Case Study: Naked Oats

Valista aka Winnie is a 16.2hh, 5 year-old WB who competes in Senior Newcomers Show Jumping.  Winnie's owner Carly spoke to the Dengie Feedline as Winnie can sometimes lack "sparkle" when competing and although not overweight, has a tendency to put on weight easily.  Winnie's existing ration was based on chaff and cool mix.

Suggested Ration:

• Alfa-A Original 1kg (3 large round scoops)
• Natural Vitality Performance Vits & Mins 90g (1.5 measures)
• Naked Oats - literally by the handful.

Alfa-A Original is pure alfalfa with a light molasses coating and has a calorie level comparable to a pasture or cool mix/cube.  Like many horses that hold weight easily Winnie was fed less mix than recommended and was therefore missing out on some important nutrients.  Alfa-A Original was suggested as it supplies enough energy for horses in work, but offers Carly a more flexible feeding option.  Carly can adjust the quantities of Alfa-A Original to suit Winnie's bodyweight and workload, but will still provide a balanced ration as Natural Vitality Performance Vits & Mins are added separately.

To promote "sparkle" or "oomph" it was suggested that Dengie Naked Oats should be used.  Naked Oats are a variety of oats grown without a husk and are very energy dense.  To avoid unwanted weight gain it was suggested that the Naked Oats only be fed to Winnie when they are needed.  For example, if Winnie is competing on a Saturday they can be gradually added to the ration by the handful from the Thursday.  After the competition they should be reduced or removed so that excess energy is not supplied when it is not needed.

Carly feels that she has now got the balance of weight and "sparkle" just right with Winnie's new ration.  Carly says you can really see Winnie's enthusiasm in the recent photo taken at the Amateur InterNations Cup.

Picture: www.flashharryphotography.com