Sand Colic, Wheat Bran, and Weight Gain!?

Question

I know, its alot lol. I have three horses. Two of which have recently lost weight, and have had chronic scours over the course of the last few weeks. My vet said it was change of season. I know better though, they have never done this before. One of them is a 28 year old gelding, so I figured he would start losing weight soon. But the mare is also. Their ages really don't have anything to do with it I know. I have them on a sandy pasture that has very little roughage due to over eating. We are gearing up to fence in more area so we can rotate. But I think the cause of the weight loss has to do with the amount of sand in their system. I was reading on sand colic, and the scours and weight loss are two major signs of sand build up. I was told that wheat brans or bran mashes are good in moving the sand out of the system, and they also help in weight gain. I have started feeding them 15g of Pro Bias every day to help their systems out, and the gelding is on a weight booster. What else can I do to boost their weight, and will the bran mashes help with the sand? I heard Metamucil works too, but I am not sure how to go about that. Thank you!

Answer 1

This has been well researched in equine studies and the science doesn't support what you believe. Wheat bran is an intestinal irritant that does not have any laxative effect in horses and does not improve intestinal motility as many once thought. If the horses already have sand abrading the intestinal lining and producing inflammation, feeding wheat bran will only worsen the inflammation, and will do nothing to clear the sand. I urge you to stop feeding wheat bran.

Metamucil is psyllium, just like the equine product called sand clear. Extensive studies showed that psyllium only clears 50% or less of the accumulated sand even when fed in high doses daily over a period of weeks, and even when combined with massive doses of mineral oil.

On the other hand, just feeding good grass hay 24/7 was shown to clear 98% of the accumulated sand, without any added psyllium or mineral oil. So, start by providing 24/7 access to grass hay.

Do anything you can to stop them from ingesting more sand. Provide ample fresh water at comfortable drinking temperature 24/7 along with the hay, and access to plenty of white salt free choice (sodium chloride) as in a white salt block.



I would supplement the hay with a good quality senior feed. I recommend Purina Senior, I've fed it for years, and know many people who feed it to their hard keeper thoroughbreds to keep weight on.

It is a well balanced complete nutritional feed that can be fed dry or as a mash, and it is well digested, absorbed and utilized pound for pound, so the body cells get the most nutrients out of it.

I would only feed as much hard feed as you deem absolutely necessary because you want the horses to keep eating the hay to keep the sand consistently moving out of the tract. it is the long stem fiber in hay that increases intestinal motility and clears the sand. I would find the best quality grass mix hay you can to entice them to eat as much of it as possible.



If your horses are losing fluids, vitamins and electrolytes through continual diarrhea, you need to consult with your vet on potential dehydration and vitamin and mineral replacement requirements.

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Add........................ The horses lose weight because the absorptive surface of the intestinal lining is inflamed or blocked by the sand, so nutrients are not being absorbed into the blood, and are just passed in the manure.

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Add 2............................... While beet pulp can be fed as part of a weight building program, it is not beneficial in cases of sand colic since it replaces long stem fiber needed to move the sand. Beet pulp does not contain long stem fiber, and since it is not a complete nutrient source like Purina Senior pellets are, it is not of benefit in your situation. I would not recommend feeding beet pulp in your situation.

Of course you should have the diagnosis of sand accumulation in the intestine confirmed by your vet to assure you are not missing some other issue that could be responsible for your horse's symptoms.

Answer 2

Sand colic is rare but it does occur more often when horses have to scrounge for a few blades of grass in a sand paddock. That said, bran mash will not move sand through the system and bran is very bad for horses. It causes increased inflammation in the gut and can cause loose stools. Some believe that it has a laxative effect but that is incorrect, it causes severe inflammation and that produces the loose stools. Wheat bran is very harmful to horses and should never be fed to them, especially on a regular basis. Again, very harmful and can cause many health issues. The best thing you can do to help with sand, if there is a problem, is feed lots of good hay. That is just about the best thing for the horses. Give your horses a high quality feed, low carbs, a white salt block, fresh water and all the hay they can eat 24/7. Some people use soaked beet pulp to boost weight but I have never had success with that.



Older horses usually have a loss of immune function and this makes them more likely to have simple problems they never experienced before. It is good to have the vet check on them. Good luck with your horses. Sounds like it may be a difficult situation.

Answer 3

Bran mashes will do nothing for sand colic. Get a purge actually meant to clear out the sand. You can go to your local feed store, just about any place cares it, Sand Clear by Farnam. Don't get something that may work, or that you've heard rumors will work, get something that is guaranteed to work. Don't risk your horse's health for rumors.



http://www.horse.com/item/farnam-sandclear/SLT121088/



Probios will restore gut flora and is a good idea in times of gastric stress. This will not purge the sand however, it will only help with the digestion and absorption of nutrients in their diet.

Answer 4

Never had to deal with sand colic. First of all, get a new vet. No horse gets the scours from the change of seasons unless he is suddenly up to his hocks in lush grass, which yours obviously are not. Roughage is necessary. You should be giving them free range hay in their paddock (straight timothy or something similar). Bran mash is also good for the digestive tract but will aggravate the scours. Never heard of feeding Metamucil - I would ask your new vet.

