Jello for horses

[StormyDay]

So, I was talking about my gelding who is struggling this winter, and a friend said ‘well are you giving him jello?’
Um what.
But what she said did make sense. She pours the powder right over the grain. They really like the flavor so it makes them eat better, and the gelatin is good for their health if they are struggling.

But I can’t seem to find out how much gelatin is even in jello, or if it even helps at all. And, it feels weird feeding gelatin to my (mostly vegan) horses.

It is cheap. I can get a 5 pound bucket for $27.

[Texarkana]

There only times I have heard of feeding jello is for hiding medications and to improve hooves. I’ve never tried the former, the latter doesn’t work.

[Raincityrider]

What is struggling- not eating well and losing weight or eating and still losing weight? I might consider a powdered fatty acid supplement for a horse struggling to hold weight after I’d ruled out health issues, dental problems and current ration type/volume as a cause. It’s just as easy to feed, some brands come flavored and you will know exactly what your horse is getting out of it.

[JB]

@StormyDay

I was talking about my gelding who is struggling this winter,

what does that mean?

People usually give Jello (or plain gelatin) for hoof health, but the research has not found it actually changes anything. I don’t know if that’s been studied again more recently than the 1970s, but at one study done then on 30mg and 90mg per 100kg showed no difference. Granted it was only 4 pony weanlings, but so many studies are done on limited number of horses.

[NancyM]

You can buy unflavoured gelatin powder in the bulk section at most large grocery stores. Whether it works to help your horse or not, you will find out in time.

[BrownDerby]

I’ve heard of putting some in their water buckets to encourage drinking. Years ago some folks would feed Knox gelatin for weak hooves.

I cannot see any benefit in pouring it on hay. It’s mostly collagen, sugar and artificial dyes and flavorings.

[luvmyhackney]

It does nothing for their health, just makes the food taste better. But since they eat better, the health improves but not due to jello directly.

I’m currently using cinnamon in my cushings pony feed and he licks his bowl clean again.

[beowulf]

Cinnamon? Are we talking ceylon, vietnamese, saigon?

I am about to try anything short of ritual sacrifice to get my Cushings gelding to stop turning his nose up to his grain. We had to up his dosage of Prascend this fall and he has lost interest in grain, but still eats his timothy and alfalfa pellets. He is still an excellent weight, but we’re in the middle of winter and I don’t want to see that deteriorate. It’s been stressing me out.

[luvmyhackney]

It’s sad to admit but he’s currently getting my “good” baking cinnamon.

It’s my most expensive supplement right now but he’s eating.

Cinnamon, Saigon Ground

[beowulf]

Thank you. I have saigon already as a baking addict. I’ll give this a try.

[JB]

@beowulf

I am about to try anything short of ritual sacrifice to get my Cushings gelding to stop turning his nose up to his grain. We had to up his dosage of Prascend this fall and he has lost interest in grain,

Try APF Pro, an adaptogen mix that has literally saved lives of PPID horses by getting them to eat well again.

[beowulf]

Oh my god how did I forget that existed? Thank you, adding it to my cart now. I used to feed it all the time to another horse using gingersnaps. Really hope it makes a difference, it’s been hard getting the Prascend into this guy and now since we upped his dose, he looks much better but has stopped eating his Senior. Which he needs because he has no teeth! Once the dose increased he started getting savvy to the treats having the pill in it. We were always mixing up the method of delivery anyway, some days it was in crushed mints, somedays it was in Fig Newtons. I think he suspects the grain is the culprit now.

[luvmyhackney]

I starting dissolving the pill in water and adding some Sugar Free Gatorade powder for flavor.

Adding it to food and tricking him was a go-no. He started peeing in his feed pan with the food in it. Flipping ponies.

Cinnamon seems to be the alternative right now, I use the APF Pro but it’s just another thing I have to syringe.

[Janet]

I think Jello powder is mostly sugar.

[StormyDay]

It’s for my gelding who lost weight due to EPM. He’s also older and has fewer teeth than one would hope for

He looses interest in his grain every once in a while. The person said the gelatin in it can help gain some top line muscle back.

[Angela_Freda]

@StormyDay

He looses interest in his grain every once in a while. The person said the gelatin in it can help gain some top line muscle back.

How would gelatin do that?

[StormyDay]

@Angela_Freda

@StormyDay

He looses interest in his grain every once in a while. The person said the gelatin in it can help gain some top line muscle back.

How would gelatin do that?

Absolutely no idea.
Maybe help the connective tissue in the muscles?

[JB]

@Angela_Freda

How would gelatin do that?

gelatin contains amino acids which are pretty quickly absorbed

[Texarkana]

@JB

@beowulf

I am about to try anything short of ritual sacrifice to get my Cushings gelding to stop turning his nose up to his grain. We had to up his dosage of Prascend this fall and he has lost interest in grain,

Try APF Pro, an adaptogen mix that has literally saved lives of PPID horses by getting them to eat well again.

This has escaped my radar. I have a horse giving me fits with her (lack of) appetite. Vet suspects internal neoplasia but she’s not so bad we are ready to euthanize and there’s not too many more diagnostics we can do to confirm that short of cutting her open. She NEEDS to eat. I wonder if this may be worth trying…

[Weezer]

My cushings and laminitic mini loves beet pulp to eat her meds. I give her a large handful twice a day and she is doing really well on it.