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Discussion on Supplements as Top Dressing?
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Member: longhorn
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 12:32 am:
Dr. O, what does it mean when the instructions on a supplement like HoofRite, Select II, and CortaFlx say they can be used as a "top dressing?" If you don't use grain at all, does it mean you can just throw it in with the hay? Seems like they'd miss a lot of it at the bottom of the horse feeder or it would get pulverized to dust by the time they got down to the bottom of the feeder. I feed all these supplements to one of my horses and currently it's real handy to mix it in with soaked alfalfa pellets. I want to stop feeding the soaked pellets, however, and just use alfalfa forage instead. I feed about 90% Bermuda and 10% alfalfa. The supplements all claim to be yummy for horses, but I don't know if I can trust that they'll eat all of them if I feed them dry in the feeder. Does anybody out there have any success just feeding supplements dry?
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Moderator: DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 7:13 am:
I too think just throwing them on the hay will result in a lot of wastage. As to whether your horses will eat them straight that sounds like a trial and error sort of thing that will vary from horse to horse. DrO
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Member: mysi
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 7:57 am:
Laura, Throwing it on top of the hay is really a waste. Yes it may say yummy taste, but many horses won't just eat it alone. My horse won't even eat it with his grain if it falls to the bottom. I find that mixing it with a little bran and water does the trick. Moose thinks he's getting a treat - little does he know it's good for him.
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Member: hpyhaulr
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 8:22 am:
I have found the best way for me to give supplements/abs etc... is soaked beet pulp & molasses.Usually the lunch menu.. I will mix it in a sloppy mixture and it is the only way I am sure they get it. The best meds in the world do nothing if you can't get them in the critter (no matter how many legs they have)... spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down?
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Member: vickiann
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 5:10 pm:
Since I only give a small amount of pelleted feed, if there is powder they don't like that I need to get them to eat, I use a small electric coffee grinder to grind up either some flax seed, feed pellets, or even oats (or a mixture thereof). This works well with some things, but not everything. Of course, nothing (even molasses) works with everything, if one is really determined not to eat something. In that case, I've made a paste with molasses and put it into the mouth with a large syringe with the tip cut off.
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Member: leilani
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 5:37 pm:
I had to administer SMZ to my young filly 3 years ago due to a fetlock injury. After repeated failed attempts to get her to ingest the antibiotics, I decided to feed her the SMZs mixed with cubes and applesauce on the tailgate of my F350. Didn't think it would work, but voila she ate every last bite. Good luck.
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