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Message |
    
Dawn Reeves
| | Posted on Monday, Dec 6, 1999 - 1:49 pm: |   |
With the weather getting cooler, I am interested in preparing a warm treat for my boys. I have found a lot of recipes for "Bran Mashes" but I am always cautious about intoroducing new feed. My guys get a few scoops of sweet feed twice a day and free choice grass hay. Do I need to introduce the bran slowly or can I just add hot water to their regular feed ? Thanks in advance for any help |
A.F.M. Hyde-Clarke
| | Posted on Monday, Dec 6, 1999 - 3:07 pm: | |
Please don't feed your horses bran mashes, they are so harmful for horses. If you go into the Members' Bulletin Board, you will see we have recently had a discussion on bran mashes under the heading "Making Tea For your Horse".
If you want to give them a nice warm meal, just add hot water to their regular feed.
Cheers. |
Dr. Carol Artlett
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 7, 1999 - 12:30 pm: | |
Why give a horse a warm meal anyway? They don't get it in the wild. Is this just to appease our conscious because we are comforted with warm meals when it is cold?
Carol |
A.F.M. Hyde-Clarke
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 7, 1999 - 1:05 pm: | |
Hi Carol,
I believe the practice of cooking feed was originally to make it more digestible, but with today's sophisticated pre-cooked and processed feeds available, this is not necessary.
It is said that boiled or steamed grain tempts a difficult feeder, helps to keep flesh on horse, and helps to avoid constipation when fresh green food is not available.
People forget that the vitamin content of the food will be damaged by the high temperature and that a supplement must be added once the feed has cooled down.
I think you are right that feeding a warm meal these days makes US feel better when it's cold ! I have to admit I am also guilty of that. We can have icy days here with freezing winds off the mountains, and I do then add hot water to their food rather than cold. Their coarse mix is fed damp/wet always, so it is just a matter of warm food on a cold day, not a change of food.
-Alexa- |
Teresa Alexander-Arab
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 7, 1999 - 1:24 pm: | |
You need to be careful of giving too much bran as it is really high in phosphorous. To digest it the horses need to have extra calcium. the result is that they will take it from the bones if it's not present in the feed. As an occasional treat it's okay (i.e., no more then 1/week). I use it on occasion to feed bute as my horse can smell bute (or aspirin) a mile off and won't touch any food with containing it. I will also do it as a treat after a really hard clinic. He really likes them so I do it to make him feel special. Of course I could get the same effect giving him extra carrots and/or apples. A warm meal won't warm your horse as much as giving him extra hay. It's the digestive process that helps horses keep their heat not a warm meal.There is an excellent article on this topic in thehorse.com if you're interested.
TeresaA |
Imogen Bertin
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 7, 1999 - 2:09 pm: | |
Hi Dawn
Actually I thought the main reason for giving bran mashes traditionally was after severe exercise such as a hard day's hunting to prevent colics due to the gut being without food all day and the horse being too tired to eat much when it got back to the stable. But of course most of the colics were really caused by untreated worms in those days...
I do think bran is useful when horses are being sick/fussy or where something prevents them taking in the appropriate amount of roughage. And as Teresa says, they do like it... I give a barley mash (soaked and cooked small amount linseed, cooked whole barley and bran) once a week to my horse in the winter because she likes it, it makes her coat shine, and it helps with condition but I would never give it more than twice a week maximum. Doesn't half make 'em crap though...
All the best
Imogen |
Dr. Carol Artlett
| | Posted on Wednesday, Dec 8, 1999 - 12:44 pm: | |
Hi All,
Hmmmmm! I am still having a good chuckle over Imogen's last comment. I guess the moral to this story is feed with caution and then stand back!
Carol |
Sandra L. Thomas
| | Posted on Saturday, Mar 11, 2000 - 10:05 pm: | |
Whew! I thought I'd find something on bran, and did I ever! It seems the general opinion is that they are not so "hot" (pardon the pun) as I'd initially thought. I work at a barn with 45 school horses where the resident vet highly recommends a warm bran mash (2 parts bran (wheat) to 1 part sweet feed, mixed with warm water to a soupy consistency, then fed 3 cups of reconstitued/horse or 2 cups/pony). We've been told to do this whenever there is a major change in temperature (like 25 or 30 degrees) and, next month, to feed this mash in lieu of regular afternoon grain following our spring worming with Strongid. HOWEVER, I was chatting with a vet visiting a private boarder's horse last week and she emphatically advised against bran mashes. Said they caused colic. Avoid them like the plague. Said the bran commonly used is wheat, which is about 15 percent protein and is 70 + percent digestible, akin to dumping a good amount of sweet feed into your horse's diet. This is a drastic change from regular feedings .... colic.
