Diet Planning

Preparing for Spring

As we leave behind the dreary days of January we can start to think about the more pleasant months of spring just around the corner. The spring months are often associated with starting over again, or ‘spring cleaning’ and the same can be true for the way we manage our horses. Now’s the time to take stock and look at the effects the winter months have had on our horses and to start making some plans for the months ahead.

Winter woes

Gradual winter weight loss is one of the most frequent reasons horse owners contact the Dengie Feedline at this time of year. Many people who own horses and ponies that struggle to maintain weight are often worried about feeding conditioning feeds, or feeding them at the recommended quantity, as they are concerned that this will result in over-excitable behaviour. This is especially relevant at this time of year when horses and ponies tend to be stabled for longer.

To promote weight gain the energy or ‘calorie’ level of the ration needs to be increased. However, the type of energy source used can make a difference to a horse’s behaviour and feeds based on starch from cereal grains that provide ‘quick release’ energy are more commonly associated with fizziness. For condition without the fizz make sure higher energy feeds are introduced gradually and try using feeds based on ‘slow release’ energy sources such as Dengie Alfa-A Oil and Dengie Alfa-Beet.

Dengie Alfa-A Oil combines alfalfa with GM free soya oil and is the ultimate form of ‘slow release’ energy. Alfa-A Oil has a comparable energy level to a conditioning mix or cube but without the starch, making it particularly suitable for horses that need condition without the fizz. Furthermore, as Alfa-A Oil is a chopped fibre feed it will take much longer to eat compared to the same weight of mix or cubes, helping to keep your horse occupied for longer.

Alfa-Beet combines alfalfa and unmolassed sugar beet to produce a highly digestible source of fibre that provides ‘slow release’ energy. This also makes it an effective way to supply energy for condition without the fizz. Furthermore Dengie Alfa-Beet is approved by the Laminitis Trust and has a convenient 2 hour cold soak or 15 minute hot soak preparation time, making it a palatable addition to any ration.

Adding a digestive supplement to the ration such as Natural Vitality Digestive Health may also benefit horses and ponies that have lost condition this winter. Natural Vitality Digestive Health is pure Yea-Sacc1026 that research has shown is beneficial for optimising the environment in the horse’s gut. This maximises the number of beneficial fibre fermenting bacteria in your horse’s hind gut thereby increasing digestive efficiency and allowing your horse to get more out of his feed.

Native horses and ponies and those that hold their weight well are generally not suited to stud mixes or cubes as they are simply too calorific, but it is just as important to provide them with a balanced ration.

Increasing workload

The onset of spring means a return to work or a gradual increase in workload for many horses and ponies as the days get longer and the competition season starts in earnest. Even if your horse is in hard work feeding a fibre based diet can go a long way to meeting their energy requirements, as well as having the additional benefits of satisfying your horse’s psychological need to chew and helping to maintain digestive health.

All of Dengie’s fibre based feeds include alfalfa, which is a source of digestible fibre that naturally has an energy or ‘calorie’ level comparable to a cool mix or cube. Adding alfalfa to your horse’s ration has many benefits including providing ‘slow release’ energy and taking much longer to eat compared to the same weight of mix or cubes. Furthermore, recent research supported by Dengie suggests that alfalfa is an excellent natural buffer to acidity within the gut, possibly due to its naturally high levels of calcium and protein. This is especially beneficial for horses and ponies that are in work as recent research suggests that gastric ulcers are common even amongst the leisure horse population.

An increase in workload does not always mean a change in feed, but if your training is going up a gear this spring ask yourself the following questions about your horse’s existing ration:

• Is it maintaining your horse at an ideal bodyweight?
• Are you happy with your horse’s temperament?
• Has your horse got enough ‘energy’ for the work that he is doing?
• Is your horse’s diet balanced?
• Is your horse looking good i.e. coat and hoof condition?

If the answer to all of these questions is yes then it suggests that the existing ration is suiting your horse. If the answer to any of them is no then it is time to re-evaluate your horse’s diet to suit his current needs. Click here to view the Dengie ‘Fibre Feed Finder’ to see which Dengie fibre feed is most suitable for your horse this spring.

