Feed SPECIAL
Keeping your horse’s diet in focus
INSIDE
• Beating obesity: helping your horse stay in shape • From field to bag: how it happens • The top new products • Latest news
FEED SPECIAL OBESITY
The
FAT of the land
P
ictures of starving horses in high-profile cruelty cases are guaranteed to spark fury, and rightly so. But there’s another welfare issue that puts horses’ lives at risk and, in some cases, may be even more dangerous. Obesity in horses has become as much a problem as in people, but while human fatties — or their parents — can take steps to control their diet and exercise, horses are dependent on their owners. Give a horse the chance and he’ll spend most of his time eating because it’s what he’s evolved to do and why the phrase “eat like a horse” is common parlance. One problem is simply that we’ve become accustomed to seeing fatter horses. World Horse Welfare has had calls from people worried that animals in correct condition were too thin, while the Blue Cross says that 40% of horses and ponies taken in last year were overweight or obese. Both charities run education campaigns to make owners realise that animals that may be described euphemistically as naturally good doers, well-covered or cuddly may suffer long-term or even fatal damage. “When an underweight horse is
32 APRIL 2011 HORSE DEALS
Obesity in horses and ponies is becoming a major problem. Carolyn Henderson investigates
admitted to one of our centres, it’s relatively quick to get them to the right weight through correct management and feeding — and unless they have been emaciated for a long time, there’s often no lasting damage,” says Kath Unwin, manager of the Blue Cross’s Hilda Archer Centre in Rolleston, Staffordshire. “With overweight ones, it takes longer to get them to the correct weight and they’re more likely to have associated long-term problems: in particular, laminitis, which is life-changing.” Nutritionists at major feed companies are also worried. If you find this ironic, you’re wrong: their job isn’t to persuade owners to feed as much as possible, but to feed the right way. The risks are not just a case of “Does my bum look big in this rug?” They range from too much stress on limbs, heart and lungs to laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Dr Teresa Hollands, nutritionist for Dodson & Horrell, says obesity seems to be the main cause of EMS and that fat, once considered to be an inert form that acted as storage for excess calories, was much less innocent. We now know that body fat contains cells that are active metabolically and hormonally. When too many of these cells are present,
their effect can trigger metabolic disturbances that, in turn, are linked to inflammation and laminitis. So how do you recognise whether a horse or pony is in correct condition, especially if you see him every day? The only reliable way is body fat scoring, which means you need to feel as well as visually assess your horse. Some experts work on a system of scoring from one to nine and others, from zero to five. The higher the number, the bigger the problem, so the lowest number in each system indicates an animal who is very underweight and the highest identifies one who is obese. It’s important to look at the right parts of your horse when making an assessment. In particular, remember that the ribs are an area where fat is laid down, but the underbelly isn’t. The danger areas for fat deposits are neck and crest, shoulders, ribs, either side of the withers and just above the tail. Teresa Hollands recommends mentally dividing a horse into three areas: neck and shoulder, back and ribs and, finally, hindquarters. You also need to get hands-on. For instance, when his head is in a normal raised position, his crest shouldn’t wobble and you should be able to feel the point and outline of the shoulder blade easily. Whenever the subject of overweight animals Tel: 01733 468000
FEED SPECIAL OBESITY
