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Fibre -
Fibre - Fibre
This is THE
most important element of a horse's diet and MUST make up to at
least 50% of the daily ration.
Horse's should be fed at least 1.5% of their bodyweight per day, or
up to 2.5% for weight gain. Hay and grass traditionally
provides a horse's forage requirements, although in recent years,
haylage is becoming more popular and readily available.
The Rules of Feeding
Make any feed changes slowly
over 7 - 10 days to allow gut flora to adjust, preventing
colic.
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Feed your horse according to age, condition and workload.
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Feed for work done - not work impending.
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Feed your horse only clean, dust-free and mould-free forage.
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Keep feed bins clean and free from vermin.
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Feed little and often - 4 small meals are much better than one large
meal.
Types of Feed
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FORAGE |
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Grass,
Hay, Haylage or Chaff - also known as chop.
Forage is made from chopped oat straw, and often coated with
molasses. |
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Alfalfa |
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Alfalfa is a
flowering plant from the
legume
family.
It is rich in nutrients (especially calcium) and much higher
in protein than oat-straw chaffs. Available in chop or pellet
form. |
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Compound Feeds |
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These take the
form of course mixes, or cubes (not really cube-shaped). These
types of feed have had vitamins and minerals added to them at
the correct levels required for the specific type of horse
they are aimed at. These days, there are a type of
'cube' or 'mix' available for all types of horses and ponies.
Contrary to popular belief, horse feed cubes are NOT sweepings
off the factory floor. Feed mills have a very strict hygiene
protocol and this simply would not be allowed to happen.
Please note:
If you are feeding your horse less than the manufacturers
recommended amount, you
will need to top up with a good quality 'balancer' or vitamin
and mineral supplement. |
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Balancers |
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These are
concentrated feeds, designed to be fed in small amounts -
typically 100g per 100kg bodyweight. They can be given as a
sole feed to provide quality protein, vitamins and minerals to
balance forage. Balancers are ideal for good-doers who do not
require extra calories, or to top up existing rations for hard
working horses or poor-doers. Good quality balancers will also
provide a yeast culture to ensure healthy digestion. |
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Straights |
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'Straights'
are not fed very often these days - due to difficulty in
getting a balanced ration.
However, Oats, Flaked Maize, Bran and Barley are still readily
available and preferred by some owners. |
Common Feeding
Dilemmas
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Good Doers and
Laminitics |
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If you suspect
that your horse or pony may have laminitis you must CALL
YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY. Laminitis can - and DOES kill.
Although laminitis has several causes, one of the most common is
over-feeding your horse which can lead to obesity. Feed
according to work load, avoid cereals and stick to
a forage based diet. Restrict and control grazing by the use
of Muzzles, Electric Fencing, or Stabling your horse or pony
for part of the day. Soaking hay for 12 hours will reduce it's
nutritional content, but will still provide bulk. Good quality
Oat Straw can also be mixed with hay to provide a low calorie
'belly-filler'. Feed forage in small mesh hay-nets to make
restricted rations last longer. Feed a 'balancer' or vitamin &
mineral supplement to help meet any of the shortfalls of a
restricted ration.
For a more in
depth view of Laminitis in Horses, click
HERE |
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Seniors |
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Older horses
and ponies can often outlive their teeth. Theses animals need
careful attention to remain in good health. Some 'golden
oldies' can no longer chew hay, so they must be provided with
either a 'short chop' forage, or a soft soaked food that is
easy to eat.
Here at S.P.R. Centre, we
stock a whole range of suitable feeds for senior horses.
Phone: 01243 542815 or email:
info@sprcentre.com for more information. |
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Poor doers |
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These horses
have difficulty keeping weight on. Feed ad-lib forage, ensure
teeth and worming programmes are up to date.
*As per the golden rule - feed little
and often.*
There are many weight gain 'mixes' and 'cubes' on the market
for poor-doers which have a higher calorie content.
