Thank you, @Doc-t for all the work you have put into The Horse’s Advocate and helping horse owners help their horses!

Hey everyone — This week I had the saddle fitter and the farrier out to see my horse. The saddle fitter hadn’t seen him in over a year, and the farrier was looking at his feet for the first time (we just moved barns a few weeks ago). The saddle fitter said she didn’t even recognize Remi at first because his topline had improved so much, and the… Read more

Really cool, @SandraC. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the reply — yes, I should talk to my local Southern States about getting a cleaner source of SBM!

Thanks for sharing, Kathy. Isn’t it interesting that the only animals that have an obesity problem are our domesticated ones!

I actually got tired of sifting and picking stuff out so I sourced some SBM from a mill in CA. It’s organic/non-GMO (which is a plus in my book, but prob not completely necessary), but the quality is exceptional. It cost a lot to ship, too. Totally worth it for me, though, and not too crazy in the grand scheme of what we spend on our horses.

Hi Elizabeth, and welcome!!

Thanks for the tip, Kathy. I assume the 1/4″ screen is the best size to allow the SBM through while trapping the extraneous matter? I have found a few stray corn kernels and some pellets. I’ll give the screen a try!

I didn’t mention the diet change, so it was definitely her own observation. And in the hoof and sole department, heaven knows we can use all the help we can get 🙂

Hey everyone — I just started introducing soybean meal to my horse a few weeks ago. He is currently being fed beet pulp but I am needing a little time to transition him over for logistics reasons. Anyway, he was getting his hooves trimmed today, and the trimmer commented on how amazed she was that he seemed to have laid down such good hoof in…

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Hi SandraC — thanks for that info! For this bag, I think I can manage with screening, but I will call this issue to the attention of the people at my Southern States. Interestingly, there is a new person in charge of the inventory there, and she was very helpful and asked my what my needs were so she could keep the right things in stock. That’s a…

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I picked up a 50 lb bag last week. It was in a plain bag with no label. There is the occasional pellet-looking piece of material mixed in, but looks otherwise clean.

Thanks for weighing in, Doc T. So my bottom line is: feed high-quality protein + forage and a mined mineral salt block!

Hi KarenM — thank you so much for your response! At our current barn, the horses have access to a plain, white salt block, because the barn owner believes that mineral salts have too much iron (hence the reason for my post). If I understand correctly, the recommended salt block is the Redmond or Himalayan, not the reddish ones from the feed…

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I’m new here and am still learning the ropes. In my current horse management situation, the horses are provided a plain salt block in their pasture. The farm owner (who is also a barefoot trimmer) cautions against the mined mineral salt blocks because of the iron content, which she says can interfere with the absorption of other minerals (zinc and…

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Hi all — I live in East TN and called my local Southern States Coop just over the state line in VA, and they carry SBM in 50-lb bags for $17-ish. I just need to call ahead to make sure they have some on the floor when I get there. I also found a mill in CA that sells organic, non-GMO SBM for around $65 — plus $65 shipping! Probably going to go…

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Great — thanks, Kathy!

If I have understood correctly, there is a discount code for members on swag purchases. Where can I find it? Thank you.

Thanks, Doc T! Accountability is key to maintaining habits over the long term 🙂

Hi everyone — Just wanted to jump in here with my two cents on the topic of being fit for my horse! Let me start by saying that as an adult having taken up riding (and horse ownership) in my early 50s, I am well aware that at my level of skill and involvement, riding in and of itself will never be enough to attain or maintain fitness. And the…

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Hi everyone — My name is Julianne, and my horse, Remi, is a 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood. I have owned him for almost four years and have been learning new things since day one! He was a jumper in his previous career and was retired due to suspensory issues. After lots of trial and error and two more rounds of rehab, he has been sound for the past…

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