Friday, March 21, 2014

VC Blog Hop x3

We now have the third installment of L's Magical Blog Hop!!
 
Yayyyy more drooling unicorns
 
This week's topic is: What's in your Bucket/Smartpak
 

Only a few people have linked up so far, but the general consensus is that my horse is totally neglected.  As far as food and supplements go, Mollie is clearly on the lower end of the maintenence spectrum.  But I'm definitely not complaining :)
 
Foods:
Mollie is fed unlimited hay throughout the day.  I was actually really surprised to see some horses get as little as 4 flakes a day.... Molls would blow through that in an hour and promptly demand more foods.  She does eat from a small-holed haynet (seen below) in an attempt to slow her down, but she's pretty much tossed another bag whenever that one is out.  Granted, all of our grass fields are still under snow and ice, so once they're allowed to graze all day again the hay consumption should decrease.
 
 
 
As far as grain, Mollie gets as little as possible as long as her supplments can still be mixed in.  Right now that comes out to about half a cup (yes cup, not quart) of Hay Stretcher.  Girl gets fat on air.

Mollie-Wog Caviar

Now on to her supplements.  I do use Smartpaks for Molls simply for ease and convenience.  She's been on the same Smartpak for years now and I live under the "If it's not broke don't fix it" motto.  The two supplements she is on are extremely beneficial to her and therefore she stays on them.
 
First up is Mare Marijuana Magic.  Seriously, this stuff has saved both our lives.  I put Mollie on it after about a year of owning her and she's been on it for the last 12 years.  She'll probably never come off.  I know some people don't believe in it, or they didn't think it worked for their horse, but it's always made a huge difference in her temperment and I consider it worth every penny.
 

 
 
Product Description from Smartpak:
 
Mare Magic is a customer favorite for calming and moodiness. It provides pure, dried Raspberry Leaf to help influence a quiet disposition in mares and geldings.
Raspberry is an herb widely known for its benefits to mares because it is believed to temper the effects of hormonal fluctuations. The active ingredients in Raspberry are thought to help regulate smooth muscle tone in both the reproductive and gastrointestinal tracts, relaxing muscle that is in spasm and strengthening muscle that is weak. Mare Magic’s dried leaf formula smells wonderful and horses find it very palatable.

 
 
Second is Cosequin ASU.  When Mollie was diagnosed with arthritis in her hocks about 5 years ago our vet suggested we try this before resorting to anything more drastic (injections).  I 100% recommend this product as it has kept Mollie completely sound ever since.  At 17 years old she is quite arthritic yet I have still never needed to inject her.  Every year the vet throws it out there as an option for "next year" but by the time next year rolls around Molls still seems to be in pretty good shape.

 
 
 
Product Description from Smartpak:
 
Cosequin® ASU goes above and beyond the traditional glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate products on the market. Cosequin® ASU contains NMX1000® avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) formulated with FCHG49® glucosamine hydrochloride and TRH122® low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate. Plus the addition of high purity MSM! This sets Cosequin® ASU apart from any other joint health supplement for horses. And all in a tasty, easy to administer powder! 
 
 

 
 
 
 

4 comments:

  1. Ramone takes ALL DAY to eat 4 flakes of hay (which is good) but I was surprised, probably the reason why he lost soo much weight when he lived outside with other horses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Molls is a Hoover. Four flakes wouldn't stand a chance.

      Delete
  2. If your horse is totally neglected then mine must be abandoned. They get grass, grass and oh grass. Sometimes the grass is dried and in the shape of a round bale. The thought of having to feed a supplement daily is too much. Outdoor self care leaves more time for riding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If my horse could live out 24/7 she would absolutely be on a similar diet. Just not an option up here =/

      Delete