Any "tie breaker" thoughts out there? To mash or not to mash? Thanks, slt |
Dorothy Dayton
| | Posted on Saturday, Mar 11, 2000 - 11:18 pm: | |
My personal experience with bran mashes has been very positive. I feed it once a week in the winter as a treat. I add about 1/2 quart dry bran to their evening feed and then add hot water and mix it altogether for a tasty meal. :) When my mare was very sick and getting high doses of antibiotics twice daily for over eight weeks, I gave the medicine with a small amount of bran mash ( a handful or two of dry bran with enough hot water to "mash" it) along with her regular feed at each meal with no (thankfully!) ill effects. Hope this helps you! |
A.F.M. Hyde-Clarke
| | Posted on Sunday, Mar 12, 2000 - 6:52 am: | |
I think you should listen to the second vet. It is the most indigestible food, hence it is laxative because the horse's system tries to get rid of it as soon as possible. And it is indeed a drastic change from the horse's normal food, which in itself can give him colic. Why change from his normal food where his system and all his bacteria are working nicely? Beats me - it is to do with an owner syndrome, I think, where we all feel we are not doing enough for our horses, so extra treats make us feel better. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
| | Posted on Sunday, Mar 12, 2000 - 10:41 am: | |
Sandra and Alexa,
Bran actually can be quite a nutritious as long as certain of its short comings are understood. Research has not been shown to have any laxative effects. I have just finished an article on this and you will find it on the Care: Nutrition Topic Page.
DrO |
Imogen Bertin
| | Posted on Saturday, Mar 18, 2000 - 12:23 pm: | |
Could well be the linseed or barley that makes my mare crap after a mash... I'm not necessarily blaming the bran.
Imogen |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
| | Posted on Saturday, Mar 18, 2000 - 4:58 pm: | |
You may be right Imogen, flax is high in mucilage and others feel is has a mild laxative and stool softening effect.
DrO |
joj
Member
Username: Jojo15
Post Number: 498
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Feb 8, 2005 - 6:42 pm: | |
i know this is an old post. But my horse is colicking. Was oiled (epson salts, mix, water concoction) IV banamine, etc. yesterday 10 am and only 4 little manure piles by today at 5pm. Very small very tight. She hasn't drank any water thus far, either.
I still haven't fed her anyhing but a handful of hay to stop her from getting destructive in the pen.
I asked them to come out again and check on her. But they haven't. she isn't in much pain. She is quite angry about not eating actually. My vet did say i could give her a bran mash. Now after reading this i don't know. what is the latest info on this? Alot could change in a few years in terms of research. help. thanks...
joj |
Debbie E
Member
Username: Deggert
Post Number: 157
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Feb 8, 2005 - 6:55 pm: | |
joj
our vets still say it is ok to feed a bran mash
during colic recovery. I think when they are enthusiatic about eating the bran we feel they are on the mend. Does your mare have gut sounds? I would also try the alfalfa drink or the bran drink from the other posts to help her with hydration.
ps. salt the bran too - Debbie |
joj
Member
Username: Jojo15
Post Number: 499
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Feb 8, 2005 - 8:54 pm: | |
Thanks Debbie,
she is enthusiastic about eating. she is tearing up the pen. But until i see a real manure i just can't give her more than a handful.
My vet came out just now. He of course told me to go ahead and feed it. And of course was insulted i questioned him. He did oil again so, i will wait till around midnight... I bought some loose mineral salts and probios powder, anyone think i could add these to it? or too much... Tonight i will just do bran and water... |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 12013
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, Feb 9, 2005 - 7:17 am: | |
The important questions are
1) why is this horse colicky?
2) is adequate hydration being maintained.
If the horse is not drinking at least 6 gals of water a day additional fluids need to be tubed in until things return to normal. Anything you can do to stimulate drinking is a good thing. Bran has not been shown to be a particularly good way laxative or good way to get extra water in a horse. For more see:
1. Equine Diseases » Colic and GI Diseases » Colic in Horses » An Overview of Colic
2. Equine Diseases » Colic and GI Diseases » Colic in Horses » First Aid for Colic.
DrO |
