I've been barrel racing forever, but have never used supplements.  What does everyone use?? What do you recommend? My horse will be 14 next year, he is in great shape/health, but I realize that soon he will need help when running with the younger generation.  I'm going to go to some bigger rodeos this year and am consistently .5 or less off the leader at big runs (100 or more racers).  I need to get alittle quicker, will supplements really help?  How should I start my horse out? I'm going to go to my first big rodeo in the beginning of June? When should I start him on them? He has never had any supplements or anything before... by the way right now I feed straight oats, but want to add different grain/feed to that too.

Please help!

I'm a big proponent of the "simpler is better" theory. There are a lot of products out there being fed for no reason. People see supplements out there and think "well, since there out there, I guess I should use them!" That isn't always the case. Your horse is getting to an age where, with the stress he is under, a joint supplement would probably be your primary consideration. There has been a lot of debate over what products work and what ones don't. If you'd like, I'll be happy to post some specifics on these types of products. I would, however, suggest one other product for you, and it is used in moderation. It's stabilized rice bran which is basically a high fat supplement with a few positive side effects. The KER product Equi Jewel has been proven to reduce lactic acid accumulation in the muscle. In short, lactic acid builds up in the muscle during exercise and can cause a "burning" sensation just as you might feel if you tried to go out for a jog and pushed yourself past your limits. The contents in the rice bran help to keep the lactic acid at bay somewhat which decreases the "burning" effects they feel, thus allowing them to work harder. This is a plus for horses such as your in a high level of training or competition. Yet another plus is that it contains gamma oryzanol which is thought to have muscle building properties. Just another advantage for a performance horse. This product is high in fat and is usually fed at 1/2-2 lbs/day although none of my previous customers were using over about 1 #/day and that included halter horses, stallions standing at stud and performance horses from jumpers to penners and everything in between. Thus, a SRB type of product and a joint supplement would be the only recommendations I would make in your situation since you say your guy is thriving as it is. No need to add in unneccessary products to an already fragile digestive system. You mention considering switching to a grain product. Unless you aren't offering a mineral/vitamin product, I would say stick with what works. However, if you aren't offering a mineral product (not a trace mineral product which is mainly salt) then you might consider a feed designed for performance horses that is fortified. I hope this helps clear some things up and feel free to respond with any more questions, comments or concerns!

Thanks for responding so quickly! I too, think the less you give them, the better, but I am getting sucked into the "supplements, injections, etc..." warp because so many people use them and I am wondering if that is why they are on top and I'm not.  I'm just dumb when it comes to that stuff because I was raised with parents that didn't get into that. They just didn't give their horses all that, so I'm not used to it.  (They have a very strong opinion on sweet feed and other mixed grains, being an old farmer, my dad thinks its the junk grain that doesn't sell very good so they mix it into feed with molasses for horses!! Who knows!! Ha!)
I do give my horses minerals so I'm ok in that department.  I do think I should put him on some sort of joint supplement or the rice bran you suggested. Could you give me more info about that? (Or can't we do that on the board, I don't know the rules!)[lol]

 Feel free to post anything you like and talk about anything you like!  About the only rules on here are God's Golden Rule:  Do Unto Others...  If I see anybody threatening lives and other things to that sort, I'll pull those conversations.  But other than that, feel free to post websites, talk about specific products, etc!  Thanks for asking this, I will get a "Forum Rules" post going soon.    Take care and listen to the advice thefeedgal is giving you -- she REALLY knows her stuff!  

Ramsey

Ramsey-Thank you for allowing us to feel comfortable posting freely!

Alamobanjo-
There are many misconcpetions out there regarding feeding that have been dispelled such as beet pulp fed dry will cause gut rupture or high protein levels make a horse hot, etc. But the truth remains that simpler is better. However, since we have domesticated horses and continue to increase our demands on our four hooved friends, their bodies often require more than grass and hay alone can provide. Yes, horses survived for a long time on forages alone, but they also weren't asked to jump 4 feet, speed around a track at top speed, slide in the dirt or pull a cart. The question then becomes...what is the BEST program for my horse? And looking at that on an individual basis is the only rational way to go about it. As for joint supplements, many people in the disciplines that place a lot of stress on the joints (barrel racers, ropers, jumpers, etc) will feed a preventative. On the whole, this is a good practice as long as you are comfortable that you're using a product that does its' job. Veterinarians are an EXCELLENT resource in regards to joint supplements. As for injections, many people often do those periodically as a preventative OR a treatment and, again, I think that area is best left up to your veterinarian/equine chirpractors continuous assessment of your horses' structural soundness to determine. Most folks in high level competition, as I'm sure you do as well, have a good, continuous working relationship with a veterinarian (and possibly even an equine chiropractor) that they trust and rely on. As for the Equi Jewel stabilized rice bran, I would be more than happy to send you some information. I would be happy to either scan and email the information or send you some information via us mail. I am also going to provide you a few links to the product information. I've worked with this product, use it on my mare (who is a hard keeper) and seen it used successfully and believe in it 100%. If you think it might be something you're interested in, I'll be happy to put you in touch with some folks that can help you find it in your area.

