|
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 808
 
| A year ago I moved to Kentucky from Western Colorado. My horses went from mild heat and zero humidity to 90+° and 90%+ humidity, and bugs, the bugs are completely insane here.
Needless to say my poor horses have not faired very well this year. They are chewed up by bugs even though they got spayed twice daily and I have fly predators. My fly sheets that they would wear in CO made them sweat here. They would be even standing in the shade drenched in sweat and completely miserable. They have all lost a lot of weight in the heat. They aren't skinny per say but I'd like to see 100/200lbs on each one. Even though they have free choice grass hay they just didn't hold it like they should. In CO they were all on free choice pasture and 21% protein alfalfa 2x a day (an average of 20/35lbs a day) plus purina senior 2x a day.
I have finally found a good reliable hay supplier for alfalfa here so they will all be on free choice grass hay and alfalfa twice a day. Next year I'm going full on nuclear warfare on the bugs. I'm putting apple cider vinegar in their water, I'm going to feed garlic, I'm going to hang fly tags in their manes and tails, and I'm going to double the fly predators and have my property sprayed for insects.
I want to revamp my feeding program to help them this next spring to help hold their weight but yet keep it simple if possible. I often read people talk about renew gold and I couldn't find a post about it in of itself so thoughts on it? Anyone in Kentucky or the south in general with hard keepers what have you had luck with?
Also want to add that all the horses had dental work done this spring by an actual dentist, I also had fecals done to check for parasites, and even went as far as to have bloodwork sent off because I've never had "skinny" horses like this before.
Edited by The1CowgirlsEnvy 2016-09-10 4:49 PM
|
|
| |
|
I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
 
| I am in South Texas, so I understand about the heat and humidity. I have a horse who hates summer, sweats a lot and is miserable. This summer he has done much better. Heat is a stressor for him, it upsets his digestive tract. Loses his top line, dull coat, excessive sweating and grumpy attitude. Last fall I treated him for ulcers, put him on Cur Ost Total and Omni cubes plus free choice grass hay and he did fantastic - regained his top line, good coat back to his normal attitude. This summer, though, I had to make a change in his feed- replaced the omni cubes for mustang Sally and decreased the amount of cubes by half but kept every thing else the same. He did much better, there were only a hand full of days so far that he has been a little grumpy. If it is going to be extra hot humid and no wind, I just feed him his Stomach and Adapt until the weather goes back to just hot and humid. I also recently added Forco because he still had a little hay belly. I think he needs a little extra help getting more nutrients out of his feed. It has only been 5 days, but I think I am seeing a difference already .
I am considering adding Renew Gold again to his feed. Contact Winwillows on here if you want to know more about RG. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| I'm in Your area, my horses do well on renewgold, I started feeding it this summer with alfalfa hay horsepower herbs and an equipride tub , mine are easy keepers. |
|
| |
|
 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | GLP - 2016-09-10 3:56 PM
I am in South Texas, so I understand about the heat and humidity. I have a horse who hates summer, sweats a lot and is miserable. This summer he has done much better. Heat is a stressor for him, it upsets his digestive tract. Loses his top line, dull coat, excessive sweating and grumpy attitude. Last fall I treated him for ulcers, put him on Cur Ost Total and Omni cubes plus free choice grass hay and he did fantastic - regained his top line, good coat back to his normal attitude. This summer, though, I had to make a change in his feed- replaced the omni cubes for mustang Sally and decreased the amount of cubes by half but kept every thing else the same. He did much better, there were only a hand full of days so far that he has been a little grumpy. If it is going to be extra hot humid and no wind, I just feed him his Stomach and Adapt until the weather goes back to just hot and humid. I also recently added Forco because he still had a little hay belly. I think he needs a little extra help getting more nutrients out of his feed. It has only been 5 days, but I think I am seeing a difference already .
I am considering adding Renew Gold again to his feed. Contact Winwillows on here if you want to know more about RG.
I may be wrong but I believe Winnwillows will also help with advice on their diet period?? |
|
| |
|
 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I live in southeast Texas, I feed renew gold, alfalfa and a few supplements. I put mine up during the afternoons under fans and I think this helps as much as anything else. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | I'm in south texas and also feed renew gold and alfalfa. Horses seem to do great on it. I have no complaints! |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | I am in Georgia and mine are doing great on 1lb 1x daily renew gold, 2 lbs alfalfa cubes 1x daily and free choice grass hay. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Message WinWillows here on Barrel Horse World. He absolutely saved my horses life as far as diet goes. He knows his stuff. He swears by RenewGold and he will put weight back on your horses. His feeding program worked for my boy. Do a search on here for him and message him!  |
|
| |
|
  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | I love it but I'm giving up. It's too difficult to buy. |
|
| |
|
 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
I'm in hot, humid Florida and mine get 1.5 cups Renew Gold and 1-2 cups of Seminole Wellness Perform Safe 2X a day. Alfalfa, Timothy and Coastal hays, no supplements. All look and feel great!
Edited to add: LOTS of good hay.
Edited by Runaway 2016-09-14 5:50 PM
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 808
| Trust me lack of good hay is not the issue.
How many of you have brought horses from mild climate states to hot humid states? How long did it take your horses to adjust to the intense summers? |
|
| |
|
Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
I bought one from Nebraska to Florida and it took a year for him to adjust. He looked awful, had him to the vet twice - could not find anything wrong.
Finally, he snapped out of it and put on weight and coat got shiny, etc.
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 808
| Runaway - 2016-09-15 3:55 PM
I bought one from Nebraska to Florida and it took a year for him to adjust. He looked awful, had him to the vet twice - could not find anything wrong.
Finally, he snapped out of it and put on weight and coat got shiny, etc.
Thank you, thus gives me hope. This was there first summer here and they just didn't do well. Same thing had vet out, sent blood off, did fecal, etc etc and nothing popped up. Hoping that my insect plan the fact that it will be there second summer they will do better! |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 582
Location: Wherever They Send Me | Last summer (2015) I moved my horses from Alaska to Louisiana...I don't think any of us will ever get used to the heat or humidity. They did ok. They all lost some weight (I credit it to the heat and the fact that Alaska has AMAZING hay). They were turned out at night and in the morning, usually before noon they were brought in and put in stalls with fans. I hose them off regularly and they have access to a salt/mineral block.
I feed my 24 year old Equine Senior and Omni Cubes...my 14 and 10 year old get 1.5 lbs of Renew Gold and Omnis Cubes. They don't look as good as they did in Alaska, but they look better then they did a year ago (especially the mature/vintage one). |
|
| |
Folks on-line