A large percentage of foals and yearling here on our farm are getting contracted tendons and or club feet. The yearlings are very bad the foals aren't as bad but id say are heading the same way. They are putting most of the blame on the last farrier not trimming heels and the fact that the horses are on dessert sand paddocks in roasting heat. They are feeding alfalfa, ive never worked in a yard that feeds it so know nothing about it but when I googled it, alfafa and contracted tendons seem to come up as a connected problem. Have any of you guys encountered this problem before? A few examples of the feet here one of the good ones and two of the worst.
Dave, in that third pic, how frequent do you find damage to the tip of the coffin bone in the youngsters?
It's a combination of genetics and nutrition. Since you are not going to change the genetics around there; the only chance, is to bring in a very knowledgeable equine nutritionist and hope they are on their "A" game. Good luck
David you correct...minis and babys.. tell them any bone head can do a fast Google search and find enough info to raise concern that when you have that many babys having the same issue...I guess the easy out would be to blame the damn farrier.
That third xray with the damage to the tip of p3 is the worst case here, theres two or three others with remodelling to the tip but nothing else as bad as that, having said that there is quite a number with mechanical founder but i think/hope il be able to get them realigned before they race in 12 months. but that one has so much damage to p3 id say im wasting my time. They got an analysis done on the feed six months ago and a balancer feed has been made up by a company to specifically balance this alfalfa but its stuck in customs, a huge problem here is actually just getting stuff into the country. I dont think he did himself too many favours in that his notes didnt match the problems so management thought he was just doin a half arsed job. I think he may have just not been seeing the problem at a young age it was only when they reached 8 - 14 months and really stretched and the problems became exceptionally pronounced that he saw them.
David another option would be to order a set of Morrison rollers and see if u can grind them and mix into the alfalfa ..they seem to cure any and all things in my neck of the woods..
David, that feed balancer is not going to work, #1 if it's still on the docks & #2 if every load of hay is not being tested. You are next in line to get thrown under the bus if you even hinted that you can fix that mess. The only Guy I know, that would have a chance of "fixing" those colts is from that area but is better known for changing water into wine
I have told them id cut my losses with 70% of the yearlings that they'll never race, but its not my call so il keep working on them but they don't have much expectations for the them thankfully. Im more worried about the foal crop and what comes next year. The managers away for a few weeks but il have a chat with him when he returns! Can't mention that fella in public over here I could end up in chop chop square!! On another problem.... I suppose I should start a new thread.
Nic one Jack that is a great explanation of the pros and cons I will be sitting down with the manager as soon as he returns and will discuss this with him.
If jac comment was on topic and had merrit I don't really see a need to sweep...jac can u send it to me pm I'm intrested in this topic
How long have they been operating as a breeding farm in that particular location and what is their past history with club-foot or OCD or epiphysitis? Have they always fed alfalfa? What else are they feeding? Are all the foals from one particular stud? Alfalfa can be safe to feed when minerals are balanced. Mineral content will vary depending on soil type it's grown on. Alfalfa will also vary greatly in its protein content and digestability depending on it's maturity when it is cut.. There is lots of information from universities like University of Kentucky, etc that suggest alfalfa is not bad and is actually a good choice of hay. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/id146.pdf or: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/faq14096/$FILE/Alfalfa_horses.pdf and: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4634
Dave, for eight years or so I am feeding my horses only alfalfa and oats with no problems whatsoever from it. The high calcium and protein of alfalfa, the main concern about it, can be easily balaced with the low calcium and protein of oats and give a very balanced diet. The one in my avatar was a 2,5 mo orphan and never took to milk after his dam died. He was raised on alfalfa and oats and at 8yo now he has grown to his full potential and never had any health problems. However, Denise is right and alfalfa's nutritional components can vary wildly even between cuts from the same field. Very fine alfalfa can be too rich and it is unnecessarily expensive. I prefer it to be a little bit stalky, it gives better bulk to the diet and horses digest it just fine unlike stalky hay from other plants which I find always gives minor colics and mini impactions. One other concern about alfalfa is mold spores. Many farmers around here bale it a little bit humid so the leaves are not crumbled and lost, but that does not store well at all. If there is the tiniest amount of smokey dust and/or grayish spots or moldy smell when you open an alfalfa bale it will most certainly give the horses respiratory problems. If that's the only alfalfa you can get, you need to at least soak it in water and/or feed it in an open, well ventilated place to minimise respiratory problems.
Agree. I also think if one is feeding it to youngsters that it ideally should be analyzed for Ca, P and especially Mg and then balance the rations to that. I think most soils are deficient in Magnesium and is actually the missing link in many cases. Mg plays a role in muscle function and I think a lack of it or imbalance of Ca: P :Mg causes the contraction issues.. but one should consult a nutritionist if there's any doubt about a balanced ration.
All horses bred here. They feed alfalfa alone. They switched to alfalfa a few years ago as were having colic problems with 'ro grass' I think they called it. I can only speak for what I see here which is foals through to the three year olds in the racing yard, and yea they have problems in each age group. They got nutritional analysis done and they made up a hard-feed to feed along with the alfalfa to balance it. which has just arrived so fingers crossed that should balance it out like you have said. Its too late for a lot of the yearlings and prob the foals but hopefully it will put an end to the problem in future generations. Not something to worry about here you couldn't bale it humid if ya tried! I'm quite hopeful the balance'r will sort out a lot of the problems from the advice you guys have given here and from what I've read on nutritional sites. Thank you to everyone who has posted on this topic it has been a huge help.
