Coffee Clutch with Dutch Henry: horses & sugar

Showing posts with label horses & sugar. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

"Do You Know What's In Your Hay?"

Howdy Folks,

Be sure to test your hay ... In many cases the sugar and non-structured carbs are higher than we think ... Your County Extension Officer will happily test it for you. Best horse hay will be no higher than 10% non-structured carbs, or sugar.

Kessy became Insulin Resistant (IR) after her bout with Lyme Disease and I noticed the "fat patches" building even though I was feeding "Teff Hay" which by all studies done at universities suggested Teff was a low sugar hay ... Penn State even suggested it for IR and obese horses ... Well Kessy continued to build fatty splotches and a cresty neck, even though she gets no grain and no grass ... So I finally tested my hay ... To everyone's surprise it came back 15% non-structured carbs and sugar, and 17% protein! ... I have been soaking her hay for 2 months now, which will remove about 20% of the sugar, but removes vitamins & minerals too ... We have seen the fat patches reduced a bit in just this short period of time ... I did begin to exercise her a little more too, asking for a bit more speed on our rides.

Kessy munching hay during Coffee Clutch

It seems today we are seeing way too many IR horses. Are there truly more, or are we just becoming more aware of what to look for? That's a good question, but whatever the answer, we need to focus on how we might prevent and/or manage our horses. Read my blog post about Lyme Disease and IR here -

Many of the forages were researched and developed for cows with calves at their sides. Most cool season grasses found in horse pastures and hayfields may be high in sugar. Recently, even the old standby Orchard grass is found often to be high in sugar. Timothy seems to be medium in its sugar content, but is hard to find in many areas. Alfalfa is not a good answer because it because it tends to be higher in digestible energies, calories and protein than grasses. More calories can create weight gain, and too much protein is not great for horses.

What can we do? Of course testing is very important, know your hay's sugar content. Mowing hay early in the morning can help; sugar tends to be less then. Limit pasture. Overweight horses munching all day on pasture is not a good thing. Laminitis does not usually occur "overnight" rather it's the result of cumulative build ups. If you find you've purchased a good supply of hay, then test and you discover high sugar, as I did, you have the choice of soaking for 20 or so minutes before feeding. Or selling it and replacing it, which sometimes is easier said than done, too.

Horses are tough and carry on even if things are not as they should be and we go merrily along not realizing we are setting them up for problems. For peace of mind, "Don't Guess, Test."

For more advice on IR horses and Homeopathic health please contact –

Jessica Lynn at Earth Song Ranch here – http://www.earthsongranch.com/viewContent.asp?idpage=4

Inez Domoyer of Unicorn Dreams Wholistic Touch here - https://www.facebook.com/UnicornDreamsWholisticTouch

AND to really learn about hay, pasture, grasses and horses visit Kathryn Watts at her Website Safer Grass- http://www.safergrass.org/articles.html

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

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Welcome to the Coffee Clutch

Welcome to the Coffee Clutch, a happy place to visit. I write uplifting stories about a wide variety of subjects from horses to birds and nature, to love and family and friends. Sometimes I'll post excerpts from stories I've written for Equine Publications. Sometimes I'll post about writing itself. Coffee Clutch got its name because I often write while enjoying my morning coffee in the barn with my mare Kessy, and all our critters. Join us here for fun conversation and stories I promise will make you feel good.

It's For The Horses

This is not a book about riding, or training horses. It is a book on my thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how folks might find the joy in doing things for the horse, with the horses’ point of view as the leading guide. My hope is to help as many people as possible learn to hear the horse, feel their spirit, and in that way help horses everywhere. Over the years I’ve met and worked with remarkable people and horses who taught me about their feelings, their joys, their sadness, and their spirit. As a horse advocate everything I do is from the horse’s perspective, including this little book. Every story, idea, suggestion and thought on these pages will be to suggest and share thoughts and ideas on how to maximize a relationship between horse and human—from the horse’s point of view.

Tom Named by Horse

The only man ever to offer Tom respect is Red Cloud. The only woman to give him love is Red Cloud’s granddaughter. Struggling with his own personal demons, Tom finds himself wedged between honoring that friendship and staying true to the depths of his conscience. Amid a backdrop of tumultuous social upheaval, he finds nothing prepared him, the woman he loves or Chief Red Cloud, for the changes about to thunder into their lives, sweeping them helplessly into the tides of human conflict and historical drama. Available on Amazon.

From The Banks OF Little Bear Creek

The Tom Named by Horse Saga continues. Three years after the death of Tall Dog, Tom Named By Horse and Soft Cloud have turned the little soddy, the lands granted them by Red Cloud, and the lean-to barn into a thriving horse ranch, fulfilling Tom’s dream. The Plains Indians Wars, or Red Cloud’s war, is mostly behind them, and the lands have had their transformation as Red Cloud’s vision had warned years earlier. Trailing horses from the ranch to Denver city has become an annual event for Tom, Buck and the rest, and this is the story of that trail. In the spirit of a good old John Wayne movie, vengeance, cattle and horse thieves, a dirty sheriff and corrupt mayor, and a wedding make this year’s drive a ride you’ll want to tag along on.