Natural Hair Conditioner

Are usually highlighted by fence chewing and Mud Fever / Greasy Heel. Dosage: 1/2 teaspoon of Copper Sulphate daily for a few days only with a tablespoon of Dolomite as an antedote.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Cod Liver Oil & Copper Sulphate can be added to the hot water that soaks the Grain. (Thoroughly Mix before the Liquid is poured on the Grain.) Then switch to daily Seaweed Meal.

If the Soil is deficient and not top - dressed according to the Soil Analysis all of the above will have to be continued to be fed on a daily basis. If analyzed and top dressed to suite it will still take a Year or more if there is Drought before the missing Minerals can reach the Grass. A second Analysis should be taken to ensure the balance is then correct and if so the Dolomite can be cut back to once a day.

As long as Hard Feed is brought in to the property it will be necessary to feed the previous Supplements, as it will have been grown with Artificial Chemicals & Fertilizers.

Dry Mares on Pasture: Mix Dolomite & Seaweed 50/50 and put into Self - Feeders with out there being any chance of Weather effecting it.

Stallions: The same for Stallions as their Fertility may be effected also and may even become irreversible.

Horses on Bore Water: must be given Apple Cider Vinegar to prevent Urinary Calculi developing. (Zinc & Selenium is particularly important as the Prostate Gland has the highest concentration of Zinc of any Gland in the Body.) Sperm requires Selenium to remain healthy or their Tails / Flagellum become weak and drop off and cannot sustain their journey. Both are contained in Seaweed Meal, which can be supplied by 1 x Tablespoon daily in the feed or in Self - Feeders in the Shed taken as required by the Horse.

A weekly allowance of Cod Liver Oil provides Vitamins A & D to ensure it is kept up. Vitamin A is to ensure Sterility does not occur.

Weaning

*Weanlings must have a proper diet at all times together with nearly 1/2 the Minerals and good grazing is also important also as the Pasture is usually still poor during this period. Plenty of plain, well grown Hay should be supplied. Grass & Clover is O.K. but the Clover must not exceed 50% of the diet. Also a Hard Feed is required composed of 1 x part Lucerne Chaff - 1 x part Oaten Chaff - 1 x part Bran - 1/2 part Grain all mixed together with Supplements added.

Conditioning

*At least 6 weeks of pre - training is required to ensure the Muscles & Tendons of the Legs & Body are as fit as they can be or the Legs will suffer from strain and Windgalls may occur. (20 minutes road - work is needed prior to working out each day or every time they are exercised.) If the Horse is only worked once a week they must also receive exercise 2 x other times as well to relieve the boredom and mental strain of remaining in the same place.

With Interval Training the Legs are not strengthened properly to carry the weight as they must have at least the same amount of Roadwork as they do on Interval Training on a collected Trot and extended Walk. Also more Horses are broken down on Soft going then on Hard.

Blood

An important Diagnostic Aid but useless if the Horse's Mineral & Vitamin requirements are not included in the diet.

Blood is made up of 40% Corpuscles & 60% Plasma.

Corpuscles / Cells: 3 Classifications - Red, White & Platelets.

Red Blood Cells / RBC: contain Haemoglobin to transport Oxygen and is dependent on their Iron & Copper intake.

White Blood Cells / WBC: Leucocytes are responsible for the health of the Body controlling the Stress caused by Infections, Immune reactions, Injuries & Allergies. Horses below normal will have a great increase in the number of White Blood Cells.

Blood Analysis: 3 Classifications also - *Biochemistry, *Microbiology & *Haematology.

*Biochemistry: ascertains the Mineral status of the Blood by testing for Electrolytes, Enzymes & Proteins.

*Microbiology: is used to detect Organisms in the Blood to establish Sensitivity & Resistance to any Drugs to be used.

Using Vitamin C therapeutically, Infections cannot be resistant to it.

*Haematology: is the complete Red Cell, White Cell & Platelet count.

Haemoglobin / HB: is the Red Cell count.

Packed Cell Volume / PCV: Red Cell to Plasma ratio.

Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration / MCHC.

Total White Cells / Leucocytes / WCC.

In addition there are also Basophils, Eosonophils, Lymphocytes, Neutrophils, Moncytes & Platelets to consider.

N.B: Laboratories can still make mistakes so a second Sample should be taken if a serious problem seems to persist and this can be sent to another Independent Laboratory.

+Return to Horses

Situated on the western bank of the Hunter River, midway between Muswellbrook & Denman the doorway to the Heart of Australia's "Horse Capital" in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales., Australia.

John & Sue Markham

RAINBOW FARMS 603 Roxburgh Road., Muswellbrook., 2333.

02 65 479 100 - Fax: 02 65 479 102 E - Mail: www.rainbowfarms@bigpond.com