This page is dedicated to sharing information about equine nutrition. The importance of understanding the well being of our equine partners and doing the best we can with nutrition as we all strive for excellence.
First, I would like to say that education is vital. Though I'm not big on doing alot of reading I have come to realize that I just better get over that and start applying myself more to the nutritional needs of my horses. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! I know this from experience with my own study and trial.
I came across an equine nutritionist, of 15 years, that helped me to understand more about the nutrition of my horses and the why's behind some of the behavioral issues we all deal with from time to time. After a few conversations I was also introduced to a company that provides excellent products, so I gave it a try and I am more then satisfied with the outcome and look forward to the journey ahead as we continue to progress in a positive manner.
Let me introduce to you "Dynamite Specialty Products"
Dynamite Marketing, Inc is home of the highest quality vitamin and mineral supplements for all living creatures. Their mission is to provide the highest quality, environmentally sound product with a 100% quarantee policy. Their supplements combine over 75 years of research and knowledge in animal and human health with the newest technology and highest quality human grade ingredients. They incorporate a balance of pure amino acid chelates in their products. They also realize that what is NOT in a product is important too. So you won't find chemical preservatives in any Dynamite product-only natural tocopherols and vitamin C. In addition, they formulate products to maintain the balance of minerals and amino acids to provide maximum bioavailability and efficacy. Because they build their own animal products, they can insure the ingredients and final products are free of chemical preservatives from harvest to consumer. Their animal nutritional supplements are manufactured in their family-owned, the only chemical free, meat & bone meal free, antibiotic free and pesticide free mill, which they understand to be the only one in the United States.
Dynamite Marketing has its foundation in the horse product line. In fact, their original proprietary products was Dynamite for Horses. The key to their products is the chelated form of the minerals, the balance of elements and the holistic formulation of each one. Their products are simply the best.
Because their products are vastly different than any others on the market, you'll notice differences in content, directions, dosages, and results. With their products, it is good to remember that "LESS IS MORE". Their general rule is to start with the basic program then evaluate the results after 60 days before determining a need for any other products.
February 1, 2010
Hormonal Mares??
Mares who do not ovulate properly are set up for problems. The heat cycle goes on and on, and the mare is irritable or worse, sore backed and just a general challenge. In extreme cases, the follicle becomes encapsulated instead of rupturing as it should, and a cyst is formed. Cystic behavior ranges from inconvenient to downright homicidal and dangerous.
Mineral supplementation must be balanced, but manganese is a key mineral for female reproductive function. We know that manganese in balance is important, but it must also be available, that is in an amino acid chelated form as in Dynamite products.
Oxide or sulfate forms of minerals are not nearly as well assimilated by the tissues. B vitamins and magnesium also play a big part for hormonal mares, eliciting a calming response and balancing the adrenals which manufacture DHEA, an important precursor hormone.
Many mineral imbalances are inadvertently created by giving mares blood builder tonics high in copper and iron, both of which suppress manganese. That's why race mares are often difficult to breed.
A place to start with these hormonal mares is overall balanced supplementation with 1 oz of Dynamite or 1.5 oz of Dynamite Plus daily, or a full doze of TNT and 2 oz Breeder Pac.
When the heat cycles are balanced, you will barely know they are happening. Many mares benefit from Easy Boy for a few days before and during their cycle, for chelated magnesium and other nutrients. The Easy Boy is also useful for mares who tend to tie up or become short strided during their cycles, as the high estrogen suppresses magnesium, the mineral which eases tight muscles and balances blood sugar levels.
There is more to say on this but I believe this tells us alot.
Since I have been on this program, I don't have issues with hormonal mares. I have 2 on the TNT program and 1 on the Dynamite program. Not all mares need the extra Breeder Pac as they are balanced on the basic program.
TNT is my favorite as it has 6 products in one (makes for easy feeding) A full dose (1 1/3 cup once daily) of TNT has 1 oz Dynamite, 1/2 oz of Izmine, 1 oz Easy Boy, 1 cup of HES and also provided Free and Easy and Excel. I add 2 oz of Breeder Pac.
