. At the present time, I'm trying Quiessence for the magnesium and chromium. Some say there's no proof they work but I've read so many articles that say they do that I decided to work the problem from both directions... diet with exercise and, supplements. I might be wasting $66.00/month but right now, it's worth $66.00 to know I have it covered (with my vet's approval). So far, I've started to see improvements in weight and attitude but couldn't swear to you if it were because of the diet, the exercise or the supplements....more likely to be a combination of either or all. I just keep trudging along while waiting for new research to come down the pipeline. If you continue to use the Smartpak IR, I'll be interested to know how your horse does. I considered using it but had already started the Quiessence so I decided to give the program a chance before I could say it did or didn't help. My guess though is that weight is the biggest issue to work your way thru no matter which direction you come from. Good luck, I'll be watching.
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| Member: pattyb |
Posted on Friday, Mar 6, 2009 - 12:54 am: More thoughts while outside feeding:Diane really helped me understand the importance of how their weight plays into IR....and I swear her horse and my horse are related somewhere in their lineage.  To help slow down hay consumption, I put Ziggy's hay in pony sized haynets. The squares in the mesh are much smaller so it takes them longer to pull it thru...although after a month, I had to double them. Doubling regular size haynets made no difference, he always knew how to work it out of the way, then he turned around and did it with the pony nets as well. To help me feed a consistent amount of hay, I use a digital fish scale from Walmart ($22.00) that I keep on the back of the feed room door. Once I have the haynet ready, I weigh it and adjust accordingly...then I double it before hosing and hanging. For turnouts, I have a dry paddock around the barn so they don't have to be confined to stalls, then a minimal growth arena and a full growth larger pasture. Which area I use depends on the seasons and grass growth. But even in the winter, I had to restrict how much time they spent out in the bigger pasture as dead winter grass can still be a problem. For grain I feed Triple Crown Lite....very low calorie and fat but gets the needed vitamins and minerals ito them that they should have. Even so, I feed the lowest rec. amount so it doesn't put weight on him as I try to get it off. If I think of any other tips, I'll breeze back thru in the morning. Past my bedtime now........................... |
| Member: scooter |
Posted on Friday, Mar 6, 2009 - 6:52 am: For a "hard feed" to put supplements in and up their protein due to "low quality hay" I give mine 5 oz. of alfalfa pellets, they love them and they are very low in NSC's. They even think they are great treats. It seems some horses have to be managed VERY VERY carefully, and some need just a few changes. Once mine are in correct weight(bcs of 5 or less) they can tolerate restricted grazing. If fat it will set off laminitis. The owner has to figure it out, while being very careful, and of course follow your vets advice. How did your vet determine your horse was IR Elaine? |
| Moderator: DrO |
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| New Member: jojohn |
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| Member: pattyb |
Posted on Friday, Mar 6, 2009 - 11:20 pm: One more tip:I had started weighing my hay with a manual fish scale....works just like a normal scale but I was having trouble lining up the needle with the weight lines. Just this week I bought the digital version for easier viewing and darned if I didn't find it to be much more accurate. In all honestly, the manual one turned out to be a half pound under which meant that Ziggy's diet wasn't as much of a diet as I thought. He's slowly losing weight but I would have been there sooner had I been using the digital scale from the beginning. Ziggy's weight started out at 769 pounds (he's an Arab/Paint pony) and is now down to 744. His ideal weight is probably 730, leaving me 14 pounds to go yet. PS: Jody...if you're following this thread, what is triticale and what conditions is it used for? I've never heard of it and am very curious. PS#2: Elaine.....I was wondering how your vet diagnosed EMS also. Tricky condition to diagnose sometimes so I am curious.
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| New Member: jojohn |
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| Member: pattyb |
Posted on Saturday, Mar 7, 2009 - 10:00 am: Thanks Jody. I couldn't use it here but now I know what it is. 
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