Red Lake Earth as preventative to sand colic?

[csaper58]

@JB

Really? My edit comment was that I made a mistake, and I OWNED that mistake by replying to your comment on it. You could’t simply accept an apology?

You really have to read AnnaMM post. This is her thread, not your therapy couch.

[merrygoround]

@csaper58

First, test the horse’s manure to see if you even need to treat for sand.

I believe the latest research indicates the best way to clear sand from the gut is to…

1. lunge the horse at a gentle trot every day after it has eaten it’s hay ration (1.5% to 3% of it’s body weight).

2. eliminate the consumption of sand.

I think #1 could be skipped in honor of #2.

I think Bentonite does a great job of sealing dams. And DE is great filter material. Let’s let them both do what they do best.

[csaper58]

@merrygoround

I think #1 could be skipped in honor of #2.

I think Bentonite does a great job of sealing dams. And DE is great filter material. Let’s let them both do what they do best.

Per the vet…lunging at a jog trot gently bounces the gut, and the sand that has accumulated is mixed with the gut contents (digesting hay/feed) and much of it becomes re-suspended and can then be secreted. The exercise also aides motility, a good thing as the vet suspected (but as yet had no proof) that some horses with chronic sand issues might have slower than average motility.

Eliminating as many sources of sand as one can will lessen future issues but won’t address sand already present in the gut…