| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| rosie |
Posted - 05 Nov 2009 : 4:48:03 PM
Am I right in thinking seaweed is good for mane & tail growth?
Did I dream that or I have I dredged it up from the back of my mind somewhere?
Any suggestions for something to promote growth? |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Evie |
Posted - 06 Nov 2009 : 5:30:38 PM
Some of Tara's mane got rubbed off by her rug last year and it didn't seem to be growing back, my friend's gelding has seaweed so I started giving Tara some as well and since then her mane has really started growing again!!
PS. Tricia, I have PM'd you  |
| Pop |
Posted - 06 Nov 2009 : 09:47:44 AM
Hi, H pop has to have seaweed because she has an iodine for a thyroid problem. She has been on it for about 18 months now, and the swelling in her thyroid went down and her breathing was back to normal. My usual supplier disappeared so I got some from another supplier and its back up again, so the suggested feed levels do not work, its either not enough or too much, very difficult to tell because the symptoms of toxicity are the same as the symptoms I'm treating. I did some research and it's all a bit worrying, it seems that the iodine content in seaweed can vary to a massive degree; even the strand of seaweed next to another can have a completely different content. The amount of seaweed; and therefore Iodine you feed, has to be very accurate indeed, otherwise you can give them too much which will cause toxicity.
Further research showed that the quality of seaweed for equines has reduced dramatically as seaweed has become more popular at a human food.
One report I read suggested that if you don't need to feed it, don't risk it, and another scared me so much I'm now inclined to count the grains before feeding 
In fact, I've stopped feeding it and waiting for the vet to come back with some advise.
Here is a very interesting link http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=m4VM9__SKJMC&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=seaweed,+Iodine+horses&source=bl&ots=xGRBiOlZwK&sig=Oc4HGhCn4HQTLtCS_rgWGMtimoA&hl=en&ei=O-3zSoXuGOTRjAeDx8CgDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CBoQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=seaweed%2C%20Iodine%20horses&f=false
And a bit more info ļ
Iodine in Horses
Unlike many of the other minerals, iodine (I) has only one main function in your horse's body...
...it is an important part of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).
Both (T3) and (T4) are thyroid hormones.
And they aren't just any thyroid hormones...they are the two major hormones that regulate basal metabolism.
In tissues throughout your horse's body, as well as in the thyroid gland itself, T4 is turned into T3. If either of these hormones are found in excess, the amount of TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is decreased. Not only is TSH decreased, but the body's basic metabolic rate is increased.
Sources in the Equine Diet
Most common feedstuffs fed to horses contain a concentration between 0-2 mg/kg dry matter.
The concentration can fluctuate quite a bit even within the same feed because feed concentration depends on the concentration in the soil in which the feed was grown.
Kelp (pictured above) and other seaweeds can have very high concentrations, sometimes as high as 1850 mg/kg dry matter!
Similarly, ethylenediaminedihydroiodide (now THAT's a mouthful!), more commonly known as EDDI, has high levels of of this mineral and can cause excess to be taken in by the horse. EDDI is commonly used as an anti-fungus supplement in horses.
For horses, iodine is usually supplemented in the diet by providing iodized salts, or salt with added trace-minerals. This is an acceptable way for horses to obtain salt, but be sure to monitor their intake.
Horses have been known to become iodine-deficient when the only supplemental source in the diet is through iodized salt.
In recent years, excesses have been more common than deficiencies.
Toxicities or excesses are only likely to occur when your horse is being over-supplemented with the mineral, or being fed feedstuffs that contain an unusually large amount.
Likewise, when horses are fed large amounts of kelp or seaweed, a toxicity can occur.
Deficiency or Excess
Another way that this mineral is unique is that both an excess and deficiency cause the same symptoms!
When there is a deficiency, not enough of the thyroid hormones can be produced. This makes sense, because if you don't have the ingredients, you can't properly make something.
Since there aren't enough hormones being produced, TSH production increases to attempt to increase the production of the hormones.
As a result of the TSH increase, the thyroid works harder. Due to the extra work, the thyroid increases in size, and your horse ends up with a condition known as goiter, or enlarged thyroid.
On the other hand, if there is an excess, the extra mineral present inhibits the production of the two hormones...
...see where this is going?
You got it!
Not enough hormones being produced means that TSH production increases. Increased TSH production means a harder working thyroid, which leads to a larger thyroid...
...and yet again, your horse ends up with an enlarged thyroid, or goiter.
To my knowledge, this is the only mineral in the horse diet that an excess or deficiency cause the exact same symptom. The good news is, you only have one symptom to worry about!
But, on the other hand, if your horse does end up with goiter, you'll have to determine whether it is a deficiency or excess causing the problem.
A measure of the iodine found in the urine can estimate how much a horse is consuming.
However...
Goiter is not the only symptom of excess or deficiency.
In broodmares, the vitality of foals is decreased in the presence of either a deficiency or excess. Deficiency can also result in stillborn foals, as well as abnormal estrous cycles in mares.
Excess can also cause an increase in susceptibility to infections in horses of any age.
________________________________________
Iodine is a very unique mineral in the equine diet. It is the only mineral that has only one function in the body, as well as the only mineral that both a deficiency and excess cause the same symptoms!
Knowledge of this unique mineral will help you more easily understand what it does for your horse, and how he obtains it in his daily diet, as well as deficiency and toxicity symptoms.
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| Fee |
Posted - 06 Nov 2009 : 07:07:57 AM
I'm confused and unsure about seaweed as I am about giving garlic. I keep hearing conflicting things about them both. I used to give seaweed and I really can't say I saw any difference. I just got fed up with being bombarded by supplement after supplement that now I only give one and I'm really pleased with the results after only about 2 months on it, it's Naf Oilovite 
Po's feet hadn't grown much (said farrier) and after six weeks on Oilovite when the he returned, he commented on how her feet had grown this time Oilovite contains a good % of Methionine, this, I believe is the amino acid that all the foot supplements contain and is crucial for good healthy feet (I would presume tail and mane too?)
It's such a relief to find ONE all purpose good supplement, anyone else use it? Now it's all my two get with their feed, oh and they have really shiny coats too 
Fee
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| Roseanne |
Posted - 05 Nov 2009 : 9:50:58 PM
We are in the centre of the UK and our soil has very little iodine which is necessary for growth so I give iodine to my boys in their feeds. |
| BeckyBoodle |
Posted - 05 Nov 2009 : 5:01:53 PM
I use simple systems seaweed. It is supposed to be an excellent source of trace elements to strength hair and horn and boost the immune system. Their version apparently doesn't have the iodine issue that some other forms can have - not sure totally what that is, only that pregnant mares shouldn't have it.
B
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| arabic |
Posted - 05 Nov 2009 : 4:58:08 PM
Hi Rosie,
Yes you are right - good for hooves too. Full of vitamins and minerals.
Sandie |
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