It is a very important job being a grass munching companion, Alfie would be lost with his friend, but gosh it is tricky to decide what is best. Grass or no grass is always going round in my head. The problem is symptoms d not always show up when you expect them to, so it isn't as clear cut with the Ninja as a grass or no grass.
Biome Test Results arrived and not really knowing how to interpret them is not the greatest start to Ninja Feed changes
Having tried almost everything we can to make the Ninja a happier horse we recently decided to go for a new test that helps you see what is going on in the gut from a faeces sample analysing the presence of microbes. The test is fairly expensive and you do need patience waiting for the results.
The traffic light report you get back is easy to read but also very baffling to the lay person but it is a new concept and we are all learning together through a dedicated FB Chat Group
''The faecal test uses next generation sequencing from an Illumina MiSeq to give an accurate real time analysis of what is in the hind gut. The test results are based on the findings and recommendations set out by Scott Weese in the latest edition of the veterinary book, the Equine Acute Abdomen''
Carol Hughes
The Ninja test results showed that he is too good at extracting Carbohydrates which relates to his weight gain and bloating and excitability.
We have started using the Equibiome Supplement that was suggested from our report. You don't have to use the Equibiome supplements, the report does offer you alternatives but the supplements aren't expensive in comparison to what we have already spent on the Ninja so we went for it.
Green Tea is well documented for it's health benefits and it's a recommended edition in our results.
I am totally blown away with the effects on both boys so far. Both boys have struggled with their respiration and both boys have been fairly snot free, even Alfie has been warming up without the deep coughing
We were already feeding Feedmark Clarity to help both boy's with their breathing, it contains Oregano that was a suggested herb from our results so we have kept this in the diet. We have also added Rosemary. We have fresh rosemary in the garden so I have given it a fairly large trim back.
March Ridden Work This month hasn't been very productive for Ninja riding but we have got onboard a few times without any humping
I would love to get him going but I am not going to stress about it. The ground has been too soft and slippery and the weather was against us and we don't need excuses to spook at the hedge line
I am still having some trouble with my right side cramping and when the cold weather returned there was no point getting on and pushing for more than a walk when my balance and concentration wasn't 100%
Going Forward
Who knows if this is the year, when we will finally get back on board for longer than a few days at a time
Lots more research and reading to do on herbs and the belly.
Feed, symptoms, reactions etc will continue to go into the written diary so we can look back and review.
Hopefully we can keep the costs down but provide the Ninja with what he needs to be comfy.