When choosing these types of feed, also look for a high oil
content as well as 'straight oils' such as Soya or
Linseed in the ingredients. They are often also included in
the feed to add calories without making the feeds 'big'. |
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Fizzy, Excitable |
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Theses horses
tend to get very excitable when fed cereals - so stick to a
fibre diet where possible. Cubes tend to be a better option
than mixes - the former being a lot lower in starch, which is
known to cause excitability in some horses, due to the way it
is digested. |
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Youngstock and Broodmares |
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A foal does
most of it's growing in the final trimester (last 3 months of
pregnancy). The mare will not have as much room for food as
the foal expands inside her. Feeding the broodmare several
small, nutritious feeds will benefit her much more than than
one larger feed. Foals will start picking at the mares' feed
at around 3 - 4 months of age. If they are needed to be weaned
early, they can be fed on a 'creep feed' at around 6 months.
Aim for steady, even growth 'spurts' in order to reduce the
risk of
Osteochondritis dissecans
(OCD) - particularly in
warmbloods. It is also
advisable to feed a youngstock ration or balancer up to 3
years of age. |
For
further advice or help with specific problems, make use of the
manufacturers' helplines.
They have fully trained nutritionists available, they are happy to
speak to you - and their advice is free!
At S.P.R. Centre, we stock quality feeds from the following
companies: (click on their logo to visit their
sites).
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Allen & Page
provide a full range of feeds, carefully tailored to meet your
horse's needs whatever his workload, temperament, or type.
From box rest, to three-day eventing, the range provides a
comprehensive selection of balanced, healthy feeds, which are
manufactured using only the highest quality ingredients. |
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Dodson &
Horrell offer 70 years experience and a wealth of
expertise to formulate their feeds, supplements and
herbal products, ensuring that your horse is receiving the
very best nutrition. Many of their products contain additional
antioxidants in the form of a unique QLC antioxidant package
(Quality Life Care). This patented blend of natural, plant
derived antioxidants has been formulated to support the
horse’s own natural antioxidant system, promoting long-term
health, condition and performance. |
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All Baileys
Feeds are GM free, and all the ingredients they use are
chosen because they believe they are the
best for the horse, many are sourced locally and all are
carefully selected for their quality and suitability. This,
along with their meticulous production techniques, means that
a bag of Baileys really is different from a bag
of feed from another manufacturer; the digestibility is
outstanding, so your horse gets more per scoop, with a balance
of nutrients that means a Baileys-fed horse stands out with a
glossy coat and superb muscle tone. |
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Spillers
created the original compound horse feed in the UK in the
1950’s. Since that time, they have led the way in innovative
nutritional products. Spillers are passionate in their
desire to benefit the lives of horses and ponies of all types,
through the very best products that equine nutrition can
offer. Their research has led to the development of products
which make a real difference. From competition performance to
leisure riding, Spillers has become synonymous with
proven feed formulations and expertise, providing the best in
equine health. |
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Dengie is
the UK's leading manufacturer of fibre-based horse feeds and
the largest producer of alfalfa within the UK, the majority of
which is used within their leading horse feed brands of
Alfa-A and Hi-Fi. |
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TopSpec
is owned by experienced equine nutritionists whose only goal
is to achieve excellence in every aspect
of equine nutrition, from selection of the highest quality
ingredients, creating innovative, excellent formulae,
manufacturing to the highest European standards and providing
the most comprehensive nutritional advice to clients.
TopSpec products are highly respected throughout the
equine industry for their nutritional integrity. They have
been used successfully by thousands of horse owners to improve
the performance, condition and relaxation of their horses and
ponies. |
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Marksway
are manufacturers of HorseHage - the original dust-free
forage. HorseHage is a natural product with no additives. It
is the nearest thing you can get to grass in the field and
greatly benefits a horse’s respiratory and digestive system.
