Isis

Okay, I knew Isis’ supplement helped her. The past few weeks have really highlighted just how much she needs it. For about the past month, Isis has not been eating her supplement. She gets a low-starch pelleted grain and 2 ounces of Grand Meadows Complete, a powdered supplement. She decided that she didn’t like the pellets and she didn’t like the supplement. She quit eating her grain. Four years ago, we started Isis...

I think I should expand my consulting business to include “horse health specialist.” With all of the special requirements Isis has for managing laminitis and insulin resistance, I’ve learned more with her than all of the years I’ve had horses. Low carb grain. Grazing muzzles. For months, last year through the beginning of this year, we struggled with keeping the grazing muzzle on her. Finally after we get that to stay on no...

I’ve always had horses who were easy keepers — only taking them off grass would make them lose weight. Isis was no exception. Metabolism? What’s that? I’ve managed her weight as best I can through nutrition and exercise. It’s not always enough, I can’t get out to the barn as often as I like. The weather does not cooperate either. Two years ago her weight wasn’t that high, but conditions were right and...

We’ve had some cold weather, so Isis is in a small pasture with grass. Her grazing muzzle is put on every morning. Her new pasture has only a little grass in it, most of it is that light shade of tan that happens after several heavy frosts. The diet paddock she had been in had turned into a mud pit and she was started to get scratches on her heels. She has been...