Of course, they have free choice minerals at all times along with quality grass hay.
If you have any questions about Dynamite products, please give me a call or e-mail. I am here to help you and then you make your own decision. Good Luck.
January 23, 2010
MINERAL ARE ESSENTIAL
Without a doubt minerals make a difference in our horses. Unfortunately not all are created equal. So with that said you get what you pay for and it is imperative to your program.
Many times we rely on a commerial feed to provide ALL the essentials our horses need, BUT that is not the case. I can't say this enough (through my research and making my own opinion), trusting in a commerical feed and what they use is not what it is cracked up to be. Enough of that, let's get to minerals.
Izmine is one of the 4 free-choice minerals horses need. The other 3 are 1:1 (calcium to phosphorus), 2:1 (calcium to phosphorus) and NTM Salt.
Izmine is mined from a prehistoric, organic deposit of kelp, crustaceans, and other marine flora and fauna. It is naturally chelated and contains more than 70 naturally-occuring micro-trace minerals, enzymes, electrolytes and bio-nutrients. Because Izmine is carbon-based, it acts as a natural detoxifier.
This product contains 72 major and trace elements in varying amounts, combined with other unique organic substances of natural origin.
It is unique in that its minerals have come from once living organisms. The minerals in Izmine are proportions combined by nature and involve a blending process which has taken millions of years. Experience has taught us that nature's formulas are unexcelled. To protect nature's "recipe", Dynamite does not alter this product in any way. It is taken straight from the earth to the package.
Izmine provides a bountiful array of micro-trace and trace minerals in an organic substrate, including proteins, making it totally bio-available to horses for all those nutrients missing in our modern soils. Because it is mined from ancient seabeds, it is totally pollution-free.
Izmine is a natural electrolyte and for years has helped horses maintain appropriate cellular balance whether at home or on the trail.
Izmine also seems to balance and strenghten the electro-magnetic field of horses, and other mammals, as well. As such, it has become a valuable tool (along with extra magnesium) when dealing with such challenges as epilepsy.
Many individuals give it at 1 Tablespoon daily to all horses and claim their horses maintain better balance with few to no parasites.
Horses with high liver enzymes (from toxic plants or various injected chemicals) also seem to benefit from adding this to their diet at 2 - 4 oz daily. It's high magnesium content can work wonders for horses who need a little calming or for those whose muscles require extra magnesium. Also being high in silica, which transmutes into an exceptionally available source of calcium in the body, it is also a great mineral source for bones. Some note incredible changes in horses' legs, which have suffered splints, chips, etc, as they consume the Izmine.
For serious leg problems, most owners prefer to force it at 2 - 4 oz per day. Some breeders also like to force it at 1 Tablespoon daily for foals in order to help develop excellent bone. Since the skeletal framework begins in the first 3 months of the mare's gestation, it would be wise to either force it, or al least have it available free choice, to all broodmares at all times.
Source of Electrolytes: Electrolyte balance is essential for health and performance in any species. Izmine is high in magnesium, plus appropriate amounts of sodium and potassium, all natural electrolytes to help the body with nerve impulses, mental concentration and athletic or trauma recovery.
Source of Carbon: Due to the amount of organic matter which formed Izmine, there is an excellent carbon base available. Carbon has traditionally been used as a filter for all manner of toxins and it works just the same for those ingesting Izmine.
Source of Rare Earth Elements: Such elements have been found to be more important than previously thought. One Polish study concluded that "Energetic biological trace elements...may improve the semiconductor properties of DNA and my influence the mechanism that controls genetic expression at the electronic level. Izmine contains a complete array of such rare elements, including the following:
Germanium which promotes interferon production resulting in anti-parasite and anti-toxin activity, while helping the body discharge negative electrical energy thus balancing cellular electrical fields.
Gold which supports the immune system, works as an electrical conductor, can aid DNA repair, and can balance and harmonize psychological symptoms.
Gallium which appears to be vital in the prevention of auto-immune dieseases, cancer, Alzheimer's and osteoporosis.
