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Barefoottrimmer

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I am a physician and horse person for over 30 years. I speak fluent horse and learn more everday as horses are wonderful teachers. Do some work to help problem horses if the humans can be helped. Have studied with the best farriers in the U.S. Also, my grandfather was a blacksmith/farrier, and I had the honor of learning from him for 16 years. My techniques involve rehabilitative trimming which allows for better quality and balance of the foot for proper locomotion of the horse with the best health, comfort, and performance. It's all about what is best for the horse - all else is secondary. My answers are direct, to the point, factual but never unkind. I prefer fact based information & do not prescribe to hearsay, gossip, or old barn tales that perpetuate harm to horses through ignorance. I prefer and encourage education. Some take issue with my direct approach but I can't take responsibility for their unfortunate perspective. My goal is to help horses, one by one.

  • To Gallop or anyone who can share correct information about the synthesis of minerals in horses.?

    In humans, calcium carbonate cannot be utilized as a calcium source (verified in extensive studies since 1993, one source being New England Journal of Medicine). Taking a Tums and thinking it is a good source of calcium is a fallacy. Cheap and expensive vitamins have only calcium carbonate as their calcium source so that is useless. A couple of better ones have Ca citrate or Ca gluconate which is acceptable. In using rice bran pellets to supplement your horse's calorie level, the manufacturing company adds calcium carbonate with the theory being that this will bring balance to the rice bran which is sorely lacking in mineral balance and can be very harmful due to that fact. Horses, like humans, aare mammalsbut their systems handle some things very differently from say humans or dogs, also mammals. If these companies are adding the calcium carbonate to balance the minerals in rice bran, are they actually accomplishing the establishment of mineral balance or is it just there to aappeaseour minds or can a horse aactuallyabsorb this as a calcium source and achieve the mineral balance as it was intended? Personally, I doubt that they horse can utilize calcium carbonate as a calcium source and seeing it on the ingredient list of rice bran pellets does not assuage my very serious concerns. I would appreciate anyone's opinion accompanied by referenced studies or well documented information to the contrary. I have been unable to find any information about this. Thanks for the assist.

    4 AnswersHorses9 years ago
  • To Gallop or anyone else who can share correct information about the synthesis of minerals in horses.?

    In humans, calcium carbonate cannot be utilized as a calcium source (verified in extensive studies since 1993, one source being New England Journal of Medicine and there are many others). Taking a Tums and thinking it is good for you as added calcium is a fallacy. Cheap and expensive vitamins have only calcium carbonate as their calcium source so that is useless. In using rice bran pellets to supplement your horse's calorie level, the manufacturing company adds calcium carbonate with the theory being that this will bring balance to the rice bran which is sorely lacking in mineral balance and can be very harmful due to that fact. Horses, like humans, are mammals but their systems handle some things very differently from say humans or dogs. If these companies are adding the calcium carbonate to balance the minerals in rice bran, are they actually accomplishing the establishment of mineral balance or is it just there to apease our minds or can a horse actually absorb this as a calcium source and achieve the mineral balance as it was intended. Personally, I doubt that the horse can utilize calcium carbonate as a calcium source and seeing it on the ingredient list of rice bran pellets does not assuage my very serious concerns. Could I please have your opinions accompanied by any studies or well documented information to the contrary. Thanks for the assist.

    1 AnswerOther - Pets9 years ago