I don’t know anything about these products, other than that Osteon is “natural zeolite”, and OCD is zeolite plus a few other things, the amounts of which I can’t find. I mean, it says Corta-Flex + HA, but if it’s a nanogram of each, well, that doesn’t mean much :lol:
Did you use them for a weaner? Did you have any foals as a control group to see the difference?
Just curious if anyone has seen real, proven results 
I haven’t used either on a young horse but I have a horse with advanced osteoporosis (massive bone loss) in both hind limbs.
knocks furiously on wood while typing
No new fractures going on 2 years with a big heaping scoop of Osteon per day.
That being said, the treating vet had never seen such a horrible case before and he reminded me it was putting a small band aid over a gaping wound. However, I will take what I can get. And FWIW - the bone loss is entirely man-made…we looked at the before and after x-rays…just a shame, really.
leaves keyboard to go knock on more wood
Tasker, omg, what the heck? Do you know what dietary management caused this?
JB there’s an even better product out there called Evergreen Equine Osteo-Aide. Great product. Has more silicon, gluc. chond., yucca than the other products. Not cheap but I have had great results with it.
Have a look at Cal Density too. Eye wateringly expensive.
RE-FORMING the Thoroughbred and the Industry
By Charlie O’Hara, President and CEO of The Integrity Manufacturing Company.
From top to bottom, the thoroughbredindustry gets to have a four-part, proactive plan to improve the product it is producing for the owners and the public. Reform and absolute transparency in nutrition, training methods, druguseand monthly hair sample mineral analysis testing, are essential in changing the future path of the industry. Why not replace thecurrent discussionto better the industry by simply building a better horse with proof of efficacy that we are doing it? Why not spend some of the millions of dollars of research investment on nutrition, training methods and drug interactions? The new animal abuse prompted regulatory measures are to be applauded but those can’t be considered the big answers. What kind of industry leadership do we have if the best we can do is punish the cheaters and eliminate the abusive training and racing methods, when we still have a skeletally sub-par horse to build the future on? The thoroughbred industry yearling investors and the economy have just completed sending a message to the breeders. In 2006, Keeneland sold $399,000,000 of yearlings.In 2007, there was an $16,000,000 decline. And in 2008, it is a $72,000,000 decline from those 2006 numbers. The total loss in sales at Keeneland alone show almost $90,000,000 in just 24 months. That is slightly less than $4,000,000 per month and what is coming in the near future may make the current numbers look strong. Does the industry leadership believe that softer whips, kinder shoes and elimination of steroids will make any difference in getting this money back that the breeders have relied on for years? Let’s show the public that breeders care about raising racehorses and not sales horses. Let’s prove that the research foundations can spend millions on researching nutrition, training methods and how we can eliminate drugs at the track and on the farm while making horses stronger because of it. The nutrition research universities are starving to prove the value of themost important aspects of building a stronger, more durable horse.Let’s spend money on getting more than 20%-30% of horses to the track and more than 5 or 6 horses in the starting gate for an average race. None of the four synergistic steps require rocket scientists, industry committees orgovernment regulators. Each of the stepswill each allow participants at all ends of the industry to compete with a much higher level of integrity, authenticity and confidence. CAL Density™ is not the only answer but it gets to be a part of it.* The current product walking into sales rings and starting gates gets to experience a provable makeover andahairsamplemineral analysis each month throughout a horse’s lifetime will provide the proof of what’s actually inside. A Lexington, KY area high school pays $55 per student to test for seven different drugs. Why can’t we do this with horses? No more partial disclosure and no part of the industry gets to be excluded. We have the technology to know exactly how fast and how far a horse trains every day, what food they eat, what drugs are administered and proof from the veterinarian of exactly where they bought the drugs including the lot numbers and paid receipts to back up every bit of it. Acknowledgement of the truthis the beginning. As difficult as it may be, how else can it really start? Equine pathologists, nutritionists, breeders, consignors, trainers, farm management personneland veterinarians are becoming aware that severe toxic mineral imbalances are possibly causing the majority of the infectious and metabolic diseases plaguing the thoroughbred industry.