Osmium, Ruthenium, Palladium, Platinum, Rhodium, and Iridium which are electrostimulators and enhance cellular communication and metabolism. In fact, research at Bristol-Myers-Squibb has shown that rare earth metals in colloidal and micro-trace forms (as in Izmine) act as electrical superconductors.
Kirlian photography supports the aura-enhancing properties of Izmine on human subjects. Since horses depend on their auric field to know where they are in time and space, a timid or nervous horse responds dramatically to supplementation with Izmine, so that his "sixth sense" is operating normally.
Izmine contains many trace elements that horses would naturally forage for in the wild, if they had the opportunity.
Adding Izmine at the rate or 1 Teaspoon daily to the ration of growing horses or help in fracture healing has shown great success.
Dynamite has trialed Izmine for years in livestock with incredible results and many groups that will consume only 100% natual products have used Izmine for the last 2 years with reports so incredible we don't dare put them in print.
1 to 1 Free Choice Mineral was designed to provide commonly deficient elements necessary for proper development of bone, ligaments, tendons, connective tissues and milk production in horses and other livestock. Amino acids chelated minerals, sources of organic silica, buffered Vitamin C, detoxifying clays and herbs make this the most complete skeleton support on the market.
2 to 1 Free Choice Mineral was designed to provide commonly deficient elements necessary for proper development of bone, ligaments, tendons, connective tissues and milk production in horses and other livestock. Amino acid chelated minerals, sources of organic silica which the body can transmute to calcium, buffered Vitamin C, detoxifying clays and herbs make this the most complete skeleton support on the market.
NTM Salt Free Choice Mineral is a 100% natural deposit from a prehistoric sea bed. Better than sea salt, because it has not been affected by pollution. No artificial ingredients or flow improves of any kind are added.
Animals in natural range have access to salt all the time, through dirt and natural mineral deposits. By confining them, we have taken away their ability to forage for this important mineral, which is absolutely essential to their optimum health and electrolyte balance. Sodium is a very reactive mineral, and is capable of transmuting in the body to the other cations (calcium, magnesium or potassium). Thus if hay is very high in potassium, as might occor through improper fertilization or during drought conditions, horses given access to unlimited sodium chloride (salt) can help balance these minerals.
Salt should NEVER be force-fed, as this can result in an electrolyte imbalance which can cause tying up, thumps and other muscle problems. Horses who eat an excessive amount of salt are usually attempting to compensate for feed imbalances, and this situation should be investigated through feed or hair analysis if it continues. Dynamate NTM Salt is hand selected from an ancient sea bed deposit, crushed, screened and then packaged under USDA approved conditions to assure you of the finest natural trace mineral salt available today.
It is an ingredient in our FREE CHOICE mixes, and has been successfully used as a natural electrolyte for endurance horses, along with Izmine. Use it with confidenct that you are providing the finest natural salt source available.
For all free choice minerals, horses know what they need when they need it. You might notice when starting on the free choice minerals your horse(s) might go crazy with the consumption of one or more of them. No need to worry, they will balance out and be a healthier, happier horse.
Dynamite has a great Free Choice started pack that can get you going. Look on my Dynamite website for pricing and get it ordered today and within 4 days (depending where you live) it will be delivered to your front door.
All Dynamite products are designed to work together for best results. If you have any questions please feel free to give me a call.
October 8, 2009
Are you needing just alittle bit more focus or calming of your horse at a show, down the trail, or just riding? Here is something for you to think about.
2 products for you to consider.
RELAX ~~ TRANQUIL
RELAX is an herbal formula containing natural ingredients to assist in training, competition, transporting, grooming, veterinarian visits, and general handling where emotional upset may occur. This allows for a very subtle, yet powerful action and leaves no residue in the body which might test in competition.
What is Relax?
this is a homeopathic spray used internally generally for fear-based situations. It absolutely does not sedate but rather seems to help the animal to focus more. It contains:
Walnut, Star of Bethlehem, Olive, Heather and Chestnut Bud.
Use RELAX for training to help the animal focus and remain centered and breathing properly. In fact, it seems to enhance overall performance because with their minds relaxed animals can better focus on the task at hand.
