Paddy Muir

Balancing work, temperaments and diets

Bramham turned out a big disappointment for me this year – I arrived with Stan looking amazing, trim and fit to run for his life. He did a lovely test and was well in contention only to blunder up the step out of the water at fence 4!!!! He was a bit bold into the water and found the distance a little short to the step and was unlucky not to stand up – he was unharmed and no worse for the experience.

We are still working hard on his show jumping and will compete at some affiliated shows over the next month or two before Gatcombe. He hasn’t had the rest he would have had having completed Bramham, but his work has been reduced and his diet modified – his ‘Alfa A’ has been substituted for ‘Hi Fi’ and he is not getting Alfa beet as he is getting more grass than before and I don’t want him to gain weight.

My biggest find in the Dengie range is ‘Healthy Hooves’. I find horses feet get a bit ropey and crack away after the spring grass, and the youngsters get a bit frisky at this time of year, so substituting one of their feeds a day with a scoop of Healthy Hooves helps the feet and keeps them sane. As it is impossible to ride the young horses every weekend with competing it is essential they are on a diet which keeps them calm and with Dengie products it is very easy to modify the diets as to what work you are doing.

I have a seven year old which had a kissing spine and had cortisone injections for 6 months. Amazingly he has come right but gets highly excited and tense at the thoughts of jumping and competition. A week before his first event I fed him only on Healthy Hooves and Dengie Fibremix and the transformation was unbelievable – he competed his Pre Novice calmly and well with no tension all day but still had plenty of energy on the Cross Country. He had no other supplements apart from electrolytes.

Our pony has been going well – we are careful with its diet especially at this time of year where they are always in danger of getting too much grass. She is restricted to 4 hours grazing with 2 small feeds per day of Hi Fi with a little water and carrots and a handful of pony nuts. She gets ridden three times a week with one show on average, and is keeping in great shape.

I am looking forward to a holiday in Spain next week, so all the horses will have an easy time hacking.

Paddy

26th June 2009