Equestrian Life December 16 - January 17

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WINTER FEEDING Feeding Stabled Horses As a grazing herbivore, horses should ideally have access to 24 hour turnout but there are certain times when they may need to be stabled. In winter, especially, horses are often partially or fully stabled to receive additional feed and for protection against the elements. We spoke to Lisa Elliott - equine nutritionist at Smart Horse Nutrition - about how to ensure that stabled horses receive the correct diet to promote health and well-being throughout the winter months. FORAGE FOUNDATIONS Forage should always be the foundation and most important part of the diet, comprising 70 – 100% of the total diet. Feeding Ad-lib forage in the form of hay or haylage promotes mental well-being and digestive health, which is important for stabled horses who may not have 24 hour turnout. Ad-lib forage means that the horse should have access to a constant supply, so if your horse is stabled overnight in winter, for example, enough forage should be provided to see him through the entire night and into the following morning. Horses should never have an empty tummy for many hours as this can potentially lead to ulcers, digestive upset and stereotypical behaviour, so ad-lib forage is essential. For stabled Native types, good doers and those horses in light to moderate work, a 100% forage diet is an excellent way of suppling all of their energy needs. BALANCERS Whilst a forage based diet can easily meet the energy requirements for many stabled horses, it is unlikely that it will provide a fully balanced supply of micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and quality protein, which can be low in UK forage. Feeding a balancer is therefore, a good idea to provide the horse with all the micro-nutrients and protein he needs. A balancer is a nutrient dense feed designed to be fed in very small amounts, which when fed alongside forage, should balance the diet and ensure all daily vitamin, mineral and protein requirements are met for optimum health. Look for a good quality balancer containing only wholesome, nutritious ingredients which can provide superior nutrition without the use of cereal by-products, fillers and GMO ingredients. Balancers often contain other beneficial ingredients such as yeast based probiotics which have been shown to enhance fibre fermentation¹, allowing your stabled or partially stabled horse to get the most out of his forage diet and further enhancing his health over the winter months. ADDITIONAL FEEDS FOR THE STABLED HORSE For some horses, such as hard working horses, veterans or poor doers, a forage only diet with a balancer will not satisfy their increased energy requirements over the winter and additional sources of energy will need to be provided. Look for easily digestible fibres such as unmolassed beet or grass nuts, high oil feeds such as linseed meal and small amounts of cooked cereal starch. A muesli based feed containing all of these and providing wholesome superior nutrition without cereal by-products or GMO ingredients is a good way of providing stabled horses with extra energy for work or weight gain. If your stabled horse needs his extra calories from a very low starch diet, then a high oil feed such as linseed meal which can be fed in larger amounts as necessary for work and weight gain is ideal. TOP TIPS FOR MANAGING THE STABLED HORSE 1 Make sure your stabled horse has constant access to clean fresh water, to prevent dehydration and promote digestive health 2 Offer a variety of forages to stabled horses, which research has shown can encourage natural foraging behaviour and potentially reduce stereotypical behaviour²̓³ 3 Make sure the horse has daily exercise and/or turnout to promote mental wellbeing and gut mobility. 1. Morgan, L., Coverdale, J., Froetschel, M and Yoon, I. (2007) Effect of Yeast Culture Supplementation on Digestibility of Varying Forage Quality in Mature Horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 27 (6), pp. 260-265. 2. Thorne, J.B., Goodwin, D., Kennedy, M.J., Davidson, H.P.B. and Harris, P. (2005) Foraging enrichment for individually housed horses: Practicality and effects on behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 94, pp. 149-164. 3. Goodwin, D., Davidson, H.P.B. and Harris P. (2007) Responses of horses offered a choice between stables containing single or multiple forages. Veterinary Record. 160, pp. 548-551. Smart Horse Nutrition is a brand new feed company on mission to allow you to take control of your horse’s diet. By providing you with the 3 essential building blocks of a balanced diet – micro nutrients (Smart Balance), macro nutrients (a Smart Muesli) and fibre, Smart allows every horse’s diet to be tailored exactly to its individual needs, for the benefit of your horse’s health and your pocket. For more information see www.smarthorsenutrition.com 32 December 2016 - January 2017 Equestrian Life
