Minerals...Salt

becdubie · Minerals...Salt

I'm shopping around for minerals. The brand we have been using for years is pricing itself right out of my price range.
http://www.hoffmanshorseminerals.com/nutrients.html
A good alternative suggested by our local feed store is about 1/2 the price and does not contain Wheat mill run, Rice hulls which the feed store say's is just filler.
While it does provide all the good nutirents that hoffmans does without the Wheat mill run, and Rice hulls, they also add a little molassis....very small amount.....not sure if it is enough to worry about but we have taken sweet stuff out of the horses diet all together. Well except for maybe a piece of an apple once in a while.

Wondering if anyone could give me some information on how to select a good mineral supplement?

becdubie

ohhh...I just found this.... reading it now.
http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastfor...t3674.html&highlight=minerals

hkfarms

I feed Horse Gaurd and a plain white salt so not to overdose on selenium... I think manna pro has a cheaper all in one.

Cindyg

I've been using High Mag Red Cal from the Natural Horse Vet. Smart Pak also carries Red Cal.

http://www.thenaturalvet.net/cgi-bin/genesis.exe/home1.html

This is supposed to be fed free choice and is supposed to replace salt, mineral blocks, and electrolytes.

PasoBaby_CarolU

I've had trouble with selenium in mixes before. I really prefer feeding iodized salt and then only the minerals not met in the diet already.

becdubie

Thanks for the information.
I tried the feedstore brand it seems to have everything hoffmans has except the filler, started putting it out for them in very small doses this weekend.
So today....

Bubba wasn't feeling well and I had to have the vet check him out. He was lethargic, wouldn't eat and just wanted me to cradle his head, which is very sweet, but so not BUBBA.
It's not colic (thank god) he was pretty gassy though so he just gave him a shot of ....(can't rememer) so he could relax and told me to walk him 15/of every hour till this afternoon. Well, I got my exercise today and Bubba is feeling better...Man!!!!! I was crying like a baby when I looked at his gums and they were pale, pale, pale.. We lost a horse to colic 3 years ago and his gums looked just like hers. But now he seems to be back to normal. He pooped normal a couple times, is drinking and wants to eat. But the doc said to wait to feed him until this evening...so they are all out just nibbling on .... nothing.

So I asked asked my vet about the mineral from the feed store...that has selenium, he checked out the ingredients...said it's designed for our part of the country. We tend to be selenium deficient and there isn't that much in there. I was worried the new minerals made Bubba sick...but the vet doubted that would be the problem.
Strange isn't it how 4 horses and a mule can all be eating the same thing at the same time and only one gets sick.