“Ten Things Horse Owners Should Know About Calcium, Oxalates And Their Pastures”
(Listeners’ Choice)
By Popular Demand we have re-published this episode. Each weekend we are choosing the most listened to and commented on episodes for you to enjoy.
This interview was previously published in 2018 Larissa Bilston 3 (413)
About Larissa
– If you would like to know more about Larissa then listen to her previous chats
First Chat (120) Larissa Bilston
Second Chat (382) – Larissa Bilston 2 – “Ten Points to Help you Feed your Horse Better for Less”
Fourth Chat (444) – Larissa Bilston 4 – “Oils In Horse Nutrition – Ten Tips For Getting The Balance Right”
About This Episode
“Ten Things Horse Owners Should Know About Calcium, Oxalates And Their Pastures”
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“Ten Things Horse Owners Should Know About Calcium, Oxalates And Their Pastures”
1. Where in Australia do high oxalate grasses grow?
– Tropical and subtropical pastures
2. Know your grasses.
– You should know the main plant species growing in your horse’s paddock, and which of these (if any) have high oxalate levels.
-Take time, take photos of seed and seed heads ‘high oxalates’
– High Oxalate Grasses – Kikuyu, Setaria, Panic, Guinea, Pangola, Signal
3. Observe which species your horses prefer to graze.
– Often low oxalate grasses are more palatable.
– Manage pastures
4. Understand briefly what oxalates are and why they are problematic in horse pastures
– What really happens in the gut stew?
– Naturally occurring
– Helps plant photosynthesis
5. Recognise when your horse needs extra calcium to counter ingested oxalates.
– Bighead
– Shifting lameness
ABOUT CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS (C.S.)
1. FACT: Scientists have known since the early 1980’s and probably at least a decade earlier that feeding inorganic sources of calcium successfully prevents and controls equine nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (bighead disease) in horses grazing high oxalate pastures.
Mackenzie & Associates Research in Queensland, Australia
2. Chelated forms of calcium in the form of proteinates are said to be more bioavailable because they do not bind to oxalates. However, despite the popular myth they are not 100% absorbed.
3. Choosing your calcium source: At 34% elemental calcium, limestone (calcium carbonate) is one of the most concentrated sources of calcium available.
4. Chelated calcium molecules are usually only 15 to 20 % calcium so if we decided to use chelated calcium to provide the 30 g of calcium to meet the RDI, we would have to add 150 g of a proteinate containing 20% calcium at 100 times the cost of limestone.
5. Understand key management practices to minimise oxalates and calcium supplements coming into contact with each other.
– Reduce oxalate – provide hard feed
– Lucerine before and after feeding supplement
Time Stamps
01:35 – Background
02:00 – Introduction
02:53 – 1. Where in Australia do high oxalate grasses grow?
04:30 – 2. Know your grasses. You should know the main plant species growing in your horse’s paddock, and which of these (if any) have high oxalate levels.
06:55 – 3. Observe which species your horses prefer to graze. Often low oxalate grasses are more palatable.
08:23 – 4. Understand briefly what oxalates are and why they are problematic in horse pastures – what really happens in the gut stew?
11:15 – 5. Recognise when your horse needs extra calcium to counter ingested oxalates.
13:15 – C.S. – 1. FACT: Scientists have known since the early 1980s and probably at least a decade earlier that feeding inorganic sources of calcium successfully prevents and controls equine nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (bighead disease) in horses grazing high oxalate pastures.
15:18 – C.S. – 2. Chelated forms of calcium in the form of proteinates are said to be more bioavailable because they do not bind to oxalates. However, despite the popular myth they are not 100% absorbed.
17:28 – C.S. – 3. Choosing your calcium source: At 34% elemental calcium, limestone (calcium carbonate) is one of the most concentrated sources of calcium available.
20:40 – C.S. – 4. Chelated calcium molecules are usually only 15 to 20 % calcium so if we decided to use chelated calcium to provide the 30 g of calcium to meet the RDI, we would have to add 150 g of a proteinate containing 20% calcium at 100 times the cost of limestone.
22:35 – C.S. – 5. Understand key management practices to minimise oxalates and calcium supplements coming into contact with each other.
23:06 – Contact: see details below
Larissa’s Contact Details
Phone: 0409 477 404 or +61 409 477 404
Email: larissa@equinevitmin.com or diets@farmalogic.com.au
Website: www.equinevitmin.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EquineVitMin
Music
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