News
PREPARING FOR PONY CLUB CAMP
16th July 2007
With the summer holidays nearly upon us many of you will be preparing your ponies for summer camp. Amongst all the other things you need to do it is important to consider if you need to make any changes to your pony's diet.
Should I change my pony's diet?
The answer to this question may actually be no depending on what you currently feed and your pony's workload.? It is a good idea to perform a "MOT" on the existing ration to determine the following:
- Is it maintaining your pony at an ideal bodyweight?
- Is your pony's behaviour good?
- Is the diet balanced?
- Has the pony got enough energy for the work he is doing?
If the answer to all of these questions is yes and your pony is already working at the same level that he will be doing at camp then there is no need to change his ration.? If the answer to any of the above is no or the pony's workload is going to increase significantly while he is at camp, then it is time to make some changes.? Our top tips for feeding different types of ponies are as follows:
The Fizzy Pony
Pony Club camp is an exciting time for everyone involved including the ponies!? Stabling away from home with other unfamiliar ponies and taking part in lots of different exciting activities may mean that some ponies can become "over the top".? Adjusting your pony's diet may help to keep him level headed.
Top Tips
- Consider the predominant type of energy source supplied by your feed.? This can easily be checked by looking at the ingredients list as ingredients are listed by order of inclusion.? High energy feeds based on "quick release" energy sources such as starch from cereal grains are anecdotally linked to over-exuberant behaviour.
- Try and feed a ration based predominantly or entirely on "slow release" energy sources such as fibre and oil, which are less likely to promote over-exuberant behaviour.? Many of the Dengie feeds fall into this category including the Alfa-A and Hi-Fi ranges, New Healthy Hooves and Alfa-Beet.
- Don't supply more energy than your pony needs by increasing the feed ration before increasing workload, as this may make your pony more excitable.
- Take some time out to allow your pony some in hand grazing if it is safe and you are allowed to do so.? This "chill out" time can be really valuable for keeping your pony level headed.
The Pony that struggles to Maintain Weight:
Ponies that typically struggle to maintain their bodyweight may find it even harder during the summer months when the school holidays mean more riding, especially in preparation for summer camp.? If your pony is like this then it may mean that you will have to consider feeding a higher energy or "calorie" feed to meet the demands of increased workload and to encourage weight gain.
Top Tips
- If you feed by volume, i.e. the scoop, now is the time to get those kitchen scales out and weigh how much you feed your pony.? Many people underestimate what they feed especially if they are using fibre based products like the Dengie fibre feeds.? For example, did you know that a scoop of Alfa-A Original only weighs approximately 400g compared to one scoop of mix that weighs around 1kg?
- Check that you feed according to your pony's bodyweight and workload.? Many people who have ponies that struggle to maintain condition tend to use a combination of various feeds at less than the recommended quantity.? If your pony needs to put on weight choose a conditioning feed and feed it at the recommended quantity to get the full benefit.
- It can often be tricky to get the balance between supplying enough energy to support the extra workload and promote weight gain without encouraging over-exuberant behaviour.? Use a conditioning feed based on "slow release" energy such as Dengie Alfa-A Oil, which is less likely to promote over exuberant behaviour and make any feed changes gradually.
The pony that is overweight, or holds weight easily and can be lazy
It can be really frustrating having a pony that has a tendency to be lazy especially when competing against the clock.? The temptation can often be to feed a higher energy feed in an attempt to promote "sparkle" or "oomph", but sometimes this can make the problem worse as it just leads to further weight gain.? Although little can be done to promote "sparkle" in a naturally laid back pony, keeping bodyweight in check and providing a source of "quick release" energy can help others.
Top Tips
- Increased workload doesn't automatically mean a need to increase or change to a higher energy feed.? If your pony is already overweight this could just make the problems worse.
- Ensure that your pony receives a balanced diet as restricting the ration to control bodyweight may mean that your pony is missing out on a number of important vitamins and minerals.? If you are feeding a forage only ration, or less than recommended of a feed with added vitamins and minerals top up with a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement from the Natural Vitality range.
- To promote "sparkle" and "oomph" add Dengie Naked Oats literally by the handful to a low calorie balanced ration, such as one of the products from the Hi-Fi range, combined with a Natural Vitality vitamin and mineral supplement.? Although it's probably best not to try this for the first time at camp!
Further Considerations!
Even if you think you have your pony's ration sorted, here are a few more tips to make sure things run smoothly away from home.
- Take your own water and feed buckets away with you as your pony will be used to drinking and eating from these.? Buckets that smell unfamiliar may put your pony off consuming the usual ration.
- If your pony is reluctant to drink the wate away from home take some of your own away with you or train your pony to drink flavoured water.? This will mask the taste of the water wherever you travel to.
- Increased exercise and warm summer weather increases the need for added electrolytes in your pony's ration to reduce dehydration.? Feeding soaked feeds such as Dengie Alfa-Beet can make electrolyte supplements more acceptable to your pony and also encourage further water intake.
If you need feeding advice or help for your pony club camp call the Dengie Feedline on 0845 345 5115.
