NUTRITION LOCATED IN NEWMARKET BUT WORKING BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY DONNA CASE BSC (HONS) IS THE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED EQUINE NUTRITIONIST WHO RUNS ‘THE HORSE FEED GURU’, AN EQUINE NUTRITION CONSULTANCY. FORMERLY A COMMERCIAL NUTRITIONIST ACROSS THREE BRANDS, NOW COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT, HER AIM IS TO DEMYSTIFY FEEDING FOR THE GOOD OF THE HORSE AND RIDER.
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s the weather heats up and summer activities are in full swing, what should you think about with your horse’s diet? Firstly you may find that with all the competitions, long sunny hacks and beach rides your horse is working harder than in other seasons and may need a little extra help to meet their energy requirements. Before you jump to change feeds however, make sure you are feeding enough forage. For some just a simple increase in hay and haylage may be enough. Following this if you are
feeding below the manufacturer recommended amount of your current hard feed it may be a simple case of increasing the amount fed. If you feel you need to move to a competition based feed, make sure you choose one suitable for your horse’s temperament, so think slow releasing fibres and oils for excitable types. Do remember however that when we increase the energy level in the diet effectively we are increasing the calorie level, as a calorie is a unit of energy. Monitor and ensure your horse does not become overweight as a result of the energy increase.
Revive is an easy to mix great tasting rehydration powder. Helps replace salts and minerals lost through sweat. Just 2oz in 4 litres of water, so a little goes a long way. RRP: £26/3kg plus free delivery. www.animal-health.co.uk
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Moving on from this it is important to replenish electrolytes. Horses with access to a good amount of forage or grass will normally have a potassium intake in excess of daily requirements. Sodium and chloride intake however is often minimal and needs to be rectified. Normal table salt is an easy way to achieve this. The amount of electrolytes your horse will lose will vary, but for most leisure horses who go out for hacks, schooling, clinics or low-level competitions, will typically require around 1tbsp of table salt per day to rectify the sodium and chloride lost through sweat. If you are competing or working at a higher level, or if your horse eats low levels of forage or the sweat loss is high it would be well worth having
a nutritionist look at your plan and check the electrolyte replacement strategy is in line with his requirements. Alongside this it is important to ensure rehydration and provide access to clean, fresh water at all times. If your horse is fussy whilst away at an event consider taking water from home, which may encourage him to drink more. If you need further support with fluid intake you can create very wet hard feeds, or mashes so long as you introduce gradually. www.thehorsefeed guru.com
Apple Lytes have been carefully formulated to replace the key electrolytes and encourage drinking to help prevent dehydration and maintain peak performance all season. Apple Lytes are highly palatable, and should be mixed in feed. Clean, fresh water should always be available. RRP: from £18.50/2.5kg. www.equine-america.co.uk
