One of my friends who lives in the Northwest recently had her horses checked for Selenium Deficiency, they were Dangerously low in Selenium. This is a serious condition. If you are feeding a supplement that has selenium in it you or are providing a mineral block you are probable ok, but If you are not You might get a Vet to check the selenium level in a blood test.
Selenium Deficient Horses are prone to Tying up, Unlike Colic, which is in the Gut, Tying up is in the muscle.
Some of the signs are: Profuse sweating from a short workout, Stretching as if to Urinate often: but just relieving back pain, Muscles that get ridged or tighten.
Too Much Selenium is toxic to horses they need .001mg to .004, so Please consult with your vet before adding Selenium to his diet.
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I am so glad to have found your blog! Can't wait to read all your posts.
ReplyDeleteI had a severely selenium deficient horse for a short amount of time, years ago when I was pretty new to horses. He was so good and mellow, not at all like the owner said when I bought him. :)
Turns out, he was selenium deficient. His wound that he got on his way to my barn wouldn't heal and my vet pieced it together from there. From what I've heard, if it starts to affect the heart it can be deadly.
Once my new horse was at normal selenium levels, he was sure a lot more perky and started doing all the naughty things his previous owner said he did. I found him a home with more experienced horse people. Lost some money, but it went toward my education in horse ownership, so I guess it was worth it.