[DinahC]

Question : we have been unable to purchase Coolstance Copra in South Africa for a good 4-6 weeks or so. Our main feed merchant said it was a customs thing. I then heard on one of your meetings that you’re also battling to get it in the USA which did make me think that’s a little odd. Now I’ve heard during the course of this week that there’s an issue with the registration of the product so it is off the market for good. Can anyone provide in as to what is really happening with the product? And secondly, if it’s no longer going to be available, would the addition of coconut oil, certainly a much smaller quantity at a time, be a suitable replacement if needing to increase the kilo joule content for a horse needing extra, esp during the winter months.

[Doc-t]

I heard another company bought Coolstance, and since then, it has been hard to get.

Adding coconut oil should be OK as it is a monounsaturated fruit oil and, therefore, non-inflammatory. However, it would be best if you did a cost analysis. In the horse, fat comes from the bacterial digestion of cellulose in the hindgut. The purpose of making hay is to provide calories in the winter, and it does this well. Unfortunately, the cost of hay has increased to the point of looking for other options. This is where Coolstance had come in; the price per calorie density.

I can’t think of other options. I add coconut oil (actually caprylic acid, which is the 8-carbon length fatty acid found in coconut oil) to my coffee every morning because this quickly becomes a ketone, entering my brain as fuel without adding more glucose.

[DinahC]

Yes… I understand the roughage/hay would be a better source of more calories/kJ’s but not so easy for an older horse I have on this diet. His teeth are making it difficult for him to eat the hay so looking for a softer option that will work to get the horse to take on more energy.

[DinahC]

When feeding weanlings and very young horses, 6 months-4 yrs, would one happily move them onto a straight grain free diet from the very start and if so, would we be aiming for the minimum quantity (1.1g protein /kg bodyweight) of protein per kg/bodyweight in order to avoid influencing/forcing the rate at which horses grow? If not, at what age would you transition the young horse to a grain free anti-inflammatory diet?

[Doc-t]

The rate-limiting step in growth is calories, not protein. Excess calories cause developmental orthopedic diseases in rapidly growing foals; therefore, removing grain (or never feeding it) will prevent most problems (contracted tendons, epiphysis, OCD in joints).

Foals receive plenty of protein from their mother during gestation (often at the expense of the mare) and her milk. Growth requires this protein plus what is taken in through 24 to 36 months. This time period is often associated with the intake of pasture and hay, both with a limited amino acid profile. Adding SBM at the minimum rate of 1.1g/kg body weight (0.5g/pound) is ideal for making all needed proteins.

I’ll answer this in greater detail during the next rounds. I missed these questions because the time between your posting and the 8 pm time was filled, and I just missed them. Sorry!

[DinahC]

Thank you. Will be great if you can expand on this in the next meeting, which is in fact tonight