What is TRANQUIL?
TRANQUIL is a homeopathic and flower essence sedative that may be useful in situation when a feeling of well being is needed. This allows for a very subtle, yet powerful action and leaves no residue in the body which might test in competition. This product may be used immediately before an event. It contains:
The same herbal tinctures as the Relax (above) but adds the following:
Clematis, Impatiens and Gelsenium
I have used both products and can tell you they do help alot. They say that the Tranquil works better on mares and the Relax works better on geldings.
I have tried both products on a mare that does have focus issues, as she is a very watchy type horse. The Tranquil works best on her. The Relax worked well, but I get just alittle more with the Tranquil.
These products are very easy to use as I put it in a syringe and give orally. Each horse is different in the amount you give but the most I have ever had to use is 6 cc. I won't leave home without it. You never know when you need alittle help from time to time.
August 22, 2009
Dyna-Pro A Must Have In Every Barn
What is Dyna-Pro?
Description: Ingredients: Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Water, Lactic Acid, Dried Kelp, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate and Iron Sulfate with Calcium Propionate, Sodium Benzoate and Phosphoric Acid as preservatives. |
On probiotics...important in dealing with laminitis and founder
"When an excess of sugars or starch overflows from the foregut into the hindgut it is degested by a minority of the bacteria present. These bacteria then multiply very rapidly, producing lactic acid as they do so.
Recent research has shown that as the hindgut becomes more acidic its walls become "leaky" and laminitis trigger factors (LTF's) "leak out" into the bloodstream. When the LTF's reach the foot they cause changes that are the subject of intensive research by scientists around the world. These changes precipitate laminitis.
In those cases where a digestive upset in the hindgut is the trigger for an attack nutritional advice should centre on re-establishing the correct acidity, in the hindgut. This is one in which fiber-digesting bacteria predominate and bacteria which digest sugars and starch are not allowed to proliferate. A fully comprehensive supplement that also includes probiotics and optimun levels of the nutrients needed to improve hoof quality is ideal.
Probiotic substances include "true probiotics" such as lactobacillus acidophilus (which works in the foregut and may help to reduce carbohydrate overload into the hindgut), yeasts and (mannan oligosaccharides) MOS. Yeasts create beneficial conditions for the growth of the fiber-digesting bacteria in the hindgut. MOS bind to the sugar and starch-digesting bacteria and remove them from the gut in the feces, thus mininizing the production of the lactic acid that triggers the chain of events that lead to a laminitic attack. By removing the acid-making bacteria MOS leaves the beneficial, fiber-digesting, bacteria free to multiply."
Also, Dyna-Pro is excellent for that horse that has colic systems. I had a situation where one of mine was showing colic systems. I gave him the Dyna-Pro and within a very short period, his gut started functioning proper and he got back to normal without the use of drugs. Now with that said, I would NEVER recommend that you NOT call a vet, but when you first see the signs of colic this is a GREAT start to what needs to be done. It can be given with the appropiate drugs for treating colic as well. Again, I'm not a vet, nor would I suggest you treat a colic situation without the aid of a vet. I know for me, the first signs of colic and what you do makes a difference in the outcome of the health of my horses. ALWAYS CONTACT YOUR VET WHEN YOU SEE SIGNS OF COLIC IN YOUR HORSE.
There are many benefits in using Dyna-Pro and for me A MUST HAVE. I give my horses the maintenance dose of 1/8 oz once daily. You just can't beat a deal like that, with the quality you are buying.
August 8, 2009
The value of REAL SALT.
Salt in a NATURAL STATE is essential for optimum health in humans and animals.
I found this to be very interesting and making alot of since. Something for you to think about.
et’s compare white vacuum refined salt to natural salt (as the refiners keep the truth hidden from the consumer); refined salt damages and poisons while true natural salt benefits and remineralizes the organism, be it horse, human or otherwise. (I’ll quantify this statement as we go.)