It’s not just the horse’s energy requirements that change with increased workload. Feeds formulated for horses in harder work often have higher levels of vitamins and minerals, some of which are powerful antioxidants. These are especially important to counteract some of the deleterious effects of exercise. Natural Vitality Performance Vits & Mins is a high specification broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement that contains generous levels of antioxidants for horses in medium to hard work. It should be added to the ration when feeding a fibre only diet, or when feeding significantly less than recommended of a feed with added vitamins and minerals.

For those horses and ponies destined for the show ring that all important ‘wow’ factor is necessary. This is no mean feat considering your horse has been doing a good impression of a hippopotamus all winter out in a muddy field! Although lots of elbow grease is required, nutrition also plays an important role in getting your horse to look its best. If your horse is already receiving a balanced ration then you can top up with Natural Vitality Joint & Condition or Natural Vitality Coat & Hoof to give your horse that extra shine and condition to help it stand out in the show ring this spring.

If your horse has lacklustre skin and coat condition then Natural Vitality Joint & Condition may help. This is a natural oil supplement that provides omega-3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids and is the best non-marine source of omega-3 available for your horse. Omega-3 is a constituent of cell membranes that is vital for maintaining normal skin structure and function, which is why it can be beneficial to promoting good skin and coat condition.

If your horse has poor coat and hoof condition then Dengie Natural Vitality Coat & Hoof may be a more appropriate option than just oil alone. It is formulated to be fed on top of a balanced diet to provide higher levels of certain ingredients and nutrients that are specifically linked to promoting good coat and hoof condition including alfalfa, omega-oils, biotin and zinc.

Spring Grass

As the days lengthen and the weather becomes milder grass growth begins once more. The spring months are the time to ‘Watch Out for Laminitis’ and many horses and ponies may need to have their grass intake restricted by limited time at grass, strip grazing, or the use of a grazing muzzle. With four Laminitis Trust Approved products including Hi-Fi Lite, Alfa-A Lite, Alfa-Beet and Healthy Hooves, Dengie has the most flexible options available to help you manage your laminitis prone horse or pony this spring.

For horses and ponies that have had limited grass access over the winter months, turnout on to ‘lush’ spring grazing constitutes a rapid change in diet and can potentially lead to digestive disturbance such as loose droppings. To support your horse’s digestive system during any dietary change this spring make any feed changes gradually and consider using a digestive supplement such as Natural Vitality Digestive Health Plus that combines a prebiotic, probiotic and yeast all in one supplement.

New beginnings

The spring months are also traditionally the time that foals are born as the dam can make the most of the energy and nutrients that spring grass contains. For those broodmares that are entering, or are now well in to, their last trimester of pregnancy it is important to ensure they are getting a balanced ration to see them through the final stages. Sixty percent of foetal development occurs during this time, which means that the mare’s nutrient and energy requirements also increase.

For broodmares that struggle to maintain weight or have limited appetites Fibremix Complement is the ideal choice. A palatable, concentrated low starch mix, it is formulated to be fed in smaller quantities than traditional mixes. This makes it ideal for fussy broodmares or those with limited appetites and as Fibremix Complement is based predominantly on ‘slow release’ energy sources it is also ideal for those more highly strung mares. When fed at the recommended quantity no additional vitamin and mineral supplementation is ecessary and Fibremix Complement also contains a yeast, prebiotic and probiotic to support gut health.

Alfalfa provides excellent levels of good quality protein and minerals such as calcium, making it an ideal addition to the ration of broodmares and youngstock. For broodmares that hold their weight well simply choose a feed from the Alfa-A or Hi-Fi range of fibre feeds and then, to provide a balanced ration, supplement with Dengie Natural Vitality Performance Vits & Mins.

When mares and youngstock are fed as a group it is possible that some may not receive their full quota of feed, especially if there are dominant individuals within the group. Additionally, mares and youngstock that do well on grass alone may need less than recommended amounts of a traditional stud ration, which means that they miss out on key nutrients. In these situations additional vitamin and mineral supplementation is advisable.

The Dengie Field Lick is a weatherproof feed block that provides extra vitamins and minerals needed to balance a grass and forage diet. They allow individuals to top up on essential nutrients as the need arises and are particularly useful for horses at the bottom of the social hierarchy, who may get 'bullied' off concentrate feeds.

For friendly feeding advice contact the Dengie Feedline 0845 345 5115 or e-mail feeds@dengie.com