BEFORE I HOPE JUDGES FEEL THAT IF THE HORSES IN FRON Y SHOULDN’T GIVE THEM PRIZES – VET JANE NIXON is raised, the showing world is the first sector to come under fire. There’s good and bad news because although it’s generally agreed that the message is getting across, there are still many owners who need to rethink their management and mindsets. Showing exhibitors often point out that it’s unfair to compare their horses or ponies to eventers or racehorses. And both Teresa Hollands and Isabel Harker, a travelling nutritionist for Spillers Horse Feeds, agree. “It’s all too common to read about horses being in good condition, but that word ‘condition’ means different things to different people,” says Teresa. “A showing judge will stand back and look at the overall shape and conformation, an eventer will be looking for a different shape and many horseowners might describe two-year-old racehorses as being too thin!” Emphasising that no horse should be fat, she points out that show horses and racehorses are very different in their overall body shape. “A show horse can look big and bulky, but I might fat score it at two if the bulk’s due to muscle, not fat,” she explains. Isabel travels the UK with a weighbridge, visiting yards and events to help owners work out whether their horses are in correct condition – and if not, how to put things right. She is finding that many showing owners are ready to put their horses on the weighbridge and ask her to score their animals’ body fat, but a tiny minority remains blind to the dangers. “Some people are very aware, but some don’t Using a weightape as part of the body far scoring process
www.horsedeals.co.uk
This 10-year-old 13.2hh mare was on a diet for almost a year and lost 87kg of bodyweight
AFTER
seem to care,” she says. “It’s an issue particularly with cob classes and especially cobs ridden by men. “They say that the horses are successful, so they aren’t going to get weight off them while they’re winning. But the awareness is there, and that’s the first step.” Yet a lot of cobs would probably do better if they did go to fat camp. “Their movement would be so much better,” adds Isabel. Lynn Russell, who shows a team of cobs for sponsor Baileys Horse Feeds and also judges, agrees: “Topline comes from muscle, not fat, and the only way to get muscle is through a mixture of correct feeding and correct work. There’s nothing worse than sitting on a show
horse that wobbles from side to side because it’s too fat to move properly.” There is still a misconception that piling weight on to a horse whose conformation isn’t up to scratch will fool the judges. Wrong! Jane Nixon is a consultant vet to the BEF Futurity scheme and has competed her own working hunters at top level. She says exhibitors who think fat can hide a multitude of sins are deluding themselves. “The points of a horse are landmarks set at protruding points of bone,” she explains. “This means conformation is based on an underlying skeletal framework that is unalterable after maturity. “The only variables that can be ‘managed’ are condition, hoof balance and the balance of APRIL 2011 HORSE DEALS 33
FEED SPECIAL OBESITY
THE WORD ‘CONDITION’ MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE – NUTRITIONIST THERESA HOLLANDS A line up of fit show cobs. It is unusual for any cob to be without “love handles” behind the shoulders
Pictures by The Blue Cross, Spillers and Horse Deals
the dental arcade. Condition in the furnished animal relates to muscle development between the bones – which comes through fittening – and fat deposition, through nutrition. “You cannot turn fat into muscle and show horses and ponies shouldn’t be fat. Fat laid down on an obese horse in the crest, shoulder
Spillers nutritionist Isabel Harker takes a weighbridge to yards 34 APRIL 2011 HORSE DEALS
and tail-head areas can be a precursor to that horse developing laminitis.” While Jane feels that show horses, including hunters, are still too fat, sport horse classes are setting the standard. “If any were come in front of the judges too fat, they’d get slammed,” she says. Jane would like to see judges in showing classes follow suit and acknowledges that some are. “I hope judges feel that if the horses in front of them weren’t good enough in this respect, they shouldn’t give them prizes,” she says. No one is out to pillory owners and Isabel Harker’s attitude is that even if a horse is too fat, the fact that its owner is asking for advice wins him or her a pat on the back. She also points out that averaging out body scores gives a more realistic assessment. “There aren’t many cobs who don’t have what I call little ‘love handles’ behind the shoulders,” she says. “But if I score a horse six for that area and he’s a five everywhere else, his overall score will be five. I look at five as moderate and ideal for most horses and six as moderate to fleshy. I might score the rib area as six if I have to push quite hard to feel them.”
