NUTRITION changes can disrupt their populations which could result in loose droppings, colic or even By Emma Short BSc (Hons) laminitis. When changing a diet quickly, a ‘digestive enhancer’, such as a pre or probiotic, can help the bacteria adapt to the THE NECESSARY CHANGES IN new diet, thus reducing the risk of upsets occurring. DIET AND ROUTINE, THAT The length of time the horse will OFTEN ACCOMPANY A HORSE’S be on box rest and his current ILLNESS OR INJURY, CAN BE feeding regime will determine ALMOST AS STRESSFUL AS THE how significantly his diet needs to be altered. For short term box PROBLEM ITSELF SO NEED TO rest, concentrates may be BE HANDLED IN A WAY THAT reduced by about two thirds and MINIMISES THE RISK OF ‘top dressed’ with a low calorie SECONDARY SETBACKS AND balancer, to maintain protein MAXIMISES THE CHANCES OF A and micro-nutrient levels. If the horse on long term box rest SPEEDY RECOVERY. requires concentrates to maintain condition, a gradual orrect nutrition may be With no access to pasture and a the floor or fed in boredom change can be made to a lower considered vital for reduction in concentrate feed, balls. energy feed, over 4 to 5 days the horse’s overall nutrient optimum performance after the previous diet has been Changing The Horse’s intake can drop significantly. A but its role in supporting reduced. Diet low calorie balancer is ideal in healing, and a subsequent For horses needing more help to Abrupt dietary changes are return to work or competition, these circumstances as it maintain condition, a nonnormally best avoided but it provides all the vitamins, should also not be heating fully balanced may be necessary to drastically minerals and quality protein the underestimated. conditioning feed can be fed. reduce a fit horse’s concentrate horse requires, for maintenance ration if his workload is suddenly Low starch options, delivering Vital Fibre and all-important repair, but reduced or stopped. The horse’s their slow release calories from Even quite minor injuries can without the energy that could gut bacteria take time to adjust fibre and oil, are ideal where mean a horse is confined to his cause behavioural and digestive to a new feed and any sudden Continued overleaf... stable for a couple of days so it’s upsets. important that he has access to Boredom may also become a plenty of fibre to promote problem during prolonged box normal gut function and help rest so it can be worth relieve boredom. Of the microintroducing both stable toys and organisms in the horse’s hind alternative forage sources to gut, some are involved in fibre keep the horse’s mind active and digestion whilst some have an satisfy his need to chew. These important role in helping the can include alfalfa or ‘light’ horse to resist disease and chaffs and soaked beet products, recover from infections, which can be given in large trugs particularly of the digestive or buckets, separate from the tract. Plenty of fibre is therefore hard feed ration, to encourage important both as a source of natural foraging behaviour. High nutrients and for helping to fibre cubes or nuggets are also keep the horse healthy. ideal and can be scattered on
FEEDING FOR RECOVERY
C
44
