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Post by h on Oct 7, 2008 22:31:16 GMT -5
Do any of you have good tips for keeping babies from eating moms tails!!!  I am assuming its a bordom thing, and if i had enought hay to feed free choice i would,but i dont. so they are in a large turn out for the night time and for morning feeding them after noon they go out to pasture till dinner time. I dont think she dose it when they are turned out i am sure its at night when there is nothing to munch. I am going to try to keep moms tail in a french braid but it is time consuming as i would need to redo every day. Any thoughts or ideas??? |
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Oct 8, 2008 2:49:35 GMT -5
The absolute number one reasons tails/manes are chewed on is lack of silica in the diet. Silica is found in whole oats and the highest source is white millet (about a cup a day for a mare and foal eating together). Silica is needed for Calcium to do its work...especially for bones and hooves; it also prevents calcium deposits around joints. It is a wonderful preventative and treatment for arthritis.
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Post by stlkigers on Oct 8, 2008 7:32:27 GMT -5
While trying to remedy it nutritionally you could also try something like Grannick's Bitter Apple Spray (any pet store should have it) to make it taste horrible....that might help!
Good luck....I hate thinking of all that hair babies can consume!
Angela
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Post by nrly on Oct 8, 2008 14:10:09 GMT -5
yes when the tail get eaten it seems it take a long time for it to grow back,,My paint had her tail chewed almost to her hard part, was i pissed, well it is now looking so good, and I do believe that it is the Stratagey x we have added to all our feed... Plus while the filly was near her we put up a no climb fence between them...
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Post by juslyn on Oct 8, 2008 15:44:20 GMT -5
Oh, a topic close to home! My Arab colt was a master hairdresser on his mom's tail. I trie d hot sauce, bitter apple, other dog "no bite" sprays, and am left only with Mc Nasty. It is aptly named! While it is all natural, Do not breath it in! If you do, swallow, swallow, swallow! This is the only stuff that has worked for me and it doesn't need to be applied daily. The other stuff I tried, if I missed a day, she was missing more tail. I will always keep this around now. Great if it is someone else's horse chewing your horse's tail, too.
I had never heard of a silica deficiency causing it and I had done a lot of internet searching for remedies. Is this a typical additive to vitamin/mineral supplements?
Suzy
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Oct 8, 2008 16:14:32 GMT -5
No, silica is not a usual additive...a balanced diet is usually all that is needed to provide enough. Besides, sythetic versions or "unnatural" sources are not absorbed by the body and utilized well.
I am sure there are other reasons - like boredom, but check the diet first.
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Post by juslyn on Oct 9, 2008 12:40:39 GMT -5
Michelle, do you happen to have any links to research on the silica deficiency? I'd love to read more! I was killing me last year watching my mare's tail get shorter and shorter while trying to find something that worked. Although I do think boredom was the number one culprit, I'd like to look into other possible reasons. Her tail is noe almost to her hocks...once on the ground.
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Oct 9, 2008 22:30:07 GMT -5
No, I don't have any links...the research I have done has all been written material in holistic type publications and with talking to herbalists, equine nutritionalists and holistic vets.
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Post by mustangdara on Oct 27, 2008 23:11:04 GMT -5
Well i have been just keeping moms tail in a french braid and i havent had any problems since but i worry about the times when its down.. yikes! i will look into the silica thing. can you get white millet at the feed store and is it spendy?? BTW that was me dara who started the thread.  |
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