* These same mineral imbalances exist in tobacco, farmland pastureand even the dairy cows produced on the same soils. Unfortunately, it will take between 5-10 years to undo the problems found in the soil today. The good news according to one of the world’s most experienced pathologists and a leading nutritionist is that these problems are not genetic and if some simple steps are taken, thoroughbreds willimprove immediately. According to this pathologist and nutritionist, there aretwo proactive nutritional stepsthat responsible owners get totakein order to potentially avoidabnormal bone formations likeosteo-chondrosis-dessicans (OCD’s), fatigue fractures (bucked shins) and many other bone abnormalities. These same steps get to potentially reduce the likelihood of such traumatic muscle disorders as “tying up” and post-race “thumping” as well as hoof problems like chipping, splitting and cracking. All of these problems are as expensive as any aspect of owning and breeding thoroughbreds. The two nutritional solution steps are very simple - feeding pure, toxic-freeminerals andas much natural sea salt as possible. Other complimentary steps must be taken as well. Training methods required to increased bone density must become better understood and implemented by conditioners throughout the industry. In order to learn these techniques, requiring a continuing education program for licensed trainers would be no different than a grade school teacher, a psychologist or a veterinarian.* Catholic priests are even required to take continuing education.* Trainersare forced to wear just about all of these hats anyway,so why not introduce new, freshideas and sounder feeding programs, training techniques and employee managementthat have research to prove how these techniques have performed.* But arguablythe most important new focus must be to understand what race day medications like bute and lasix actually do to the body and how they harm our athletes. Bute interferes with bone producing cell activity and lasix drains a horse of 100-150-lbs of body weight on race day. It also depletes the body of vital minerals, like calcium - the largest component of bone and most important nutrient for muscle function and electrolyte maintenance. Lasix is most likely the largest contributor to the severe muscle problems of “tying up” and post-race “thumping”. According to a racing official fromPennsylvania speaking at the Congressional hearings in June, 2008,lasixdoes not even stop bleeding and never has. However, if one simply google’s the word lasix, you will discover that it is used to cover up medications. Lasix is among the largest contributors to destroying this industry and removing it could happen in days. Look how fast steriod abolishment took. And if lasix is gone,much of the desireand ability to hide the drugs will be gone, too. For an indication of just how dangerous and potentially lethal Lasix is, please read the advisory presented to bodybuilders considering the use of lasix for competition. We are also providing the danger precaution parts of the labels for Salix™, Phenylbutazone™ and Regu-Mate™as a part of our FREE 58-page Research Report. Lesser known training drugs like clenbuterol and various pain killers tax the body and apply additional stresses that very few owners ever hear about and very few trainers have any idea of. Email us to receive a copy of the California Horse Racing Board’s meeting summary from January, 2007 when the clenbuterol epidemic that exists in California racing was discussed between racing officials and trainers. Like so many drugs in racing, clenbuterol was supposed to be a “therapeutic” drug and according to participants in this meeting it is being used daily on over 75% of the horses in training. Clenbuterol positives are becoming commonplace. How many more owners, trainers and veterinarians get to work together to destroy the name of horseracing? It seems as though there is serious confusion about why we have an industry. Let’s be very clear - WE ALL WORK FOR THE OWNER OF THE HORSE. There are no tracks to go to or races to bet on if there are no owners making the sport happen. And that means we are responsible to every owner that purchases our products and services. We must be transparent and held accountable for every action we take. We get to be known as a company that makes a product that passes every test required to be fed at your dinner table. We believe this responsibility is the same with trainers, veterinarians, feed and feed supplement manufacturers, drug companies, farm personnel and even the racetracks and the myriad of marketing and regulatory organizations throughout the industry. Throughout the past four months, owners are being called out by animal rights organizations to be “responsible” for their horses both during and after their careers. However, the owners are virtually incapable of being “response” “able” because they don’t know what their horses are getting, how they are trained, what medications, pre- and post-race treatments, etc.* Why are training records, feed analysis records, veterinarian purchasing and administration records not readily available to the owner and the public? These all get to be known and it is not a big jump for owners toimmediately begin collecting lots more data on the horses they own and foot the massive, often limitless bills that they pay every day with a virtual smile on their faces as they dream of winning the Kentucky Derby. Independent university research shows that the toxic-free, organically processed minerals contained in CAL Density™ increased bone density by 14%, calcium digestibility by over 18%, hip height by49%(one inch more thancontrol with no increase in withers height) and hoof development by almost 5%. Independent analysis of every batch of CAL Density™ is on file and available for review by the USDA or any client who requests it. CAL Density™ is a complex, provisionally patented product that is the result of nearly100 years of combined experience among the three primary innovators. It was designed to provide the body with the nutrients necessary to createhealthier, more dense bone, stronger hooves and a greater supply of the key nutrients for optimum muscle function and electrolyte stores.