Sand Colic, Psyllium, and Oil Questions

fairhavenranch · Sand Colic, Psyllium, and Oil Questions

My horses are on drylot on straight sand here.

We feed ground psyllium husk once daily for seven days per month as a sand purge.

I mix the fiber in to some grain with corn oil to make it stick so they will eat it.

Corn oil is getting negative press due to its high level of Omega 6 increasing inflammation. It is also getting very expensive.

I wanted to switch to soybean oil as it is much cheaper.

Per my research the ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 in oil is as follows:

soybean 1:7
flaxseed 3:1
canola 1:2
olive 13:1
corn 1:46

I would love to feed flaxseed oil but it is way too expensive.

Would soybean oil be a better choice than corn?

Is soybean oil as palatable as corn oil?

Is there something else that would make the fiber stick to the grain that is not water based? Molasses is too thick.

Thank You.

Julie

different country but our paddocks are sand and we don't use oil. we use psyllium husks occasionaly, but other wise use very wet sugar beet or soaked lucerne nuts all the time, and don't get any sand colic probems

becdubie

I attended a workshop yesterday where I learned about the sand colic problem. Where I live we have dirt and rocks in our "dry lot" not sand. In fact there is very little sand around here. I'm wondering, does regular dirt cause the same problems? We had a horse colic and die 3 years ago, but other than that no other issues with colic.

In the workshop, which was specificaly about caring for a rescued horse, it says to sprinkle 1tsp psyllium husk with a T salt on feed every day...working up to 1/8-1/4 cup per day. Feed like this for 30 days, then 14 days off...for a year to move sand through.

I don't have any rescued horses or in bad condition, but I'm wondering if this would be a good treatment for mine, as a preventative measure. I never want to go through that again.

Thoughts, ideas, experiences?
Thanks

Sunny Acres Ranch

I don't feed any oils, but I do feed apple cider vinegar. It has a lot of benefits to the horse such as being a digestion aid, helps eliminate bruising, and can repel flies to name a few. Can you mix the ground pysllium in the ACV and pour over feed? Or put the powder in the feed, pour in ACV with some water and then stir? That works great for me.

learningthedance

Ground flax seed also helps move sand through. (no more then 8 oz at a time though) and better to feed smaller amounts on a regular basis.

Have you done the glove test?? Take a ball (or 2) of fresh droppings. Put it in a latex glove and add water to it enough to fill the glove but leave enough to tie it like a balloon. Shake it up good!!! If your horse has sand, you will see it gather at the bottom of the finger tips of the gloves. Everything else will kind make a suspended slurry. If you only have a bit, then it's not anything to be too worried about. If you have a cm. or more, then it's time to get it moving through.

Ground Flax kind of turns to a jelly substance in your mouth. Try it and you will see. Apparently, this jelly helps to move the sand through.

Sorry, not very technical, but it works for us.