In the industrial refining process, as many as 82 trace minerals and essential macro nutrients are forcibly removed, leaving only a single compound made of sodium and chlorine. Refined white salt is a biologically changing, completely unnatural and chemicalized substance. Refinery salt may legally receive up to 2% of chemical additives, such as bleaches, anti-caking agents, and conditioners. Ferrocyanide, yellow prussiate of soda, tricalcium phosphate, alumino-calcium silicate, sodium alumino-silicate, are anti-caking agents whose role is to prevent the salt from mixing with water, in the box or in the body. This prevents the salt from doing one of many of it’s important functions. Salt should “clump up” when the weather is humid, as the function of salt in the body is to attract water. For this reason, white table salt that has had flow improvers added shouldn’t be feed to horses (or people!).
To further complicate matters, horse owners tend to feed salt and trace minerals (trace minerals will be a whole other topic) fashioned in the form of blocks, as they are the most convenient choice. Salt blocks were designed for cattle, who have rough tongues. Horses will often tire of licking a block, and attempt to chew on it, which can have a negative impact on the TMJ (Temporal Madibular Joint). Salt should always be fed in loose form to horses.
Salt should never be force fed to horses by adding it to the grain. A nifty little “trick” a lot of feed companies will do is to add salt to the grain ration, which gives the horse the outward appearance of caring a healthy weight, when in all actuality they’re just bloated. Force feeding salt can also result in tying up, thumps and other muscle problems.
Free choice loose salt should be introduced gradually by offering a cup at a time. When initial consumption decreases, salt may be provided free choice in larger amounts. Horses that habitually consume mass quantities of salt, without ever seeming to “top off”, could be an indication of an electrolyte imbalance, i.e. a deficiency of one of the other cation macro minerals – calcium, magnesium, potassium – and may be trying to balance themselves. Or they may have an overload of one of those minerals and attempting to flush their systems. (Horses have a limited ability to transmutate sodium into other elements.)
July 29, 2009
Do you have a hot and nervous horse? One that has trouble focusing on the task at hand.
Start with your feeding program. Boy there is ALOT to learn here, but once you start learning (as I have and still continue to learn) and understanding what is in your feed or lacking from your feeding program, the more it makes since.
FIRST, I am not here to bash any commerial feed company on the market today, as that is NOT my mission. What I am wanting to do is help others understand and then to make a decision that is best for you and your equine friend.
As there is tones of information that can be said about this subject, I will only touch here on something very simple.
Performance horses ideally should have focused energy which comes from proper balanced nutrition. Your horse is not going to perform to their best if he/she is spending their time acting like a hot head and all jacked up (as some might say). And in turn, what happens? The rider all frustrated and the run goes to pot. (I know this from personal experience.)
What is in a grain and what is not in a grain can make or break your performance. I have found that, especially in mares but can also happen in geldings, oats is not exacty the ideal grain. What I have learned is that oats in their diets can cause issues simply because there is an alkaloid called avenin, which stimulates the central nervous system. What does that do? For an easy way to explain it is "feeling her oats" or "sowing his oats" didn't materialize out of thin air and is closer to the truth than what I thought. Don't get me wrong, oats can be beneficial to some horses. If this be the case for your situation you can simply buy plain rolled barley (2/3 parts) and chopped corn (1/3 part) to get away from oats, (as I have found that oats is in all commerial feeds I have come across.) Along with that a good quality supplement that will meet the needs of your horse. Just something for you to think about.
Also, molasses can play a big part in this process. There is good molasses called Blackstrap molasses (comes from sugar cane) and then there is another molasses (comes from sugar beets). Molasses found in alot of commerical feed mixes is derived from the sugar beets. So I'll say it this way, put a kid in the candy store and then wonder why you can't control him/her. It is less expensive, so you come to your own conclusion. Also, during my findings I learned that how molasses is processed makes a difference as well. Molasses is the byproduct of sugar production from either sugar beets or sugar cane. Blackstrap molasses is made from the 3rd boiling of sugar syrup (sugar cane). And that Blackstrap molasses is considered superior in nutritional content.
I'm telling you from my own experience this is proving to be right on.
Until next time, wishing you and your equine friends a great and happy ride.
