Should I Feed.....?

Hello,
I just need some opinions :)

Okay so as some of you know psyllium is pretty expensive:/
Its fed to help "remove" sand from a horses body that they might have eaten
So I need help deciding whether I should start feeding it to my mare??
The thought of sand colic forming in my horse is scary!
In your opinion should I feed her psyllium?

I live in Southern Arizona which would atumatically make you say "Yes!Feed it to her!" But should I? Does it really help? It`s just so expensive! I don't want to go out and buy it before I get some second thoughts :/.....



As always,thank you!

No You can feed some bran, try a rice bran but you can also use wheat , the new studies show overfeeding wheat bran messes with the calcium level.
Does your horse eat off the ground? Does she get colicky? Does she have runny poops ? Have you had her checked by a Vet? WIth a stethascope you can hear the sand!! It makes a whoosh sound. You can take an exam or rubber glove get a fresh poop take the top "apples" add water and Hang it up, go back in 15-30 min and if there is sand in her poop it will settle at the bottom. Then if shows sand, get some and dose her.

I know psyllium is expensive to buy, but I know with Sand Clear, you only feed it for 7 days once a month. So it may seem like an expensive little bucket, but it will last you awhile.

I feed psyllium husks as a preventative measure, particularly around spring when the grass tends to pull up by the roots and horses ingest the sand at the base.

They're not all that expensive - you only need to feed them for 7 days in a month during the 'high risk' times.
I'd much rather an extra $25/month than having to fork out thousands for colic surgery and potentially lose my horse.

I feed generic Metamucil from Walmart a week of every month.
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I live in AZ and fallow the phylum ritual every month its not that badly expensive far less from the vet bill if they colic. Try getting a clear zip lock bag or a clear glove and put a little bit of he poop in it a fill it with some water enough to cover it and then hang it and wait about a day or 2. The sand should have settled to the bottom and you can see about how much sand she is ingesting and what is coming out. But here in AZ phylum is important because unless you have arrogation your horses are eating sand.

I fed EquiAid, a daily feed thru of Psyllium, to three horses the entire five years I lived in SoCal's Low Desert.

Other things you can do that will help:

1. Wet the hay

1.1 Feed the hay from feeders or slow feed nets above the ground.

2. Soak the ground below the hay feeders as the horses will eat whatever drops to the ground. Soaking the ground will help prevent particles of sand from being inhaled by the horse when it breaths.

3. Wash their feed pans after every meal and keep them out of the weather to prevent sand from blowing into them.

Along with colic, horses can also develop stones from inhaling sand.

In 2003, I left SoCal for Tennessee with those same three horses. To this day none of them have shown any residual effects from five years of living in nothing but sand.

I know Psyllium is expensive but unless there is a legitimate cheaper alternative, it still gets my vote

I used to soak the hay and give psyllium for the first 7 days of the month. I never found it expensive...maybe $10 a month...I got it at a health food store.

What are some of your favorite brands of psyllium, and why? And what do you feed, pellets or powder? Do you have any tricks to get your horses to eat ALL of the psyllium?

You might want to read this study

http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/aaep/1998/Hammock.pdf

The specialist that works in the clinic said the same thing.

The best way to prevent sand colic is not to feed on the ground....feed in the stall or on mats if you have to feed outside on sand.

Super Nova