Ask
the Experts
Our
experts explain the nuts and bolts of equine nutrition.
with
Dr. Ed Ott
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| Q.
I suspect that my horse has some food allergies.
Is this common? What can I do about it? |
A. Food allergies
seem to be quite common in horses. Horses can develop
allergies to most feed ingredients. Thus, to control the
reaction in your horse, it will be necessary to identify
the feeds that cause the reaction. This can be done by
trial and error, or an allergy test series can be conducted
by some veterinarians. If you elect to test by trial and
error, put your horse on local hay or pasture and feed
oats and a mineral supplement. If the problem goes away,
you can gradually add back other common ingredients until
you get a reaction from your animal. If the horse has
difficulty from the initial diet, substitute corn or barley
for the oats, or try a different forage. Remember: corn
has considerably more energy than oats, so feed less.
Once you have identified the ingredients that your horse
will tolerate, an appropriate formulation can be prepared
for your animal. Sometimes a commercial product will be
available that does not contain the offending ingredient.
(Ask your feed company if it guarantees a fixed formulation
on the products you feed your horse.) Other times you
will have to formulate an appropriate feed on the farm.
Remember that nutrient balance is important to your animal
so get help if you need assistance. |
|
Dr.
Edgar A. Ott is recently retired from the University
of Florida and is the consulting equine nutritionist
for Seminole Feed. |
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