* CAL Density™ is manufactured in a state-of-the-art human food consumption facility that is FDA approved and abides by the extremely rigid standards of the AmericanInstitute of Baking. We are unaware of any feed products for horses that are manufactured in conditions like these. CAL Density™ is one of a very tiny number of products in the history of the industry to be guaranteed by the USDA in Washington, DC and to earn a USDA certificate to accompany every foreign shipment that insures the customs agencies around the world that what we say is in the product has been independently analyzed to prove it is in there.* This is the fundamental difference between a “Certificate of Analysis” and a label that has a “Guaranteed Analysis” that often times is never tested by any regulatory agencies. Because of this lack of regulatory enforcement from the individual states throughout the U.S., we went to Washington, DC. As a result,CAL Density™ has earned the confidence of the USDA and now have developed the regulatory experience necessary to expand our product availability and manufacturing to as many as 31 countries around the world by June, 2009. Our goal is to have CAL Density™ delivered within 3 working days to anywhere in the world at a consistent price. These are remarkable steps and they come from “outside” the equine pharmaceutical, feed and feed supplement industries that have been for many years and currently still supply the thoroughbred business throughout the nation and particularly in Central Kentucky. These are the product sources that are producing the skeletal disaster we have today. The key CAL Density™ ingredient - OrganiCAL™ - was the subject of two studiesperformedat West Texas A&M University. The findings were extraordinary, particularly because the quarter horses in the study were raised on rock hard west Texas ranch ground and then brought in to a controlled, stalled environment for the 120 days.Yet bone density still increased by 14% over the placebo group and the calcium digestibility increased by over 18% with foals and older horses. In a study at the University of Florida, OrganiZIN™ (zinc), OrganiMAN™ (manganese)and OrganiCOP™ (copper) were supplemented to increase hip height by 49% (approximately one inch) versus the control group while maintaining the same withers height. The subjects were 60% thoroughbreds and 40% quarter horses. The increase in hip height translates into a longer stride and even at just one full inch more, the increase in distance travelled per stride over 6-12 furlongs is extremely powerful. Maintaining the same withers height while increasing hip height provides a more desired body slope and confirmation angle. The other major finding in the U. of Florida study was hoof growth increased by almost 5%. This is key because stronger, more flexible hoofsprotect against the chipping and cracking that plague many horses at the track every day. Virtually all of today’s challengesarerelated to mineral imbalancesand the organic minerals contained in CAL Density™areguaranteed to be toxic-free and imbalance-free. As a key safety precaution to fight the toxins found in virtually all compounded feeds and feed supplements, grains and forage, the addition of 2-4 oz of forced fed, toxic-free natural SeaSalt is strongly recommended. This is particularly true when feeding alfalfa based pellets and powders. Sodium is the second most importantmineralin the body andit works to cleanse the body of the toxic mineral imbalances whileproviding key electrolyte salts. It is highly recommended to avoid pelleted feeds and feed supplements that normally contain between 75%-92.5%,inactive filler ingredients and a multitude of undisclosed preservatives. They are easier to feed but the consequences can result in simply adding more to the toxic levels of nitrogen already found in the diet. Ammonia in a horse’s urine is significant evidence that too much nitrogen is present inside your horse. It would be a good idea to ask your feed and feed supplement suppliers where they get their minerals and to provide an analysis of the toxins present in the products that you buy now.* These recommendations are not specific to any horse’s age or discipline.* CAL Density™ should be considered forhorses in training, young developing foals, yearlings, mares and stallions. Older mares may be the most important target of all. Breeders want their mares producing every year, but sadly even here a serious drug regime is required to fit the “natural breeding” or “live cover” required to be a thoroughbred. Because of this, owners must pay for a mating regulating drug to fit in to the precious stallion’s appointment book. The “natural” breeding program requires that virtually every mare receive what is one of the most expensive drugs possible. All the while, they experience dramatically more stress and risk of injury by natural breeding. Does anyone in the thoroughbred industry wonder why it is the only sport doing this? By the way, would Storm Cat still get to have babies if the “natural act” ofbreeding to a drugged mare was abolished? Imagine the cost savings in this ancient idea that every other breed practices. There would be fewer people involved in managing this process, reducing liability and costs. While we’re busy “preparing” the mare for breeding, there is a foal on the ground that is growing through an extremely volatile time in there life.