Date
21 - 23 of 23
OK to let Quest walk around?
Hi Carly
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Lesley and over the bridge Omar,
ECIR Group Primary Response,
11-2012, Highland, UK
Trying to do things like updating a case history on a phone is difficult.... If you have any access to a desktop or a laptop, it would make doing this sort of task quite lot easier.
You’ve probably come across it already, but there’s a Hoof Boots for Sale or Exchange UK group on Facebook that could come in handy while you’re trying to find the best type and fit for Quest. Others in this group have lots of experience that they can share with you, too.
Re Quest’s interval between trims, it might be useful to look at having the trimmer out every 2 weeks to begin with. If you haven’t already done this, you can post a message on ECIR asking Lavinia for mark-ups based on the photos and x-rays of Quest’s feet and legs, and the trimmer can work from those. The first set of mark-ups are free.
Forage Plus https://forageplus.co.uk may be able to help with a supply of low sugar/low starch hay, and also a custom mix of minerals balanced to it once its analysis has been reviewed. Re persuading Quest to eat a custom mineral mix, lots of us have been down this road and others will have all sorts of ideas to help you with this. After a lot of face-pulling and hurt looks from Omar, I found that he'd eat his minerals when they were sprinkled over his evening hay and he was too busy tucking in to notice.
Forage Plus also offer a wet chemistry hay test (£81.28) which you could use for your current hay supply if you prefer not to send samples over to EquineAnalytical in the US for their Trainer 603 test ($71 plus shipping, I think). The Forage Plus website also has video instructions about how to take a hay sample, which are quite helpful. Buying a hay corer/probe is a big expenditure, but a great thing to think about for the future. As you’ll see in the video you can use scissors to take hay samples, too, which I did until I was lucky enough to borrow a corer/probe. You may be viewed by the yard owner and your fellow liveries as a bit peculiar when you start doing all this, but don’t worry about that! They may just learn something along the way.
Hay testing and getting a custom mineral mix balanced specifically to the results sound difficult and they do come with a cost, but they are a fundamental part of getting Quest’s diet as tightly controlled as possible and absolutely worth the effort and investment it all takes. Until you can get this in place you can use the Emergency Diet set out your Welcome Letter and the New Member Primer document. Feeding an off-the-shelf mineral mix that hasn’t been balanced to tested hay probably isn't the best use of your funds, and you can offset the costs of hay testing and the custom-mixed minerals against the savings you’ll make by not buying off-the-shelf mineral/vitamin/supplement products that aren’t really doing much, and by not buying sets of shoes…… I know how horribly awkward it can feel to politely thank a professional and not comply with their view, but you know your horse and you’ve come to the right place to get as much information and support as you and Quest need.
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Lesley and over the bridge Omar,
ECIR Group Primary Response,
11-2012, Highland, UK
Omar - Case History
Hi Carly,
I'm going to take the liberty of repeating what Lesley has said here, because of its importance. The devil is in the details,and money can be saved by following them to the letter(or as much as possible).
Here is Lesley again:
"Hay testing and getting a custom mineral mix balanced specifically to the results sound difficult and they do come with a cost, but they are a fundamental part of getting Quest’s diet as tightly controlled as possible and absolutely worth the effort and investment it all takes. Until you can get this in place you can use the Emergency Diet set out your Welcome Letter and the New Member Primer document. Feeding an off-the-shelf mineral mix that hasn’t been balanced to tested hay probably isn't the best use of your funds, and you can offset the costs of hay testing and the custom-mixed minerals against the savings you’ll make by not buying off-the-shelf mineral/vitamin/supplement products that aren’t really doing much, and by not buying sets of shoes…… I know how horribly awkward it can feel to politely thank a professional and not comply with their view, but you know your horse and you’ve come to the right place to get as much information and support as you and Quest need."
--
Lorna in Eastern Ontario
2002
I'm going to take the liberty of repeating what Lesley has said here, because of its importance. The devil is in the details,and money can be saved by following them to the letter(or as much as possible).
Here is Lesley again:
"Hay testing and getting a custom mineral mix balanced specifically to the results sound difficult and they do come with a cost, but they are a fundamental part of getting Quest’s diet as tightly controlled as possible and absolutely worth the effort and investment it all takes. Until you can get this in place you can use the Emergency Diet set out your Welcome Letter and the New Member Primer document. Feeding an off-the-shelf mineral mix that hasn’t been balanced to tested hay probably isn't the best use of your funds, and you can offset the costs of hay testing and the custom-mixed minerals against the savings you’ll make by not buying off-the-shelf mineral/vitamin/supplement products that aren’t really doing much, and by not buying sets of shoes…… I know how horribly awkward it can feel to politely thank a professional and not comply with their view, but you know your horse and you’ve come to the right place to get as much information and support as you and Quest need."
--
Lorna in Eastern Ontario
2002
Hi Carly
Whoops - I meant others in the ECIR group, not the Facebook horse boot group, have lots of experience to share with you, although the FB members may be clued up too and I don’t mean any disrespect to them…..
It can feel like a very lonely place when you’re on your own watching your horse in pain and you find yourself without the full support of your vet. You can post on here as much as you need to, and everyone will offer their experience and support to help you and Quest.
--
Lesley and over the bridge Omar,
ECIR Group Primary Response,
11-2012, Highland, UK
Omar - Case History
Whoops - I meant others in the ECIR group, not the Facebook horse boot group, have lots of experience to share with you, although the FB members may be clued up too and I don’t mean any disrespect to them…..
It can feel like a very lonely place when you’re on your own watching your horse in pain and you find yourself without the full support of your vet. You can post on here as much as you need to, and everyone will offer their experience and support to help you and Quest.
--
Lesley and over the bridge Omar,
ECIR Group Primary Response,
11-2012, Highland, UK
Omar - Case History