[JulianneR]

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

[JulianneR]

Really cool, @SandraC. Thanks for sharing!

[JulianneR]

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

[JulianneR]

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

[JulianneR]

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.

[JulianneR]

Hi Elizabeth, and welcome!!

[JulianneR]

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!

[JulianneR]

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 🙂

[JulianneR]

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 positive sign 🙂 Alternatively, I may have another source for the SBM from a smaller mill, as you mentioned. It is a bit pricier but in the grand scheme of things, not really! Will keep everyone posted.

[JulianneR]

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.

[JulianneR]

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

[JulianneR]

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 store. Interested to see what Doc T says, but my feeling is he will agree with what you wrote 🙂

[JulianneR]

Great — thanks, Kathy!

[JulianneR]

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

[JulianneR]

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 fitter I can be, the better I will be able to help my horse (and to spare him from having to pack around a sack of potatoes when I ride him 🙂 Another thing I have learned in the 3 1/2 years I have owned my horse is that is takes a certain level of fitness and flexibility even when just working with horses on the ground and with routine handling and care, and that I owe it to my horse and to myself to be fit and healthy enough to take care of his needs.

With all of that said, here is what I do to keep fit — I’m not perfect but I always get back on track right away if I slip:

-Strength train 2x week — super important for maintaining muscle as we age!!

-Walk daily (I wear an iWatch and routinely get around 15,000k steps)

-Participate in step aerobics around 1x week

-Keep track of my sleep — this is a work in progress — goal bedtime 9:30 PM

-Time-restricted eating — usually 16:8

-Follow a nutrient-dense pescatarian diet (with occasional eggs and other meat) rich in fatty fish, veggies (leafy greens/cruciferous), berries, mushrooms, nuts/seeds/legumes (soaked and sprouted when possible)

-I don’t consciously count carbs or track protein, but I don’t eat much in the way of grains, either, and I supplement with protein smoothies, especially on my strength training days

-Drink only water and tea (green, matcha, black, oolong, white — I’m a tea snob :), occasionally coffee. Limit caffeine intake to before noon

-Keep track of body fat and muscle with a “smart scale” — this is by no means a perfectly accurate measurement, but at least it serves as a general guideline. The weekly weigh-ins keep me accountable. And according to my scale, my “body age” is 37. At 54, I’ll take that!