* The mare can only give what it has to the forming baby and mineral imbalances and various drugs in their systems can only add more challenge to raising a healthy baby.* Often times as a mare gets on in age, the pregnancies begin to take their toll. This is very comparable to a woman with three or four children who eventually develops osteoporosis. Research shows thatif calcium is not supplemented from the time a women is in her teens, just one child birth can result in the loss of 25% of her bone mass by the time she enters menopause. Safely absorbed and used calcium from the source in CAL Density™ provides the opportunity for your horses to experience the same results as the West Texas A&M Study. The statistical models used in the study showthata 97% + resultsduplication can be expected when horses are fedOrganiCAL™ and the same exercise protocol is followed. CAL Density™, in both of its forms is economical - black label for racehorses & problem horses and white label for farm use.(WHITE LABEL WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST OCTOBER 1, 2008) The Black Label can be fed for just $2.46/dayor $4.92/day based on requirements, weight and age. The White Label for the farm can be fed at $.98/day or $1.96/day based on requirements, weight and age. It is manufactured in a stabilized rice bran base that is full of key nutrients.The formula is 100% active and contains no preservatives. The product isshipped within 45 days of manufacture insuring freshness and potency. When feeding CAL Density™ Black Label, PLEASE DO YOUR BEST to eliminate the feeding of additional joint, bone, cartilage development, hoof development, electrolyte complex, gut health, immune system and coat condition supplements.Many owners are paying over $10 per day for supplements alone. Become as aware as possible of exactly what drugs your horses are receiving and why. Every responsible party should certainly have the ability to provide this information since they all work for you. An email from the veterinarian or trainer would be simple enough. You will then be able to better gauge the true impact of CAL Density™. We are working out the details to begin offering ahair mineral analysis testing program for CAL Density™ clients. This data will allow our clients to haveproof of the body’s mineral content each month. Some clients may wish to upgrade and pay for hair sourced drug testing as well. We want to see racetracks conduct this testing on every horse in every race. For a 12 horse field, it would likely be lower than $1,500. Sure seems like a reasonable, proactive choice even if they plan to conduct blood or urine tests, too. Wouldthe race-going public enjoy this? Apparently, it hasn’t hurt the credibility of the Olympics. The cost savings experienced from feeding CAL Density™ as your sole or at least primarysupplement can be as much as $2,000 per year, per horse or $6.00 per day. Additional cost savings can come from reducing or eliminating added mineral content in your compound feed. Get the real numbers from your trainers and farm personnelin order to create an accurate estimate.* Think about it – CAL Density™ Black Label can cost less than $900/year for babies and $1,800/year for older horses andthe White Label (NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST OCTOBER 1, 2008) can cost less than $375/year for babies and less than $750/year for older horses.
*
Integrity Manufacturing is now offering custom blending of both products for orders of 1,000-lbs or more. Mixing instructions for adding to other grain rations is available at your asking. For these clients, we are planning a program to provide farms with a gravity-feed electronic scale hopper for easier management of farm-wide feeding. As big as any financial consideration in that feeding CAL Density™ isthe reduction invet bills. This is often moresignificant than the entire cost of the product. When the losttraining time is calculated per horse itcan be in the thousands per horse. We recognize who we work for. As a result, it is our desire to sell CAL Density™ directly to the owner no matter where the product gets shipped. Soon we will have labelling equipment to custom label with your horse’s name on it. By knowing the number of servings per unit, an auto-ship program can be established down to the single horse making management of CAL Density™ as easy as opening an email. We are planning a database to contain such industry norm creating data as the hair analysis results and the daily training regimes of each horse. Racetracks with radio frequency equipment like Keeneland, Woodbine and Del Mar will allow owners to follow the training of their horse every day. The owner and breeder must become realistic that based on the massive overproduction of thoroughbreds today combined with the smallest fields in the sport’s history, raising thoroughbreds going forward will begin changing immediately from "breedingto sell" back to"breedingto race" that will surely be the way of the new present and long future. Make CAL Density™ a key part of re-“forming” your horses and your industry’s future.
But what do any of these products DO that a good, well-balanced diet (which, yes, includes some addition of a ration balancer or vit/min supplement or fortified feed product) cannot/will not do?
Osteo-aide versus Osteo-breeder
Are either of these pellets?
