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Epiphisitis???; Overfeeding
Topic Started: Sep 26 2007, 04:18 PM (1,020 Views)
Truly
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I Visited Candy Mountain and All I Got Was This Lousy Incision
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I have to admit with all the scientific research into foods it still seems strange that the foals fed on basic foods always seem fine and yet the ones fed on the specially prepared weanling / stud feeds etc. are the ones that end up with the problems.
Fast maturing youngsters carrying too much weight seem to be the prime candidates for this sort of thing.
What always worries me is that feeds are prepared disregarding that horses are grazing on very different soils in different parts of the country/world.
When I first started breeding I feed all the recommended feeds for broodmares and foals and had several problems...changed back to what the mares had before they became broodmares and have never had a problem since...I guess the nutrition in my soil was better than I thought, even if the grass wasn't long and lush :-)
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Jellybean
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I Visited Candy Mountain and All I Got Was This Lousy Incision
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Danielle Hincks
Sep 27 2007, 02:04 PM
JellyBean - I got my inspection pics like a week or two after the inspection. And they sent me a 4x8 album and 2 8x10's (which I never ordered) but had to pay $70 for! But anyways...lol, I would give them a call or I have there email.

hoyersnowdon@shaw.ca

Email them and they should know what's going on

Thanks, i'll e mail them and see what is going on. Awww everyone has pics but me :(:(
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Danielle Fournier
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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I spoke with a nutritionist the last couple of days, and he said as much as they tell you to feed whats on the bag, because that's what your horse "needs", he said to cut back until it goes away, and then to slowly build up his feed as he gets older. He also said that babies should be a bit skinny and gangly looking, and they will not fully fill out until them have physically matured. Eisenhiem is definately not over weight but he looks too good for a baby. I also agree about all the specialty broodmare/foal feeds. It seems like all the babies with problems are on these specialty feeds, as opposed to a average regular maintanence feed. The owner/manager of my farm as bred many foals in the past and she said that she never once fed specialty feed, and never had any joint/bone problems. I will keep you guys posted, to see if cutting back does make a difference.
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Home Again Farm
Weanling
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The entire purpose of a ration balancer is to get what the horse needs into it without extra calories. Extra calories and insufficient protein and minerals is what causes epiphysitis. You received great advice from galileo. When I have a foal that shows early signs of epiphysitis, I make certain that it is getting the maximum amount of a good ration balancer, free choice minerals that are designed for that balancer and no extra carbs in the form of mama's food. Believe me I have done it both ways, and will never go back to the old idea of cutting back essential nutrition to cure epiphysitis. It is not the way to go. They need protein and minerals in the correct balance to handle growth and to build strong bones.

Off my soapbox now. :yes:
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ljshorses
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Weanling
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Oh definitely agree DON"T cut the protein. There are so many good feeds out there to choose from but you need to talk to a nutritionist familiar with warmblood babies first and foremost. My Festrausch colt began to get this and I quickly cut the CARBS not the protein and within a week it was gone. I feed TDI30 which is a complete feed. I use to supplement with oats as I do for the adults (for added calories as recommended) but as weanlings I, after talking to TDI nutritionist, cut the oats and added rice bran pellets (Natural Glow in my case). So my 14.1h 6mo weanling gets 1 and a half pounds TDI30 and 1 cup Natural Glow per feeding. Yes he is lean but healthy. The judge at Devon loved him (small brag, won OldNA class, yeah) so don't worry about being thin. Healthy can still be thin not emaciated though. TDI30 like many complete feeds is well balanced in the nutrients needed by young growing babies. Warmblood foals do benefit by the addition of fat as well to their diet. Don't forget high quality hay, I feed a mostly grass mix and they are out on pasture 24/7 (only come in to eat etc...).
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ise@ssl
Schooling
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Definitely put him on Buckeye Foal Aide. It's a wonderful drench that is in tube form and you just give them some daily.

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RBEfarm
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Schooling
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I had an experience with Epiphysitis a few years ago with a Colonial Spanish colt I bought off a western ranch. He came to me looking very rough and poor with knobby joints. I fed him what all my others were eating...sweet feed with Accel minerals. After a month or so, I came out one morning to find him knuckled over in the pasterns..mostly the rear legs. I had the vet out who diagnosed epiphysitis and declared that he was "growing too fast." I was told that it was not nutritional and to cut his feed back , put him on bute and MSM and restrict his activity. A month later, he was no better. I consulted the vet again and was told to have surgery done to cut ligaments or something awful. I quizzed the vet about diet again and was told to change nothing as it would not help.

I got on COTH and asked the other breeders and got a boatload of information...mainly what you are getting here...that something was lacking in his diet and it needed fixed. I ended up putting him on Dynamite vitamins and minerals, plain oats and another trace mineral supplement called Izmine. I kid you not...in 10 days that foal was back to normal...standing with no contracture and cavorting all over his paddock. A month later you could not tell he'd ever had a problem and joints were completely normal.

I mentioned his miraculous recovery to this vet and was told that my diet changes did not have any effect...if he got better, it was because he was going to anyway. To say the least, I don't consult this vet anymore for this sort of problem. :rolleyes:
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Danielle Fournier
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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I thought I would give everyone an update on my baby. The vet was out to see him on Monday and said he has a tiny bit of thickening behind but nothing major and just to watch him closely to see if it changes. We did switch him and mom to a regular local hay available all the time and a few flakes of nice stuff a day. Also we have switched her from the broodmare feed she was on to a regular cob feed but did not cut the ration. We have also moved the grain out of reach from baby so he can not get at it. Already I see a huge improvement! They do not look nearly as thick as they did 2 days ago.

I do have another question for everyone. I see alot of people feed their babies grain while they are still on mom. I have heard alot of good/bad things about creep feeding. Is it better to wait till he is weaned to start him on his own grain? Until then he will be getting free for all local hay and nursing.

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful advice! This is my first baby so I want to do it right! I will post some new pics of him soon. The weather has been so crappy I am waiting for a dry day!
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