Marksway's other high fibre dust-free feeds include
Mollichaff, AppleChaff, HoofKind, ShowShine, Veteran, Calmer
and the molasses free Alfalfa range including Alfalfa Oil and
Hi-Fibre Alfalfa. HorseHage is used by the Animal Health Trust
in Newmarket and has also been supplied to the British
Equestrian Teams at every Olympic Games from Los Angeles in
1984 through to Beijing 2008. |
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Winergy's
passion towards producing outstanding, proven feeds for every
horse is their very reason for existence; where cutting edge
technology yet entirely natural resources run in tandem with
unparalleled levels of performance and quality; where horse
feeds are formulated specifically to equip every user, in
every yard, with the optimum levels of fuel, knowledge and
reliability needed to succeed at every level. Winergy
produce horse feeds based solely on genuine scientific
research which they then prove in trials with horses here in
the UK. This enables them to put the horse at the heart of
their research process and instead of producing feeds with
horse owners in mind - they can formulate revolutionary
products that meet the physiological and psychological needs
of how we keep our horses today. |
Jargon
Busting
Feed Companies use several terms to describe their range of
products.
This can be confusing to many horse owners. Below is an explanation
for some of these terms.
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DE
(Digestible Energy Level) |
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This is basically the 'calorie
level' of the feed, which is the energy content of the feed
which the horse utilises for body maintenance and
exercise. The higher the DE means the higher the calorie
count. |
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Protein |
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This essential
nutrient forms the building blocks of life. Proteins are
assembled from amino acids using information encoded in
genes and are
needed for tissue growth and repair. Protein is especially
important for growing youngstock. Protein is NOT responsible
for tying up, laminitis or fizzy behaviour. |
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Fibre |
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As mentioned earlier, fibre is
the MOST important element of a horse's diet. Fibre keeps the
digestive system healthy and is low in starch - so ideal for
fizzy, excitable horse's. |
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Oil |
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Oils are easily digested by the
horse and provides 'slow-release' energy which is less likely
to cause excitable behaviour and therefore ideal for fizzy
horses and ponies. Oil is high in calories - so good for
gaining condition, and also promotes a healthy, shiny coat. |
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Starch |
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Starch provides 'fast-release'
energy that is broken down quickly by the horse inside it's
small intestine. It is made up of carbohydrates which provides
a quick burst of energy and is essential for horses in hard
work. IMPORTANT: Horses and ponies susceptible to laminitis
should be kept on LOW starch diets. |
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Probiotics |
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Probiotics improve the balance
of 'good' bacteria in the gut. These groups of bacteria have
several beneficial effects on the host, especially in terms of
improving digestion (including enhancing mineral absorption),
and keeping acid levels down. |
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Prebiotics |
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Prebiotics provide a food source
for the 'good' bacteria in the gut (see above) and help them
to outgrow any pathogenic ('bad') bacteria. |
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Antioxidants |
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Antioxidants bind and remove
from the body any pathogenic
free radicals. Free radicals
are caused by ultra-violet rays from the sun, x-rays, exposure
to pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and more. Antioxidants
such as Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium and
Grape Seed Extract will help slow the process of aging by
preventing free radicals from oxidizing sensitive biological
molecules or reducing the formation of free radicals. |
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Vitamins & Minerals |
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Vitamins & minerals are added to
feeds to provide the micronutrients needed to keep your horse
healthy. micronutrients are nutrients required by horses in
small quantities to orchestrate a whole range of physiological
functions, but which the horse itself cannot produce. Certain
vitamins & minerals interact with each other. The most
important being calcium & phosphorous. These two important
nutrients work closely together to build strong bones and
teeth. It is very important the Calcium-Phosphorus Ratio is
correctly balanced. Every gram of phosphorus ingested in the
diet, the body must match that with another gram of calcium
before the phosphorus can be absorbed through the intestinal
wall into the bloodstream. If the required calcium is not
available from the diet, the body will obtain it from wherever
it can such as in the bones - decreasing bone integrity. The
Calcium-Phosphorus Ratio should be 2:1 (i.e. 2 parts calcium
to 1 part phosphorous). Vitamins can either be fat soluble (A,
D, E and K), or water soluble (B, C). Water soluble vitamins
can be 'made' by the horse in the hind gut via the digestion
process. Fat soluble vitamins must be provided in the diet. |
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Electrolytes |
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Electrolytes are essential body
salts that can be lost through sweating - especially in horses
working hard on warmer days. There is a large range of
electrolyte supplements on the market that contain the
essential plasma salts (Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium)
to aid rehydration and maintain the correct electrolyte
balance. It is also advisable that your horse has access to
salt licks. |
How Hard Does your
Horse Work?
