Calcium rich soils don't
produce calcium rich feed

You may think that you live in an area where soils and so pasture are rich in calcium. Strangely these soils seem to produce quite low calcium grass.

Interestingly VCAL technology was actually developed initially on horses grazing on the top of the Cotswolds where the limestone is right on the surface. It is difficult to imagine a higher calcium soil. Experience tells us that most horses grazing on chalk and limestone benefit enormously from V CAL.

Two things come out of this:

1. Horses in this environment don't eat the stone that is clearly on the surface. Yet you would think they would if they were getting deficient in calcium. Our experience is that limestone (calcium carbonate) is a very poor nutritional source of calcium for animals so has little value to horses. Yet calcium carbonate is the normal ingredient added to horse feeds to boost calcium levels. This probably explains why in our trials calcium carbonate showed virtually no effect on the behaviour of difficult horses.

Horses are not unique in this. Owls eat their pray whole but expel the bones in a pellet. Yet wildlife vets will tell you they see quite a lot of calcium deficient owls (both wild and captive). If bone were a good source of calcium owls wouldn't waste such a precious resource.

2. Horses may not find chalk or limestone a very good calcium source and plants are probably just the same. Limestone and chalk soils are very alkaline. To dissolve the calcium carbonate needs acidity. And plants can't access the calcium from the solid rock. If it isn't dissolved the plants can't get it either.

This is a real catch 22 situation.

The calcium in VCAL is supplied in a form that makes it very easy for the horse to absorb it from the gut and into the bloodstream. In fact it is closer to the form that calcium takes in the plant cells. As such it makes an excellent supplement or additive to feeds and balancers.

Click here to continue
the step-by-step guide

Or contact us for free advice