Nutrition after an injury - Protein?

[LawsofMurph]

The injury was mine!

After losing my beloved Old Man in the summer my friend leased me her horse as she is going to be traveling after she gets married. Basically I have her until friend wants her back lol.

We have an agreement together and I have essentially full control over vet, feed, etc etc.

This mare is a complete 180 from my old guy. After being in for 5 days I knew better than to ride her and could not lunge as the lunging area was flooded. So, I decided to do a little in-hand/very bad showmanship work to get her out and moving. Long story short, she got very exciting about jogging in-hand and I broke both bones in my arm.

Now the dilemma…
I’ve been talking over calming supplements or something along those lines to keep her more sane until I can ride again (and while I’m getting back in the saddle ).

One of my friends brought up the protein content in her food. Now, I’ve heard two schools of thought on how protein affects horses. One says it makes them hot, the others say it does nothing. She is on Total Equine LNSC which is low in starches and sugars, but has 15% protein.

What would yall do? Look for a supplement or experiment with protein? She only gets feisty when in for long periods of time (hello winter…) and she’s normally up, but still quiet.

[candyappy]

How has her diet been changed from what her owner fed her? I have found that some horses react to what they are fed. Whether it is hay or bagged feeds some are no different but some get quite reactive in a short period of time. What may affect the horse is 100% individual.

My gelding gets reactive on Strategy Healthy edge at 12.5% protein but is fine on Purina Enrich Plus( or the senior) at a whopping 32% protein.

I would first look at the feed changes you made ( if any) and find a way to allow her turn out no matter the weather. For her long term health/ sanity and yours

[LawsofMurph]

@candyappy

I would first look at the feed changes you made ( if any) and find a way to allow her turn out no matter the weather. For her long term health/ sanity and yours

No big changes. Literally just moved from her care to mine. She’s an assistant trainer who never got the time to ride her own horse so she has only been ridden intermittently for the past 2ish years.

My only real “issue” if you could even call it that is her being sane in January when I can ride again. When she has more of a structured riding program she’s great. The arena flooding (and the indoor being taken over for a cowboy church that week) put us just far enough off course for it to be an issue.

[Pico_Banana]

In this situation, I would probably leave her diet alone and then use some calming stuff when it’s time to get back on her, including something like Ace just to get you guys past this point.

[Jump314]

@LawsofMurph

What would yall do? Look for a supplement or experiment with protein? She only gets feisty when in for long periods of time (hello winter…) and she’s normally up, but still quiet.

I wouldn’t keep her in for long periods of time. My horses have shelter so they go out no matter the weather. If I change my mind and keep them in for rain or mud, they run around like crazy when I let them out again, making me regret my decision to keep them in more than normal.

[2DogsFarm]

There is the relatively rare outlier who reacts totally opposite to acepromazine & gets amped up.
I saw this happen to 2 usually calm Drafts, both aced before a parade. The gal leading both looked like Stretch Armstrong
One walking sedately, the other prancing ahead.

Unless you know this horse has been aced & was sedated, not a gamble I’d want to make

[Amy3996]

@LawsofMurph

Now the dilemma…
I’ve been talking over calming supplements or something along those lines to keep her more sane until I can ride again (and while I’m getting back in the saddle ).

One of my friends brought up the protein content in her food. Now, I’ve heard two schools of thought on how protein affects horses. One says it makes them hot, the others say it does nothing. She is on Total Equine LNSC which is low in starches and sugars, but has 15% protein.

What would yall do? Look for a supplement or experiment with protein? She only gets feisty when in for long periods of time (hello winter…) and she’s normally up, but still quiet.

How much of the Total Equine is she getting? 16% NSC per the label isn’t terrible, but it isn’t what I’d consider low either, especially if she’s getting a significant amount by weight. If you’re looking to dial back her energy level until you’re able to get her back in full work, I’d try simplifying the diet, not adding to it.

[LawsofMurph]

@Amy3996

How much of the Total Equine is she getting? 16% NSC per the label isn’t terrible, but it isn’t what I’d consider low either, especially if she’s getting a significant amount by weight.

She gets the finest of handfuls

[LawsofMurph]

@Jump314

I wouldn’t keep her in for long periods of time. My horses have shelter so they go out no matter the weather.

Obviously, this would be ideal, but we’re at a boarding barn and are subject to their procedures.

[Amy3996]

@LawsofMurph

She gets the finest of handfuls

Is switching to a ration balancer an option? That could get you more comprehensive nutrition with minimal calories, a lower NSC, and a better protein content. From the manufacturer’s website, the TE LNSC is designed to be fed at 4lbs per day minimum, so she’s not getting much nutritional benefit at a handful or two.