Horse
owners often overestimate the amount of work their horse is in, and
over-feed concentrates
and supplements accordingly. Here is a short guide to help you
decide your horse's work level.
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Resting |
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Retired horses, or those turned away at
grass due too injury etc. |
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Light Work |
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Hacking for up to an hour, mostly Walking
and Trotting with some Cantering. Schooling 3 - 4 times a week for around 45 minutes, plus local
Unaffiliated Showing, Show Jumping, Dressage at weekends. |
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Medium Work |
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Hacking up to 2 hours, Walking, Trotting,
some Gallops, One Day Events, Affiliated Show Jumping,
Dressage 2 - 3 times a month, 1 days Hunting a week, Endurance
Rides (up to 50 miles). |
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Hard Work |
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Three Day Eventing, Horse Racing, 2 - 3 days
Hunting a week, Endurance Rides (over 50 miles), High Goal
Polo, Harness Racing. |
Condition Scoring
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Condition scoring is a method of measuring the condition (fat)
of a horse. It is the best way to monitor a horse’s weight,
and it needs no special equipment. The level of fat cover is
assessed using a numeric grading system. There are a number
of factors that can affect the condition score of a horse.
Primarily condition is related to feed in-take, but also other
factors such as fitness, age, pregnancy and general health
will be influential. If you see your horse everyday it can be
very difficult
to fully notice any slight differences in your horse. It is
advised to condition score your horse every two weeks, and
taking
photos will help maintain a very useful record. Many horse
owners find it difficult to differentiate between fat and
muscle. Condition scoring needs to be hands-on in order to
feel the relevant areas of the horse. |
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The Areas Where
Horses Store Fat |
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Condition Scoring Systems
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There are two
numerical grading systems which can be used to condition score
your horse. One system devised by Henneke scores from 1
(emaciated) to 9 (extremely fat). The other system which is
more regularly used in the UK, was devised by
Carroll and Huntington (1988). This system is based on a
grading system of 0 (emaciated) to 5 (obese).
Within this system half points can be awarded to provide more
accuracy. |
Below is the condition score chart based on the UK system.
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Condition Score - 0 - Emaciated
Very thin. Bone structure on the neck
and withers easily felt - no muscle shelf where neck meets
shoulder. Skin tight over ribs. Very prominent and sharp
backbone. Tailhead and hip bones projecting. Deep cavity under
tail. |
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Condition Score - 1 - Poor
Thin. Can feel
bone structure on the neck and withers - slight shelf where
neck meets shoulder. Ribs easily visible. Prominent backbone
with sunken skin on either side. Prominent pelvis and
sunken rump - but skin supple. Deep cavity under tail. |
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Condition Score - 2 - Moderate
Neck narrow but
firm. Backbone covered with some fat - but spine can be felt.
Fat deposits over withers. Ribs just visible - but can still
be felt. Rump flat either side of back bone.
Slight cavity under tail. |
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Condition Score - 3 - Good
Neck flows
smoothly into shoulder with no crest. Ribs just covered with
layer of fat but can be easily felt. The back is level.
Backbone well covered with no gutter along the back, but the
spine can be felt. Pelvis covered by fat and rounded, but can
be easily felt. |
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Condition Score - 4 - Fat
Neck wide & firm
with fat deposited along the neck. Fat padded around the
withers. Pelvis covered by fat needing firm pressure to feel.
Back covered in fat with a positive crease along the backbone
to the tailhead. Spongy fat on and between the ribs, needing
pressure to feel. |
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Condition Score - 5 - Obese
Very fat. Neck
has marked crest, is very wide and firm with bulging folds of
fat. Back broad and flat with a deep gutter along the back to
the tailhead. Skin distended. Pelvis buried in fat and cannot
be felt. Ribs buried in fat and cannot be felt. |
Overfeeding your horse for the work it is doing leads to obesity.
Obesity in horses causes many problems such as increased risk of
heart disease
and diabetes, as well as laminitis in the hoof because of the extra
weight.
For more information on this or any of the
subjects covered by this article please call S.P.R. Centre on:
01243 542815
or email:
info@sprcentre.com
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