Battle Winter Ailments with Blue Chip As ground conditions are notoriously changeable throughout this period, hoof care is paramount to keeping your horse sound and in consistent work. All Blue Chip balancers contain SoundHoofTM, a dedicated zinc, methionine and biotin based hoof supplement that promotes the growth of strong, pliable horn to help keep hooves in top condition this winter. Also, as mud fever is so prevalent at this time of year, Blue Chip are the only feed balancers to include Nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA and RNA, which are vital in cell turnover and the immune response, helping to fight off the harmful bacteria that can cause this common winter problem which is triggered by prolonged exposure to wet and muddy conditions. In each Blue Chip balancer, the specifically tailored levels of zinc which are incorporated into the formula promotes the development of a strong, shiny coat, by aiding keratin formation, which improves the quality of the hair at a structural level, helping to keep your horse glowing all winter long. Linseed and Soya oils provide Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which keep skin healthy and scurf free, preventing breakages which would have previously allowed infection to easily enter the body or cause conditions such as rain scald. With regards to maintaining winter condition, Blue Chip balancers are the perfect feeding option as they provide the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your horse or pony requires on a daily basis to thrive and achieve optimum health and well-being. As winter warmth is such a vital factor in preserving condition and a steady weight when the temperatures drop, the inclusion of a top quality yeast probiotic doubles the digestibility of the fibre you provide, allowing your horse or pony to gain additional energy and nutrients via increased digestive efficiency, providing them with the extra calories that they need to keep warm this winter. Finally, as prolonged periods of stabling are expected during this season, keeping your horse or pony’s lungs and airways clear is imperative to ensure no breathing difficulties arise. One way to manage this is to ensure constant air flow around your stable block can occur, but also, the dedicated eucalyptus and menthol based respiratory supplement, PrimoVentoTM in your Blue Chip balancer will help soothe the airways and keep congestion under control to maintain healthy lung function. With a balancer to suit every horse or pony, choose from: • Blue Chip Original, Blue Chip Pro, Blue Chip Lami-light, Blue Chip Original Native • Super Concentrated Calming, Senior, Daily Health and ULSA-Cool Balancers For more information on any of the Blue Chip products, visit www.bluechipfeed.com or call 0114 266 6200 for dedicated feeding advice Weight Watching for Veterans New to Allen & Page’s hugely popular Barley & Molasses Free Range, is an excellent new feed, VETERAN LIGHT, which has been specifically formulated for older horses and ponies that are good doers. Providing all the nutritional requirements for optimum health (when fed at recommended levels) as horses get older, it still achieves a low calorie/energy level which is ideal for those who hold weight too well. Being high in fibre and low in both starch and sugar (less than 10% combined starch/sugar), it is also suitable for horses and ponies prone to laminitis. Made using only the finest Non- GM, Vegetarian Society Approved ingredients, VETERAN LIGHT also includes prebiotics and probiotics to help maintain a healthy digestive system and linseed is added as a source of Omega 3. It also contains a carefully selected blend of herbs with added vitamin C and a high level of vitamin E. In addition, VETERAN LIGHT is also suitable for horses and ponies with intolerances to barley, molasses, alfalfa and/or soya. VETERAN LIGHT is highly palatable, even to fussy feeders and is perfectly suited to those at rest or in light work. For older horses that may struggle to chew and would therefore benefit from a soaked feed, VETERAN LIGHT is quick soaking in just 30-60 seconds. VETERAN LIGHT is BETA NOPS approved, as is the whole of the Barley & Molasses Free Range. BETA NOPS is a scheme designed to reduce the risk of naturally occurring prohibited substances in equine feed. Allen & Page has produced a free factsheet on Feeding Veterans which is available from stockists, and as a download via the website at www.veteranhorsefeeds.co.uk If you would like specific advice for your horse’s individual situation, call Allen & Page’s award winning Nutrition Team for helpful, friendly advice on 01362 822902, or you can also e-mail helpline@ allenandpage.co.uk www.equestrianlifemagazine.co.uk 33
Page 1: Issue 259 Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 | £2
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Page 21 and 22: WHERE TO TRAIN Fully Open for Busin
Page 23 and 24: REVIEW TRIED & TESTED The Felix Buh
Page 25 and 26: COMPETITIONS WIN an Aspey © Jacket
Page 27 and 28: D wicking, hardwearing, durable K t
Page 29 and 30: Dont forget rider fitness Intermedi
Page 31: Pennlands Lord Matcho Donald I was
Page 35 and 36: HORSE HEALTH Winter ailments and mu
Page 37 and 38: Weight watching your veteran? QUICK
Page 39 and 40: SHOWS SHOTS 15th OCTOBER 2016 QUORN
Page 41 and 42: Angus Smales & Master Crisp (1st pl
Page 43 and 44: Millie Simpson and Mum Lucy Sawyer
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Page 53 and 54: SHOWS Unaffiliated Dressage Show an
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Page 59 and 60: Your Events Calendar For The Month
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Equestrian Life December 16 - January 17

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