http://ker.com/supplements/Equijewel.html

http://producersricemill.com/products/equi.html

*Thefeedgal*
i have a question for you... i have a 12 year old appendix QH  and hes been in barrel competitions all his life... and  we have him on HB15 for his feet.. and sweetfeed... but i was thinking maybe it wouldnt hurt to maybe put him on cortaflex... or something for his joints... i thought maybe that would help or improve some of his running.. i have asked a few people and they said it wouldnt hurt  if you could help me out that would be greatly appreciated
thanks!

I use Necessity w/ Glucosamine!  It great!  You can find out more info on it at www.ihvets.com

wow... this looks like a good product...  since this already ahs biotin in it  ( if i use this) will i still need to keep him on biotin also? thanks so much for your help!

Shadow-
I think this decision is best made after a consultation with your vet. Many people do use joint products for preventative measures which is most certainly a positive option. The gray area is that most of the supplements aren't regulated and, unless you are well versed in the understanding of how they work, you may or may not be getting one with an effective form of the supplement you're after. Your vet will know your horses' history, health, soundness, etc. But that being said, I think joint supps are a good preventative measure, especially since today we are placing more and more demands on our horses.

hey feed gal.... this is SHADOW
a few weeks ago we had taken my horse to the vet concerning his frequent lameness.... he found that it was something in his knee... he wasnt really sure what becuase the x rays showed up fine... so he had him on bute for 8 days and i cannot ride until the 1st of the year...... last night he started to colic a little  and then he started to poop and drink again and we think it might have been an ulcer from the bute... last summer he had major stomach problems and he almost didnt make it so we are thinking since he has been on so mcuh bute before earlier in his life that just upset him and caused an ulcer...... what  do you think?  i was thinking maybe putting him on equa-flex or something like that then seeing if that would help.....(and we took him off the bute for good) have you ever heard of bute causing problems like this?  if problems keep comming up we will go back to the vet but i dont want to go to the vet if it isnt nessecary.... just wanted some help.... last night scared me to death!  hes my fav. horse!
sry to bother
*have you ever head of that product Necessity? if you have what do you think of it?
THANKS SO MUCH! [grin]

It has been my experience that bute does not cause ulsers in short term use.  Some professional friends of mine told me, contrary to popular belief, bute does not hurt them at all.  However, I think if an ulcer was present, the bute could have aggrivated it (in fact, "anything" could have aggrivated it, but bute generally takes the blame)

Necessity is great!  I've used it before, but now prefer glucosamine liquid injectable.. but that's just personal preference for my specific issues.

Shadow-Sorry for the delayed reply...we were traveling over the holidays. I am sorry to hear of the issues that have cropped up. I hope things are starting to look up. RopeThisOnes' response concerning the bute/ulcer issue is very well said. Bute can be an aggrivator of ulcers but its not likely to cause one during short term use. It CAN cause gastric issues in long term use but just going on what you mentioned I would doubt it was the cause. HOWEVER, many horses have ulcers their owners never know about. Horses that are hauled a lot, under a lot of stress (from training, high level conditioning or competition, etc) are quite prone to ulcers. Have no fear, if ulcers are a problem, your vet can suggest some supplements that help ease ulcers, help prevent them or new ones, and in some cases can even reverse some ulcers!

I'm vaguely familiar with Neccessity but have never used it. I know that many people are having some great success with this product. I am a firm believer in simpler is better and the horses should only be fed what they need to meet their needs...some cases warrant supplements and some don't. So many people over supplement without evaluating their whole program. In no way am I knocking using supplements...I just think the overall program needs to be evaluated when considering these things!

Thanks for your advice! now my horse (shadow) is doing much better.... after that night a few days later he perked up and i started riding again on the 1st. hes feeling very good... we have him on equ-flex... it seems to work really well... hes moving fine and all is good.
thanks again!

Shadow-
That's GREAT news! Glad to hear things are back on the upswing! Hope they continue to improve!