Summer 2009

If you have just been or are preparing to go on your summer holiday chances are that you have been following the latest fitness or possibly even weight loss campaign to ensure that you look your best for summer. Although your horse may not be off on holiday, if they are spending longer at grass during the summer months you may have noticed a gradually expanding waistline. With this in mind this issue of DCQ is all about weight management!

We are proud to be supporting the Blue Cross Fat Horse Slim campaign launched earlier this year at Badminton Horse Trials. Although no definitive data exists it is thought that the incidence of equine obesity is on the rise in the UK. Last year 40% of the horses that came in to the Blue Cross centres were obese and this was a 5% increase from the previous year. An increase in obesity in horses raises many concerns with regards to horse health and ultimately welfare. This quarter in Everything Explained, Senior Nutritionist Katie Williams explains why obesity is such a problem, whilst in Diet Planning I provide practical tips and advice for managing the overweight horse this summer.

To tie in with our support of the Blue Cross Fat Horse Slim campaign our Dengie Club Prize Draw offers 10 lucky Dengie Club Members the chance to win a Fat Horse Slim pack from the Blue Cross. This pack includes everything you need to help get your horse started on their weight loss journey. Our special Dengie Club Offer also gives you the chance to claim a £2 money off voucher off of one of Dengie’s low calories feeds or supplements including Hi-Fi Lite, Hi-Fi Good Do-er, Hi-Fi Balancer and Natural Vitality Leisure or Performance Vits & Mins.

Why not make the most of the long summer evenings and get out and enjoy some extra time in the saddle? This quarter we speak with Liz Taylor in our supported rider Q&A who as our supported endurance rider spends many hours in the saddle. What a fantastic way to help with everyone’s fitness or weight loss efforts!

Tracey