Answer 5

take in the greenery sit in lotus position and breathe deeply for an hour and 42 minutes

Answer 6

Victoria, you need to get your horses some Sand Clear or Sand Rid, and feed them a course of that for 7 days each month. Before you start, though, have your vet do a check of their stool to find out just how much sand they've got in their systems. From the way you described them in your question, I think your horses are going to be headed for serious trouble if you don't get this under control- and RIGHT AWAY, not sometime in the future. Unlike most of the other responders here, I HAVE DEALT with sand colic- one of my sister's polo horses almost DIED from it, in fact. He ended up colicking and having to have surgery that cost 5 grand, so I know what I'm saying here. We live on the East Coast too, in central Delaware, and the soil is very sandy where we are. Feeding bran mashes will only AGGRAVATE your mare's and gelding's condition, and it will do NOTHING to remove the sand that's causing their problems. Also, bran contains no real nutrients, and horses that are fed a lot of it can develop bone and joint problems over the long term because bran upsets the calcium/phosphorus balance in their bodies. Feeding a probiotic is a good idea, however. I'm assuming that this "pro bias" stuff is a probiotic, and the weight booster you've got your gelding on will probably help him. But you need to investigate other reasons why your horses could be losing weight. How long has it been since either of them had a visit from the dentist or had their teeth floated? If it's been a while, then you need to have that done. Horses that can't chew properly because of soreness or points in their mouths aren't going to be able to get the benefit of whatever you're feeding them, so that's worth looking into. Another thing you need to look at is having your vet do some blood tests on both horses to make sure that they aren't suffering from some type of metabolic disturbance. One of the more common problems in older horses, especially in mares, is an overactive thyroid. The thyroid gland is the body's major regulator of metabolism, and too much thyroid hormone is as harmful as too little. Both of these horses also need to be tested for liver problems and insulin resistance. Your vet can pull blood the next time he or she is there, and send it off to be tested.



Yet another thing you need to look at is the type of feed you are using. We feed all our horses Legends Performance, which is a textured feed that is made by Southern States. The Performance has 10 percent protein, 11 percent fat, and 12 percent fiber. Although it contains some molasses, it is not overly sweet. We add alfalfa pellets to it for an added protein and calcium boost. Southern States is a great company to work with. In addition to the Performance, they also make a Legends feed for elderly horses called Legends Senior, which I think your horses could probably benefit from. The nicest thing about these feeds is that they are formulated specifically to meet the needs of horses at all life stages ( yes, they make a version of Legends for mares and foals, for stallions, and for young and growing horses) and are also formulated to prevent problems with insulin resistance, colic, and founder. In addition to the grain, we also feed our horses a couple quarts of soaked beet pulp twice every day.Beet pulp is a WONDERFUL weight builder. It's a by product of the sugar refining industry- we get table sugar from both sugar cane and sugar beets. Beet pulp is HIGHLY DIGESTIBLE, and feeding it is an excellent way to incorporate water into your horses' diet. Because it is a "cool" feed, it won't make your horses "hot" or hard to ride and train. We've been feeding beet pulp to our guys ( and gals) for years now, and have never had any problems with it. The only thing to remember is that for safety's sake, it MUST BE SOAKED prior to feeding. Dry pulp is like dry wheat bran- it can and will draw water out of the hindgut, and it can cause a lethal colic. Apart from the Legends and beet pulp, we also feed Timothy or a Timothy/Teff hay mix when we can get it. Teff is a special type of grass hay that has a high protein gradient. It's disease and drought resistant, and has only recently been introduced in the USA. They feed a lot of it down in South America, because it is native to that part of the world. We have a farmer near us who grows it. YOU need to find a way to get your horses some good hay, too. That alone will go a long, long way towards stopping the scours. Horses need roughage in their diets to keep their guts functioning properly. Simply feeding grain alone isn't enough.

Answer 7

good quality hay would give good roughage if you having problems with ther digesting properly. i like the use of red cell to help put on more weight. some say it hypes them up too much but who wants a horse thats lazy right. It may help to put weight on with added sweet feed

Answer 8

jog on the treadmill at 4 mph for 25 minutes or at 7 mph for 9 minutes

Answer 9

if your lifestyle or career includes a lot of socializing out at dinners or drinks start scheduling workout dates with friends co workers or even clients

Answer 10

eat a rainbow of colors have at least one brightly colored fruit or vegetable in each meal and if appropriate eat the skins thats where youll find a powerhouse of antioxidants

Answer 11

try a plain greek yogurt with frozen berries for a pre workout boost

Answer 12

walk up and down 33 flights of stairs

Answer 13

decaf coffee is a great low calorie fluid when you re having cravings and a great source of antioxidants

Answer 14

participate in sex atleast 3 times in a week

Answer 15

Start your day with eags beacuse eags contains more protein

Answer 16

when you re waiting for a flight toss your carry on in a locker and tour the airport

Answer 17

Don t keep snacks near to your bed

Answer 18

90 minutes on the elliptical

Answer 19

cut out junk processed food as much as you can

Answer 20

beware of hidden calories

Answer 21

guzzle water before your meal

Answer 22

give your sweetie a massage then have him return the favor

Answer 23

don t eat too many fruits