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| Author |
Message |
    
Terri Pierce
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 25, 2000 - 9:43 pm: |   |
Okay, I know this sounds REALLY stupid, but.... I have been told that adding a supplement of blue green algae is supposed to make a black horse "blacker" and a grey "greyer". I guess somehow it is supposed to be a coat enhancer or color deepener or something. Has anyone ever heard of this???
Thanks |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 26, 2000 - 6:32 am: | |
You would think it would make them blue-greener!
DrO |
Emily French
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 26, 2000 - 4:10 pm: | |
Giggle... Ok I stand befor you, my internet
friends, and confess..... I have transgressed from
the Scientifically Proven to questionably
Alternitive...
I must admit to feeding my horses their daily dose
of Blue Gree Algee.
But, none of them have changed color, as I was
shooting for a nice dusty rose color to match the
rug... sorry couldn't help myself.
Really, I do feed the the algee as I have taken I
my self and found that I tend to not get sick so
much. I figure they could use it if it dose work
and if not it dosen't hurt them. As to the color
thing I have never heard that and can't imagine
how it could possible for it to effect a color
change. |
Lanna Speir
| | Posted on Monday, Feb 28, 2000 - 12:25 pm: | |
That doesn't sound right, changing or enhancing the colour??? Funny though, I have a container full of the stuff in my cupboard at home, as I was given the sales speach on the good it does for us & animals. I went on the stuff for awhile but couldn't handle the daily headaches and migraines - therefore never tried it on my horses in fear that it may give them similar symptoms. I don't know - apparantly it worked very well with my sister, who has Lupus, but very expensive to maintain here in Canada. Sorry I couldn't be more help! |
Karen Boso
New Member
Username: klboso
Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 7, 2008 - 8:30 pm: | |
Careful with the algae, can cause iodine toxicity. Often has very high levels of Iodine. |
Sherry Wagar
New Member
Username: sherryw
Post Number: 1
Registered: 4-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 8, 2008 - 8:20 am: | |
I currently use spirulina (blue green algae) and garlic on my horses that have immune (hypersensitivity) problems -- those that welt severely with fly bites or spring and early summer allergies. I also use it for my COPD mare. It seems to help in all instances for these horses on my farm. I start it in April before all the pollens get started and it really seems to help. I use a 2 parts garlic to one part spirulina and give a 1000# horse a TBLSP in the AM and PM with their grain. Mix with a little water to make it all stick and no one seems to complain. Just wanted to pass along my experience. Hope it might help.
P.S.
I have also just started using it on a horse in my barn with sweet itch. Too early to tell, but with this and benadryl every third day (and fly spray daily) he seems much more comfortable already. Started this one week ago. |
Andrea Duncan
Member
Username: babychop
Post Number: 98
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 8, 2008 - 10:45 am: | |
ROFLMAO Dr O ~ good one. Now, I've heard that blue/green algae was toxic to horses or am I confusing the kind in the water trough with something else?
As for coat color enhancer ~ the main ingredient in both Dark Horse & Black as Knight is Paprika. Both have varying other ingredients including pine needles on one! But I do notice a marked difference in my fading black colt & dark bay mare when I use those products in their feed - put to the test I think the Black as Knight works a little bit better. Cheval also has coat enhancers for greys & other colors. Their site looks a little jimmied with the colors but the stuff actually does work. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 20988
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008 - 9:26 am: | |
There is no good scientific support for or against these uses of algae and garlic to moderate immune hypersensitivity or really any other medical condition unless they are filling some needed nutritional void.
We have had other reports on the beneficial effects of paprika on darkening hair coat color. But again I must say I don't know of any scientific experiments run on this. Andrea it would be more accurate to say following its use I think my horses got darker but I always wonder if in combination with the use of this you also better protected the coats from the sun or if some natural variation is responsible. Any other changes you have made to help protect the horses from fading?
DrO |
Andrea Duncan
Member
Username: babychop
Post Number: 99
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008 - 11:18 am: | |
Nope, just used the supplement, I didn't change anything else - they darkened up substantially with the Dark as Knight. Here are photos of before & after of the mare - she's normally a dark bay but she was almost black towards the end. She is at two different locations in the photos but about the same time of year. In my experience it works wonders but you have to use it according to the label which can get very expensive very quickly. The stuff goes fast.
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