Case Study: Alfalfa Pellet and Stable Lick
Jimmy is a 26 year-old, 15hh welsh cob that lives out all year round as a companion to Chester. Jimmy is retired and usually maintains his weight well on good grazing and ad-lib hay, but last winter his owner Mary noticed that he was starting to struggle to maintain condition.
As Chester loves Alfa-A Original Mary decided to try it for Jimmy too, but he didn’t seem to eat enough of it. When Mary contacted the Dengie feedline she commented that Jimmy seemed to like the Alfa-A Original, but just got fed up with chewing after a while which meant that Chester who is naturally a more greedy horse, was getting second helpings as they were both fed in the field together.
Suggested Ration
- 1.5-3kg Alfalfa Pellets (1-2 large round scoops)
- Dengie Stable Lick ad-lib
As Jimmy seemed to like Alfa-A Original but appeared to have a limited appetite, Alfalfa Pellets were suggested as an alternative. Alfalfa Pellets are pure alfalfa with absolutely nothing else added. They require less chewing than Alfa-A Original as most of the work has already been done for the horse, so they can be useful for 'tricking' the horse into eating more. A large round scoop holds approx. 1.5kg of Alfalfa Pellets compared to 400g of Alfa-A Original so much less 'volume' needs to be fed making them great for horses with limited appetites.
A Stable Lick is a useful way to top up on vitamins and minerals for horses at grass so is ideal for Jimmy and Chester who share a field. Stable Licks are in fact, weatherproof and so can be used out in the paddock. The addition of molasses makes them a palatable treat to encourage consumption so that the recommended levels of vitamins and minerals are consumed. At 12.5kg they are smaller than the Dengie Field Licks and are useful for horse owners that have a small number of horses. A Dengie Stable lick will last one-horse approx. two weeks on average.