REDUCING GUIDELINES
• Cut calories, not bulk. Get advice from a feed
company or independent nutritionist on how to reduce your horse’s weight but still keep him happy. • Never starve a horse. As with people, weight loss should be gradual to avoid health risks. • Don’t overestimate the amount of work your horse does. Very few horses are in true hard work; a hour a day that mixes hacking and schooling counts as light work. • Walk the weight off. “Steady but active walking burns up more fat than trot or canter,” says Teresa Hollands. “Ensure your horse gets at least half an hour’s brisk walking per day, if necessary in hand.” • Weigh all feed, including forage. It’s easy to add a bit extra without realising. • There’s no such thing as a horse who gets fat on fresh air. They get fat on food – especially grass. Keep grass short and rather than limiting turnout, try a grazing muzzle. If he’s moving around, he’s using calories. For information on Blue Cross and WHW awareness campaigns, see www.bluecross.org.uk and www.worldhorsewelfare.org
Tel: 01733 468000
FEED SPECIAL PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
Feed products Dengie’s Healthy Hooves is a complete fibre feed ideal for promoting hoof quality, as welll as helping fight laminitis by combining vitamins and w minerals with fibre sources low in starch and sugars. Its slow-release energy fibre aids gut health, while added garlic provides palatability. Contact: RRP Dengie Feedline from (0845 345 5115) £11.85 www.dengie.com
(20kg)
Equilibra 500 + From Omega 3 feed £23.99 balancer has all (20kg) the benefits of the company’s previous product, with Omega 3 to further support health, fertility and performance. With optimum vitamin and mineral content, it complements forages, chaffs and hard feeds. The non-GM soy-free formulation in a 20kg bag costs from £23.99. Contact: GWF Nutrition (01225 708482) www.gwfnutrition.com SPILLERS® Senior Fibre is a balanced blend of RRP natural fibres to from complement senior £11.99 feeds. It contains short chopped alfalfa and straw chosen for consistent nutritional quality, combined with mint, garlic and soya oil. It also contains glucosamine, live yeast, vitamin E and selenium. Contact: SPILLERS® Care-Line (01908 226626) www.spillers-feeds.com
NAF’s Respirator Boost contains nutrients to support respiratory immunity and lung function. It is ideal for horses prone to congestion and weakness and the manufacturers say users will see a difference within 48hr. Contains rosemary extract, clove oil and eucalyptus oil. RRP Contact: NAF Freephone (0800 373106) from www.naf-uk.com
£13.95 (500ml) 36 APRIL 2011 HORSE DEALS
RRP
from Launched to £5.59 accompany Saracen Horse Feeds’ new - £5.89 Shape-Up™ feed, Slim-Chaff contains essential vitamins and minerals in a palatable form and is perfect for animals prone to laminitis or metabolic syndrome. It is easily mixed into concentrate feeds and adds bulk and fibre without unnecessary calories. Contact: Saracen Horse Feeds (01622 718487) www.saracenhorsefeeds.com Mollichaff Hoof Kind is a complete feed designed for the nutritional support of animals prone to laminitis. It is made from a high quality oat straw, dried alfalfa and fibre pellets topped with soya oil, with added vitamins, minerals, trace elements, antioxidants and biotin. Contact: HorseHage Helpline (01803 527257) www.horseage.co.uk
RRP from £6.20 (12.5kg)
Bailey’s Performance Balancer provides an optimum balance of RRP nutrients to support from muscle development, £26.99 strength and power and encourage rapid recovery from exertion. It also helps boost immunity and improves hoof quality and condition. Can be fed on its own with forage or straights. Contact: Baileys (01371 850247) www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
RRP £795
(Hay steamer)
Happy Horse’s heavy-duty plastic Stable Mate hay steamer is ideal for owners of one to three horses. It comes with a 2,000-watt, six-litre steam generator with built-in safety features and works with Mycosorb Equine Formula, a natural forage additive that removes mycotoxins from the gut. Contact: Happy Horse Products (01395 568896) www.happyhorseproducts.co.uk Tel: 01733 468000
2008 Your Horse Live Product of the Year
Chestnut Horse Feeds Bulk Bin feeding system
Allowing customers a hassle free feed time by delivering a bulk bin filled with a Chestnut feed of choice and replacing with a clean bin of fresh feed when the yard is running low.
Rodent proof, waterproof, lockable, on wheels and are on free loan for the life of the feed.
We are able to visit new customers for a nutritional assessment to recommend the most suitable of our feeds for your horses needs. Our complete feeds ensure a balanced diet with every scoop, we have a full range of feeds to cater for all needs whether you require a high fibre, low energy feed or a high oil, high energy performance feed. We supply feed to a wide range of customers from ’happy hackers’ to professional event riders and everyone in between. For free nutritional advice or to see how the bulk bins would suit you visit our website:
www.chestnuthorsefeeds.co.uk
or call us on: 01455
558808.
