Testimonial:Delicia

Rachel Smyth recently contacted Dengie to say thank you for the advice she received by a member of the Dengie Nutrition team for her mare, Delicia, a few years ago at her local tack shop’s open day. Delicia, a then 6 year old Hanoverian was deeming notoriously difficult to feed appropriately. She was in medium level work with a lot of natural energy, a stressy mare who was a poor doer but with an intolerance to cereals. Conventional and modern conditioning feeds made her temperament almost unridable and Delicia was never truly happy within herself, the word ulcers was on the tongue of many who knew her.

Rachel attended the open evening two years ago and in discussion with the Dengie Nutritionist they spoke about Delicia and the problems Rachel was having getting her to gain and maintain her weight, as she was deemed rather poor on conventional condition scoring. A diet consisting of Alfa A Oil, Alfa-A Balancer and sugarbeet was recommended and with much trepidation Rachel started to slowly take Delicia off her normal feed and introduce the new diet, backed up by ad lib hay and plenty of turn out.
“I never thought my Hanoverian mare would ever look how she does now” says Rachel “Well what can I say, the change occurred gradually, Delicias droppings became more fibrous and of the correct consistency, she lost the sensitivity around her stomach and her temperament change dramatically. It was like I had a whole new horse!”

Two years down the line, Rachel can honestly say that her attitudes towards feeding have been completely changed! “I always assumed that Delicia would never get the right amount of energy nor weight from fibre alone, but how wrong I was. Delicia is now a big, beautiful and up to weight horse. Not only did she put on the weight and condition she desperately needed, but she has maintained this throughout the winter. So much so that people cannot believe I feed her fibre alone! My own trainer thought I was lying until I showed her the feed room and feed charts. Out of a stable yard of 14 horses, the 'stress head' Delicia has come out of this very harsh and grueling winter looking like she vacationed somewhere exotic and full of food! Not only did she not drop weight in the winter months but with a careful eye kept on her weight and feeding regime, she gained weight when needed. This used to be unheard of for Delicia”.

Rachel says “I just wanted to write and say that you to the lovely people at Dengie, who all those years ago made me change my concept around feeding a bog standard conditioning feed, and get back to nature as it were to find the key to the problems. Delicia is still a mare and can have her moments, but she is showing absolutely no signs of ulcers anymore, looks absolutely fantastic and is happy and contented within both work and play.
Dengie truly are a one in a million company and I would never settle for any alternative again”.