Searching For Hay With Low Sugar For My Horse, Donkey or Mule

 

 

 

2009 Photos

 

 

What Can I Do To Help My Donkey, Horse or Mule (equine) To Prevent Laminitis (sugar diabetes) in equine? Never feed alfalfa hay as this hay is too high in sugar for Donkeys, mules or even horses that are easy keepers.

For almost ninety days while I was sick from the accident Rio and Rocket Man were not put out in their paradise paddock; brush and trails hardly any grass, lots of  hills and stumps to eat.  Additionally Rio and Lily did not get exercise in the arena.  Rio put on some excessive weight as Mammoth donkeys can put weight on fast, they are easy keepers.

Everything I have researched and learned I have shared to help you and your equine, remember we can all help one another.  As it is my desire in life to share information via the tools GOD has given me.

The most important thing we as equine owners can do is educate ourselves try to understand that not all grass hay has the same amount of sugar and nutrients.  Hay is not just hay in fact I have learned the most yellow clean hay can turn out to be almost double the amount of sugar of green orchard hay. My belief was; dark green is deadly in sugar “hay can not be looked at to determine the amount of sugar it must be analyzed.”   Most of my research is from http://safergrass.org/ and I have referenced others below.

What Can I Do To Help Prevent Laminitis In My Equine And/Or Help My Equine Suffering From Abscesses, Colic, Laminitis?

 Work with your Veterinarian take digital x-rays of the coffin bone and if necessary blood test, knowledge is power.  This is really good to have a base line to work with over the years you will spend with your equine partner.

1. Get yourself a really outstanding trimmer have your Vet explain how to trim correctly to the farrier with the digital x-rays.  Keep their feet balanced and trimmed at 5 week intervals, better to have not much to trim than quarters breaking off and abscessing.  This helps prevent abscesses, shoulder problems, back problems and saves you money
2. Keep your equine in a controlled environment when eating a dry paddock with a Paradise paddock setup works the best
3. Exercise Is Medicine For The Equine & The Human
4. NEVER purchase hay with fescue in it EVER
5. Before purchasing your hay for the year ask for a handful of the hay and send it off to a lab for analysis.  Ask the hay vendor to hold your hay for a couple of days before purchasing for the year.
6. After you get your hay analysis back from Equi-analytical by e-mail in one day or regular mail.  Make sure the ESC (Simple Sugars) is below 10%.  Any hay above 10% is too high in sugar.
7. Grow a new hoof for your horse cut out all the added sugars read “Under The Horse” Pete Ramey http://www.hoofrehab.com
8. Read Paradise Paddock “The Key To Having Physically & Mentally healthier equine” http://www.all-natural-horse-care.com/paddock-paradise.html – remember equine were created to walk fifteen to twenty miles per day with a bite here and their of grass they are not cows
9. Feed small meals at least three per day

Select Hayanalysis below and look at the lab results as the yellow hay typical farmer down the road hay is almost double the amount of sugar of the Orchard hay.  We truly can not look at hay and think it is lower in sugar.

HAYANALYSIS 

How Do I Take A Hay Sample?

Simply grab a handful of hay from the hay you are considering purchasing place in a zip  lock bag, fill out the form.  My lab  results came back via e-mail in 24 hours after receipt.

Equi Analytical Hay Analysis Laboratory

730 Warren Road

Ithaca, NY  14850

1-877-819-4110

http://www.equi-analytical.com

My equine is perfect why should I care about sugar in my hay?

The equine can go a very long time with no problems and than one day fat deposits, abscess, colic, laminitis and more.  We wonder what happened as everything was wonderful yesterday.  Ignorance is  not bliss when our equine are hurting and can be forced to be put down early due to eating too much sugar remember information is powerful share it with your friends. It is my hope by sharing this information and you sharing this information we can help all the equine live in optimum health.

I visualize the day when I can swing my leg over my horse and Mammoth donkey again I live by faith not by sight 2 Corinthians 2:5. 

 

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TWO AND FOUR LEGS!

Melody

http://www.donkeywhisperer.com