Share your tips! My mare is just turning her nose up at this and then violently throwing her bucket. Umm, roger that message… I am using Farnam Sand Clear.
Try stirring it in with some applesauce and then adding to feed.
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I add psyllium to about 1 cup of Renew Gold. No complaints…
Apple sauce, I also add honey to one of mine who won’t eat any form of sand clear.
Maybe believe her dislike of Sand Clear. My morgan gelding has a mild colic when fed Sand Clear (though eats it readily).
The first time, I thought it was a fluke. The second time I was thinking he had a big buildup of sand and the SC was doing its job. But the third time I did a sand test of his manure to ensure it wasn’t a lot, fed him the SC and, yep, he had a mild colic.
At that time, several years ago, Farnam had a warning on its label that SC could cause mild colic reactions in a small percentage of horses. I just went to look at a current label online and they’ve removed the warning.
Now, I feed whole flax daily, which my horse eats readily. He lives out 24/7 on sandy soil. Sand buildup is a constant threat in our area. Whole flax seems to do the trick, and adds a really nice shine to his coat too.
During heavy sand ingesting seasons - like when the paddock grass is fixing to die for the year - I use HorseTech’s SandTrap, it works better in my opinion, not much more expensive, is palatable, and no colic issues.
HorseTech will send you a free sample to check for palatability, at least they did the last time I ordered.
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Try a small container of the Equus product–it’s licorice flavored. My herd will eat it out of my hand, but leave Equi-Aid and Sand Clear behind in their buckets.
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buck22 brings up a good point - maybe your mare dislikes the taste? I switched to Equus years ago because some of mine objected to Sand Clear. Forgot all about that… I feed flax meal but i’m betting whole flax is better for sand? Years ago, I would soak flax seeds overnight & add to buckets the next morning (huge PIA!). The jelly consistency was interesting after soaking and probably does something similar in the gut picking up sand?
Great tips! I am in the SE part of the Phoenix area. Vet recommends psyllium, due to the amount of dirt that is just typical in hay baled in Arizona. We tested her manure in late January and did not see sand. Tested two weeks ago, and did see some. I myself see my horse paw grass, like she is trying to find ants or something, and eat the roots and dirt…
@2tempe: As far as adding applesauce: doesn’t that make the psyllium a gooey mess?
@buck22: thanks for those details!
@TB2trk: I will check that out.
AFAIK whole flax should be boiled. Yes jelly like so it sounds like the soaking did the same thing.
I haven’t had any success. But I feed beet pulp which is supposed to help. Maybe you could add chia?
Flax does not at all have to be boiled.
The mucilage formed when flax and chia are wet - perfectly done just by being eaten - is what can help some sand move out
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I dont know if it makes it a mess…never tried. actually if you mix the SC in grain and sprinkle some apple juice that might work. But applesauce seems to the the answer to meds! I do know that many people use the orange flavored metamusil.
I’ve had to try different brands to find one they would eat. The Sand Clear got a definite yucko from my horses, but the stuff from Equerry they will eat up just fine with no doctoring.
Thanks for clearing that up JB. Like Hillary, I too, live in the AZ desert. Sand is a constant concern. I feed psyllium monthly but will probably be switching from flax meal to whole flax for the daily buckets as added insurance.
Well there you go, it was a myth I was taught.
Horse owners wanting to take advantage of flaxseed’s omega-3 content can rest easy. Flaxseed, or linseed, has a reputation as a toxic substance to horses when fed uncooked–earned because the seeds contain a small amount of cyanogenetic glycosides and enzymes that allow the glycosides to release cyanide. This poison is released when flaxseed plants are damaged by frost, drought, or processing. Since cyanide is readily absorbed in the GI tract, flax products could potentially prevent oxygen release in the blood, leading to sudden death.
However, we now know that glycosidase enzymes are destroyed in the equine stomach and small intestine long before they can trigger cyanide release. So it appears there is no risk of cyanide toxicosis when horses are fed raw flaxseed.
Yep, a long-held belief (at least based on some valid stuff LOL) that keeps going around. Thankfully it’s not an issue for horses and that very strong acid.
It’s actually potentially a bigger issue to soak it (soak, not cook) and feed it, since the cyanide would be released, so you’d be feeding cyanide
COTH Forums rock! @buck22 , Horsetech will indeed send a sample! I’d have never known about this option without you. On it’s way now.
Maybe try a pelleted psyllium. I get one from Smartpak that my horse is happy to eat.
