Articles in the Plan365 section allow Farmlands suppliers to share best practice and the latest advances in rural technology, to help shareholders with their farming needs all year round.
Changes in weather require shift in feed
While it may be difficult to admit that the shorter days and colder temperatures have arrived, adjusting your horse’s feeding and management according to the change in weather is essential. Although New Zealand winters are generally mild compared with the northern hemisphere, temperatures can still drop considerably. Now is the time to start thinking about how your horse’s daily nutritional requirements will change in the winter and how you can be sure that he or she stays in tip-top condition right through until spring. Cold weather puts extra demands on a horse’s metabolism. More energy is required for daily activities in the cold compared with the same activities performed in a milder climate. Therefore while ‘good doers’ that hold their weight well may not require any changes in management, many horses and ponies will need extra feed for maintenance, conditioning and work. The most effective way to establish if a horse requires more or less calories in
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their diet is to monitor their weight with scales or a weigh tape and assess body condition regularly. While weigh tapes are often inaccurate, if used correctly they can still be valuable for identifying changes. Body condition scoring is also essential to ensure even small changes are noticed before they start to become a problem and should be used in conjunction with weight assessment. Forage should be the basis of all horses’ diets and each horse should consume at least 1.5 percent of their body weight in pasture and/or hay daily. Consistent consumption of quality fibre ensures optimum digestive tract health and helps to keep the horse warm. If pastures are low, then supplementary hay will be required, with the type of hay selected very important. For good doers that maintain their weight well, a mature grass hay with lower sugar content is recommended. Because legume hays contain more calories than grass hay, they’re perfect for horses requiring more calories. Legume blends such as grass combined with clover or lucerne are ideal.
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Chaff varieties and ensiled forages are ideal to increase fibre, however the majority of the forage a horse consumes is best to come from long stemmed sources such as pasture and hay. Working horses or particularly poor doers will be unable to maintain condition on forage alone at this time of the year and will require calories from hard feed. Complete feeds such as the range of high-quality feeds in the NRM and McMillan ranges are a convenient option, as they provide all required protein and nutrients, as well as extra calories. Feeds containing high quality fat sources such as KER Equi-Jewel®, NRM Low GI, Ultimate Sport and McMillan Muscle Relieve are a real advantage for preventing weight loss. KER Equi-Jewel® is a high fat low starch supplement that is one of the most effective and safest ways to achieve weight gain. For assistance with feeding plans for all types of horses, consult an experienced equine nutritionist. Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutritionist
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