[Angela_Freda]

Can she be put in a consistent work program that accounts for turnout time cuts?
Lunging? Free lunging, ie in a roundpen?

[candyappy]

@LawsofMurph

After being in for 5 days I knew better than to ride her and could not lunge as the lunging area was flooded.

@LawsofMurph

Now the dilemma…
I’ve been talking over calming supplements or something along those lines to keep her more sane until I can ride again (and while I’m getting back in the saddle ).

In re- reading your first post it really seems like all she really needs is to get some regular exercise?
If her feed hasn’t changed and her living situation hasn’t changed and she hasn’t needed calming supplements in the past–sounds like lunging would be the easiest/ cheapest way to not only keep her fit ( physically/ mentally).

You don’t have to run her into the ground but saddle her up and just keep her fit and working some until you can ride. Until your arm heals maybe someone can do it for you or you can lunge her w/o tack?

I always lunge my gelding a little first before getting on to assess his mental state/ physical exuberance. I do lunge him decently if he has had a couple days off ( safety precaution) . Once I really start riding him hard I will phase it out.

[RhythmNCruise]

@LawsofMurph

After being in for 5 days

As in…in a stall for 5 days? Straight? With no turn-out or exercise of any kind?

If so, I wouldn’t blame the feed for her behavior or worry about a calming supplement yet. Just about any horse that’s been in a stall for 5 days straight is going to be a bit of a handful when brought out. Even my horse, who is like handling Eeyore on normal days, would be a bit ready to rock n roll if he were kept up for 5 days. He’s very mannerly, but all it would take is any little excuse (wind blowing, a sudden noise, another horse bouncing around) and he’d be more Tigger than Eeyore quick.

[LawsofMurph]

@candyappy

In re- reading your first post it really seems like all she really needs is to get some regular exercise?

@RhythmNCruise

As in…in a stall for 5 days? Straight? With no turn-out or exercise of any kind?

I don’t think you guys are really understanding the actual question here. Yeah, it was five days
no turn out or exercise because of FLOODING. There’s no way I could’ve magically stopped the rain and the indoor wasn’t available until the weekend because of a cowboy church revival and we aren’t allowed to lunge in the indoor anyway.

I am very aware that this was the problem. It wasn’t ideal which is why I didn’t ride or lunge her. I only had the groundwork option.

None of this changes the fact that my arm is super broken and I would like to not hurt myself more when I can get back on. I am obviously going to be doing stuff with her until then. We’re going to be lunging, ground working, and hanging out together all winter.

I just don’t want to break my other arm in January when I can officially ride again.

[Jump314]

If you are aware of the problem, I’m not sure what you are asking us. Besides not providing enough vitamins and minerals, a handful of any grain isn’t doing much. There is no non-drug supplement that will make a horse calm after being in for five days. Can you move her to a different barn that gives more turnout?

[LawsofMurph]

@Jump314

There is no non-drug supplement that will make a horse calm after being in for five days.

Good thing I don’t plan on leaving her in for five days when I’m cleared by the doctor to ride.

[WNT]

What kind of hay and how much does she get? Even with 15% protein, two or three handfuls of that feed a day is barely two cups. Depending on the weight per volume, that’s maybe 1/2 lb or 8 oz. That’s 1.5 oz of protein coming from the feed.

If she’s getting 20 lbs of grass hay daily, according to Equi-Analyitical the national average crude protein is 11%. 20 lbs = 320 oz. 11% of 320 oz yields 35.2 oz of crude protein, or more than 2 lbs. If it’s an alfalfa mix, that average crude protein will likely be higher, as well as the overall digestible energy (ie calories).

You would get a better return on nutrition at such a low feeding rate with a balancer or a vitamin/mineral supplement with a forage based carrier like plain beet pulp or timothy pellets.

You may not plan on not being able to get her out for five days at a stretch, but it doesn’t sound like this hiccup was planned either. What IS your back up for pent-up mare energy?

[Angela_Freda]

@LawsofMurph

the indoor wasn’t available until the weekend because of a cowboy church revival and we aren’t allowed to lunge in the indoor anyway.

Ok, that sucks.

@LawsofMurph

We’re going to be lunging, ground working, and hanging out together all winter.

Where will this lunging happen?
Was it not available for the five days?

[RhythmNCruise]

It doesn’t matter why she was in the stall. A horse that is in a stall for 5 days without any turnout or exercise is going to have the potential to be bouncing off the walls and dragging its handler around no matter what it’s eating. That was my point. I’m of the opinion that her feed and the level of protein in it didn’t contribute to your broken arm. Being in a stall for five days did. So asking about changes in feed seems…completely irrelevant since in my opinion it’s in no way connected to what happened to your arm and will not prevent you from breaking your arm in the future.