They don’t have the ingredient deck on the website but from what I can see in the pics, it looks like osteo-breeder just has the Sodium Zeolite A in it.
JB – I’ve used OCD pellets and have had several friends use it; including one gal who has her “testimonial” on the website.
She has her Masters in Nursing; so she is all about science and she keeps ALL her horses on it (I shudder at the cost).
I have also been impressed with it, but I freely admit none of my experiences would bear up under the standards of rigorous scientific testing.
Case #1: A friend had a filly who became terribly lame in the LH at about 6-7 months of age. I mean, so lame she could not get up if she lay down on the left side! Xrays revealed a bone cyst in her stifle. Started on a double dose of the OCD pellets. In 2 weeks she was MUCH better; in 4 weeks she was completely sound. Getting her to eat the stuff was a problem, so she probably only got about 1/2 of what she should have gotten. Currently the filly is with me and is blazingly sound. I kept her on the pellets for the first 4 months I had her, but not since then. Plan to re-xray in August…I’ll let you know what we find.
Case#2: My mare who was so badly contracted as a foal got pregnant (oops!). I kept her on the OCD pellets throughout the last 1/3 of her pregnancy and while the foal was at foot. Then kept the foal on the pellets from weaning to about 9 months of age. Foal had lovely straight legs and no sign of OCD at 1 year of age.
Case #3: Another mare (half-sister to the one above) in foal with what was to be my “once in a lifetime” horse. Circumstances prevented me from starting her on the OCD pellets till about 2 months before she foaled. Foal was born moderately contracted, with both front legs rotated out & knock-kneed. Local leg specialist vet, who has seen 1000’s of crooked legged foals in his time, advised keeping her stalled and told me he was “90% sure” she would not straighten without surgery. My usual vet, who often thinks the other vet is just “selling surgery” actually agreed in this case.
I started the mare on a double dose of OCD pellets, put corrective shoes on the foal and did NOT confine her completely, but offered limited turn-out, the duration of which was determined on a day to day basis. By the time she was inspected at 3 months of age she was TOTALLY straight, with all issues resolved except for the rotation.
At weaning I continued to feed the pellets, with about a 2 month break just recently.
Now at 1 year of age (almost), she still turns out a smidge, but it is her whole leg column, so the joints are all lined up.
Again, I know none of this is “science” but the OCD product IS guaranteed – if it doesn’t work Dr Beebee will give you your money back (if it is used per his instructions).
As for your question on regular diet, etc., I can’t answer that – you have more expertise in dietary issues than I.
But you & I both know each “body” is different – I suspect not all horses metabolize feedstuffs the same, just like people. And since most people don’t test all of their hay all of the time, it could me some horses are more susceptible to some missing/low components.
Curious – were you asking just on GP, or did you have a particular case in your own barn?
The last time I was browsing through the SmartPak catalog I saw that their SmartTendon has 500 mg silica (plus MSM), and I wondered how it compared to these products. I know silica and silicon are not the same thing…I think silicon is made from silica? Anyone?
If it works in much the same manner, it would be much cheaper.
Caitlin
It was so long ago I don’t remember LOL!!! I wasn’t for a horse of mine. I’m assuming since I specifically mentioned a weaner I was trying to get some info for someone on another board, but also curious for my own sake.
Definitely let me know what those new xrays show!
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
I just noticed the date of your original post!
But I"m curious to find out what the xrays show as well; I’ll let you know.
I don’t know. I have never used them because I believe in a well balanced diet based on a ration balancer and do not believe in over supplementation. :yes:
Forgive me, just waking up… no java yet…
But don’t the clays (bentonite, et al) have similar properties?? Or am I confusing things…
Where exactly does one get silica from?
does anyone have the ingredient deck for ocdpellets?
Osteon
We use Osteon on our youngsters when/if they start to show signs of epiphysitis (swelling in the joints). I was told by a TB breeder here that she had a filly with OCD that showed up at a TB sale in the x-rays, she took it home, fed it Osteon, and then re-x-rayed it before the next sale (~6-9 months later) and the OCD was gone. Hard to believe, but I can confirm that if you have some swelling, it DOES seem to help. And, they eat it readily (never had one turn it down, and I’ve fed it to quite a few). When we start trying to put weight on one for show or sale, I typically start giving Osteon just as a precautionary measure… My experience, for what it’s worth…but I think it is only effective on a young horse (0-1.5 yrs) whose growth plates can still remodel/change with growth patterns.
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