Jeff Chears Natural Hoof Care

 

Before                                                           After 

 

 

 

 

 

This is our horse Major he is a Percheron that has EPSM the photo on the left shows him at his worse, at that time I had 10 different vets look at him and no one could tell me what was wrong with him.  I fed him all day long high quality hay and feed as much as he could eat.  He started me on this journey 8 years ago and it took 5 years of research and one day I got lucky, I took a massage class to help relieve his muscle from the stiffness he had, the teachers of this course came out to see him and I got the same answer, never seen anything like it.  His movement was very stiff it's like he had no energy at all.  He would not move faster than a walk, and if I asked for more it was very difficult for him, when he knew I wanted him to trot he would get as much energy as he could to take off but you could just see the energy just die out. He had a very abnormal gate in the hindquarters, a twisted pelvis, locking stifles, shivers, ulcers, terrible skin, he rubbed his mane and tail and he was very irritable all the time, he just never looked happy. 

 

After he would eat his grain he would get really still and would not move, later I found out he was going in to, what is comparable to a diabetic coma from the NSC (non structural carbohydrate) overload on the system.

 

Then one day I got an email from the massage teachers they researched his condition and told me to contact Dr. Beth Valentine and within weeks he was on his way to recovery within 6 months he gained hundreds of pounds of muscle. 

 

All I did was I lowered his NSC (non structural carbohydrate) and added fat to his diet, nothing else.  The first week Major's eyes perked right up and he trotted across the pasture for the first time on his own in a long time.  His attitude improved and when I walked into the barn he was there to say hello in a way he never was before.

 

 

If you think your horse may be an EPSM horse and want to see, all you have to do is try this for a few weeks and you should know.  The oil will not hurt him so if it doesn't work then you look for another answer.  To try it, take him off all grain, put him on a hay under 10 % NSC (non structural carbohydrate) if you don't know try a tifton, coastal or orchard.  Here is how you may know if it is high in NSC, if your horse loves the hay, take it away.  If they eat it very quickly that probably means that the NSC is too high.  Now this is different for alfalfa, they will love alfalfa and that is OK.  They can process high protein, so I can feed him Alfalfa hay, cubes or pellets all three are low in NSC.  I do not suggest a straight Alfalfa diet.

 

NO CARROTS, APPLES or any treats high in sugar.

 

Start him on an oil gradually slowly increasing up to the amount your horse needs.  For a 1000lb horse the full does of oil would be up to 2 cups total per day, for a draft that was 2000lbs it would be up to 4 cups total a day.  Please visit Dr. Valentines web site for full details.  You can feed an alfalfa pellet, alfalfa cubes or alflafa hay and pour the oil on top. 

 

If you have a horse that is an EPSM horse I would highly suggest an oil that is expeller pressed and NOT gmo (genetically modified organism), if you can afford organic that would be great.  I would not buy any oil from the grocery store they have all been processed except extra virgin,cold pressed olive oil.  

 

Here is where I purchase my oil they will ship it to your house. You can buy it by the case 4 gallons at a time it is much cheaper by the case or a 5 gal bucket.  I usually pay around $30 a gallon.  Here are the links where I buy my oil. Please call for case price. 

 

GloryBee Foods 1-800-456-7923

 

http://www.glorybeefoods.com/gbf/Shop_ProductDetail.cfm?PC=2&PSC=0&P=21562&Product_Name=oil, hempseed&Token=71.53.230.134:{ts_2010-03-25_10:05:53}-198289

 

http://www.glorybeefoods.com/gbf/Shop_ProductDetail.cfm?PC=2&PSC=0&P=11723&Product_Name=oil, olive, extra virgin&Token=71.53.230.134:{ts_2010-03-25_10:05:53}-198289

 

If you can not afford the oils above this company sells many oils that may fit your budget please call them and tell them you are feeding it to a horse and you need a food grade oil.

 

I have tried flax oil but it was so rich it was hard to get my horse too eat it and I have read that too much flax can irritate the stomach.  I also tried the Olive oil but he does not care for the strong taste.

 

I do feed my horse ground flax seed.

 

 

Major's diet consist of unlimited tifton hay or pasture and every morning and night I soak Orchard pellets and add the oil and supplements to the pellets.

Lypo Gold by Enzymedica 12 a day

Founder Powder (sold by Dr. Peggy Fleming) 352-583-2400

Cushing Powder (sold by Dr. Peggy Fleming) 352-583-2400

3-1/2 cups of oil daily either Coconut or Hemp

 

 

 

I also supplement with an enzyme to help him with the amount of oil that I am feeding him.  I supplement him with Lypo Gold from Enzymedica, you can purchase this at most health food stores.  I feed 12 capsules a day, he is a draft horse about 2000lbs so if you have a horse weighing around 1000lbs, 6 capsules a day should be fine, 3 at each feeding.  It is very important to feed the enzyme right before he eats his oil.  The reason I started him on the enzymes is because he started biting under his hind gut, (beside the sheath) he was leaving marks he was biting so hard, and as soon as I started him on the enzymes he stopped.  I take the capsules and put them in a handful of alfalfa and wrap it up inside the hay and he eats them right up.

 

I can not stress enough that you must get an EPSM horse off of all grains, you can supplement with alfalfa cubes or alfalfa pellets, on Dr. Beth Valentines web site she has a virtual vet where you can read post from other horse owners to Dr. Valentine and read her replies.

 

 

If you have any questions about EPSM please call Donna Ledford at 813-323-5684

 

Natural Hoof Care Practitioner / Barefoot Specialist / Florida