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Chestnut Horse Feeds, Newham Fields Farm, Willey, Rugby CV23 OSL Tel. 01455 558808 | Fax. 01455 559401 | E-mail. sales@anifeed.co.uk
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™
The natural answer to Laminitis
Groun new adbreaking develo pproach, p invest ed from the ca igating us Lamin es of itis
Feeding LaminTec 5-HT, plus good management and exercise, is regarded by horse owners as beneficial in laminitis care. beneficial ™
Maintains healthy circulatory and physiological systems in the laminitic horse. LaminTec 5-HT contains the naturally occurring herb feverfew, containing a compound called parthenolide. Research suggests that parthenolide supports better blood fl ow to the tissues affected by flow laminitis in the horse’s foot, helping to protect the horse. ™
For further information visit www.battles.co.uk or call
+44 (0) 1522 529 206 to find your nearest stockist
FEED SPECIAL BAILEYS HORSE FEEDS
A recipe for
SUCCESS
When they open a bag of feed, few people think about how it’s been made. Horse Deals pays a visit to the Baileys Horse Feeds HQ to find out
I
n the middle of the Essex countryside, not far from the picture postcard village of Finchingfield, in a former pig farm behind a thatched halftimbered cottage lies a hive of activity. Here, around 70 staff (PICTURE 1 over page)– including on site engineers to service the vital equipment — work hard to ensure that Baileys Horse Feeds stays at the forefront of the animal feeds market. There’s a pleasant aroma, as the machines clatter away, turning basic ingredients into some of the world’s most popular feeds. “It’s a six-day operation in two shifts,” explains marketing director Jane Buchan, an eventer who has been with the company for 10 years. “We start early on Monday morning, then work 24-hour days until Friday lunchtime. Staff also come in as necessary to help with packing and loading on Saturdays.” www.horsedeals.co.uk
This may be a family business, but Baileys, which started life in 1982, isn’t resting on its laurels. In the past few years, it has bought two other feed companies, Clark and Butcher and Badminton Feeds, which has grown its “own brand” business — feeds that are bagged and branded on behalf of retail outlets — and added to its range and production capacity through the Badminton Feeds factory in Hampshire.
The process
The starting point for all horse feed is when a lorry delivers the basic ingredients. These are tipped into a “hole in the ground” (2), where they begin their journey into bags of mix or cubes. The grain is locally sourced wherever possible and comprises mainly wheat, barley and oats, plus soya and maize from overseas – all from certified non-genetically modified
sources, which can make them harder to source these days. Some crops are delivered in pelleted form. These include oat and wheat husks, which are ideal for adding fibre to horse feed, but are also proving difficult to source. “The husks are often burned in power stations, which are now using fuel from sustainable sources,” explains Jane. The ingredients go through a sieve, which removes any foreign objects through vibration, before being soaked. A special machine (3) then works out how much moisture each delivery requires and mixes in the correct amount of water before the grains are stored in giant silos for four to six hours to ensure this is absorbed. The cooking stage is known as “micronising” and is carried out on all crops except oats, which have such a high fibre content that they have been known to catch fire. Peas are APRIL 2011 HORSE DEALS 39
FEED SPECIAL BAILEYS HORSE FEEDS
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WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT WE MICRONISE THE GRAINS FOR CUBES
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Pictures by Horse Deals
also delivered pre-cooked. Grains are micronised to makes the starch content more digestible. “It basically gelatinises the starch,” explains Jane. “We take great pride in the fact that we also micronise the grains destined for cubes. This is a process unique to Baileys and is purely that we want to ensure that our products are as easily digestible as possible.” The microniser is similar to a “giant toaster”, with infra red heat and ceramic elements (4), and once the grains have been cooked to a set temperature and time, they are rolled flat before being air cooled and stored. It’s then on to the “mixing lines”, which comprise numbered hoppers (5). The recipes and ingredients are computer controlled, so the operators know exactly what’s required in each hopper. The ingredients then go into a giant mixing machine, to which extras can be added manually through a door. To ensure that each bag of feed contains balanced vitamins and minerals, Baileys nutritional director Liz Bulbrook formulates 40 APRIL 2011 HORSE DEALS
recipes for leisure and performance blends. These are bought in from a pre-mix company and added at this stage. “This is also when we can tweak the mix to add amino acids and digestive enhancers,” says Jane. The ingredients for cubes now go through giant steam presses (6). “The steam’s kept to a minimum because we don’t want to overcook ingredients that have already been micronised and if you can keep the moisture content of cubes as low as possible they last much better,” explains Jane. Baileys Outshine ingredients go through a special “extrusion” process (7). As with cubes, the extruder uses steam, but much more of it, with the pressure producing a type of small “biscuit”, which is cooled and coated in oil before becoming the popular supplement or being added to mixes. Once mixed, the ingredients for coarse mixes go straight onto a weighing belt before being packed. The filled bags go down a giant roller, with 50 making a one-tonne load. Each load is then wrapped in cellophane (8)
