From: kcarver@dante.nmsu.edu (Kenneth Carver)
Subject: Heaves (was: Feeding Old Horses)(LONG)
Summary: Heaves can be controlled without medication.
Keywords: heaves
Organization: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 05:04:16 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.233927.33635@watson.ibm.com> mchugh@watson.ibm.com (Mary McHugh) writes:
>I now mix 50 lbs. of Blue Seal Rebound (sweet feed for heavey horses
>which contains beet pulp and has no oats),
>50 lbs. of BS Charger (similar to Pacer, but higher protein), and 50 lbs. of 
>BS Demand (complete pellet especially formulated for weight gain).

I'm glad you discovered the special feed for controlling heaves.  My
stallion developed heaves in the late '70's.  Therahist powder helped
a bit, but left much to be desired.  I had Shane allergy tested, and
the University of Pennsylvania supplied me with antigen vaccine.  It
was no help.  Dunking his hay in water did not help.  This went on for
most of a year, then a friend gave me a copy of an article from Horse
of Course magazine that told of the special feed.  I immediately put
him on Agway Respond.  Like the Blue Seal Rebound, it is a complete
feed without oats, and uses beet pulp for the roughage.  Within a
couple days, he had no symptoms whatsoever.  Some time later, I put
him in with some other horses.  Not wanting to put the others on
Respond, I tried Shane on his usual sweet feed and timothy hay once
again.  In no time, his heaves came back.  I reluctantly put all the
horses on Respond, and once again, he was symptom-free in a couple days.

When I moved to Arkansas, where Agway feed was not available, I once
again tried Shane on ordinary sweet feed and timothy.  This time, his
heaves did not return.  I am now in New Mexico, and he is on alfalfa
and doing fine at age 27.  I can only surmise that New Jersey's air
pollution may have been a factor.

What is annoying is that none of the veterinarians I consulted had
suggested the special feed.  I hate to suggest it, but the profit
motive may be involved.  Achieving a "cure" with feed makes purchasing
medication unnecessary.  Purina is now making Respond, although it is
difficult to get in some areas.  The formula is also available as
Manna Pro's Sweet Rely and as Wayne Feed's New Hope.  Here is the basic
formula:
           cracked corn..........450 lbs.
           dried beet pulp.......250 lbs.
           wheat bran............150 lbs.
           soybean meal..........100 lbs.
           cane molasses..........50 lbs.
           dicalcium phosphate....10 lbs.
           salt...................10 lbs.
           (feed supplement for vitamins A and D)

I salute Mrs. Barbara Montgomery of Framingham, MA, who developed the
formula about 20 years ago, and R.A. Greene, DVM, who tried desperately
to get the veterinary community to acknowledge the feed's value.  "Mrs.
Montgomery used the feed successfully to reclaim over 40 horses in all
stages of heaves.  Some of them were in near terminal condition when
placed in her care.  With one exception, a horse that died within 36
hours of its arrival at her farm, every horse was returned to useful
working condition...and remained that way as long as the program was
adhered to."  In addition to the special feed, the horse should have
24 hour access to the outdoors, or a stall that is kept scrupulously
clean.  Wood chips, shavings, or dust-free sawdust are the preferred
bedding.  Any bedding that a horse would be tempted to eat, such as
straw, should be avoided.
There is no reason for any horse to suffer with heaves.

--Ken Carver