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Horses that tend to Tie Up
Refer to the articles section (nutritional diseases)

In order to understand the different conditions that result in a tying up episode, the article by Steve Duren in the articles section should be referred to. Tying up can be sporadic or chronic and can be caused by a condition known as Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolis (RER) common among Arab, Thoroughbred and Standardbred fillies. It seems to be related to stress and intracellular calcium and sodium regulation.
Another form of Tying Up is known as Polysaccharide Myopathy. This is a condition characterized by the formation of an excessive amount of muscle glycogen.

The feed regimen for a horse prone to either condition is similar. The ration should be as low in sugar (starch) as possible and high in fat and fibre.

Brooks Feeds has developed a ration that is formulated to be as low as possible in starch called Un-ti. Un-ti is high in digestible fibre and 10% fat. Other than restrictions that may be suggested by a veterinarian Un-Ti can be fed as the sole grain ration. All feeds that are starch based should be removed from the ration.
Horse that have rare but serious problems with tying up may do well on a moderately low starch ration such as Phase lV or Phase V.

Ulcers

There is no magic feed that will prevent ulcers although keeping the level of starch as low as possible will help. Ulcers are related to stress and slug feeding of high starch feeds that cause a buildup of acid in the stomach. The upper portion of the stomach is less protected than the lower portion and therefore more prone to damage of the lining by acid.

Competition Plus was developed as a corn free ration with extra beet pulp and fat as an alternative to Phase lll where a lower starch ration is desirable. A horse with chronic ulcers is probably best fed a minimum starch feed like Un-Ti.

There are some management practices that can help to reduce the incidents of ulcers.

1. Feed no more than 5 pounds of grain at one feeding.

2. Allow access to hay or pasture on a continuous basis.

3. Use grain rations that have a fat and fibre component like Un-Ti, Phase V, Phase lll or Competition Plus.

4. Feed a high fat supplement like Flax Appeal or Rice Bran to reduce the amount of grain necessary.

5. Try and reduce the stress on your horses as much as possible.

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