Darn Mesquite Bean caused one of my Minis to colic

[user 3234]

I try every year to be so careful that they don't get any of those darn mesquite beans, especially when they are green because of the impaction they cause. I believe they must be very sweet because they will go out of their way to try and get them.

She did find some and after the tale-tale signs of colic we all dread to see it is down to the vet and a couple of hundred dollars later she is doing a lot better. Vet also mentioned when the monsoons roll in it cause a change in the atmosphere and for what ever reason she has more issues with colic.

She also mentioned one of the biggest colic problems (contributions) is horses not drinking enough water. She recommends sprinkling simple house salt on their hay. I started this and we'll see how it goes. DOES anyone else do this?

 

[BSharpRanch]

Another warning on mesquite beans, they can cause a horse to get laminitis. Kind of like grain overload.

 

[user 3234]

I was blessed to have caught her in time. Now she in one of the side pens away from the Mesquite trees until all beans have been dropped and raked up. They are so hard to keep control of because there are so many trees here and the wind blows those beans everywhere.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I have a friend whose mini foundered a few years back on the beans. They removed a large percentage of the trees from their yard and keep the branches trimmed up high. When the beans become dry and start falling her horse goes in his stall, which he hates, until bean season is over. At which time he can run the yard again. She pays her grandkids so much per bucket of beans when they start coming off the trees.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Mesquite beans are very high in sugar. I try to keep my horses confined during the time they drop in the fall. I don't think I have ever noticed them eating green ones before.

Every spring I go around our property with a pump up sprayer with Garlon/kerosene and treat the base of unwanted mesquites. We keep a few for shade, but the rest are killed. There are fewer beans for them to eat then.

I put a big pinch of equine salt on my horses' feed. One of the horses licks it all up and the other will frequently leave it in the bottom of the dish. So, they won't eat it if they don't need it, I suppose.

Sorry to hear about the colic issue.

 

[paintponylvr]

I've never put salt on their hay, but I have put table salt in their feed and have also used mineral salt.

Sorry to hear about the problems with Mesquite beans. Learn something new everyday! Thanks for sharing and I'm glad your girl is over her colic episode.

Yes, every time there are major upheavals in weather, our vet had us feed a bran mash with extra salt in it to all the horses. I found that our ponies didn't do well that way - so I just added extra salt to their regular feed which ours get served wet. I've now fed wet so long I don't know what it's like to feed dry.

 

[bevann]

I have 4 horses who do not drink enough so they get fed in water.Beet pulp and powdered electrolytes are added to feed and 2 also get syringe electrolytes.after having so many colic impactions from lack of drinking I hope I have solved the problem.It is really hard to outwit these Minis.

 

[Carolyn R]

Soak the hay, add warm water to the pelleted feed to make a mash or add some salt to the grain.

 

[Double T]

They are sweet (ever tasted one?) and horses LOVE them, so do cattle. They can make a cow pretty fat. LOL Another unfortunate side effect of a horse eating them, is they pass the seeds in their poop, so be prepared to have lots of little mesquites pop up where they pooped them out. I had my mini stallion colic about like your mare. Too many beans and a change of weather. So now I try to go out and pick what I can and haul 'em out to the dumpster. IF you have a ton it's a pain, but it's something that may help. That or give them a certain amount of time out to 'graze' where they aren't just standing their fill their faces for hours a day.