before being taken to the storage sheds. This is an ongoing process because the feed needs to be as fresh as possible before leaving on one of Baileys’ 11 giant lorries on its journey to destinations all over Britain, Europe and the Middle East. There are also six deliveries a week to Newmarket, where lack of storage space at most racehorse trainers’ establishments means they need frequent top ups of feed. Baileys offers “pick and mix pallets” for smaller retailers, who would be unable to sell 50 bags of the same feed, so choose what they want. And in a separate room, sample bags for shows and events, plus supplement and soya oil buckets, are being hand-filled. All this proves that making horse feed isn’t a simple business. But because samples are taken for testing from every ingredient from start to finish of the process and the company is always looking for ways to improve its range through scientific research, every time you open a bag of cubes or mix, you can trust the ingredients. Tel: 01733 468000
FEED SPECIAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT
FoodforThought
HORSE DEALS brings the latest news from the feed industry
Charity benefits from Dengie prize To help launch its new molasses-free range, Dengie set up a competition looking for photographs depicting sweet, cute and funny horses and was inundated with entries. Steph Davis’s picture entitled “Kisses” won the competition and she scooped a professional photoshoot and a year’s supply of Dengie molassesfree feed. The winning entry shows the miniature pony Sasha giving her friend Bayley a big kiss. “Bayley absolutely doted on Sasha and when she was in her paddock he stood over her all the time and wouldn’t let any other horse near her. She also used to shelter under him in the rain,” said Steph, who has decided to give part of her prize to charity. “I’ve decided to donate the feed supply to Equine Market Watch, as I feel the horses there
would benefit more than mine,” she said. • For more information, visit www.dengie.com, call the Dengie Feedline on 0845 345 5115 or follow Dengie on Facebook and Twitter.
Springtime alert!
New TopSpec website TopSpec has launched a new, easy-to-navigate website packed with information, news, competitions and promotions. There is an online button to submit feeding
questions to the company’s team of equine nutritionists, who will be able to provide support on a huge variety of subjects. • For more information, visit www.topspec.com
New Spillers northern nutritionist SPILLERS® has appointed Alexandra Ashley as its new competition nutritionist for the north of England. Leicestershire-based Alexandra (left) will be responsible for the area from Leicestershire to Scotland. She holds a degree in nutrition from Nottingham University and for the past 10 years has competed in affiliated show jumping up to Foxhunter level. She said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. My ambition was to find a role combining my passion for horses with my knowledge of nutrition and this is my ideal.” If you would like Alexandra to visit your yard or need friendly feeding advice phone her on 07557 110636 or e-mail alexandra.ashley@ effem-equine.com
Allen & Page winners announced Allen & Page has analysed the results and picked the winners after its barley- and molasses-free range trial. The winners showed dramatic improvement in condition, behaviour and energy ergy levels after just four weeks on one of the feeds and Sue Vincent from Norfolk, Wendy Searle from South Devon, Lesley Craigie from Scotland, Kerry Beere from Leicester and Sarah Sykes from Middlesborough all won free feed for a year. For a full analysis of the resultss and the winning case studies
42 APRIL 2011 HORSE DEALS
THE FEEDROOM
visit www.allenandpage.co.uk. To take part in the Veteran Vitality Challenge, check out the website or call the feed helpline on 01362 822902.
Independent nutritionist Jo Bower looks at keeping laminitics and good doers on track going into spring You may have heard of the low GI diet. GI stands for Glycaemic Index and is a measure of how much simple sugar food releases when digested. Essentially, this is the same diet we want for any laminitic horse or pony. The ideal is forage-based, where sugar and starch levels are reasonably low. A high-fibre diet is also important, as this ensures the food isn’t digested all at once and the sugar is released slowly and evenly. Sugars are found in pretty much every food but at particularly high levels in anything that tastes sweet — molasses, apples, carrots, etc. Starches are again found in most horse feeds in varying quantities. Horses can gain “safe” energy from stabilised vegetable oils, which bypass the insulin system, so if you need to put condition on a laminitic horse you can do so safely by using feeds rich in oils but low in sugars. Horses can also be safely worked directly after a fibre feed. The horse needs energy but it must not come in short bursts that cause the insulin system to go into overdrive. If we feed things like molasses, the blood sugar goes up suddenly and so does the insulin level — which is what we want to avoid. So the first rule of feeding a laminitic is to avoid or keep very low anything containing lots of sugars. Check your bagged chops and chaffs carefully and remember that “Low Sugar” on the label doesn’t mean NO sugar! • Send your feed queries to editor@ horsedeals.co.uk For a full diet assessment for your horse or pony, e-mail Jo on horsesource@btconnect.com or phone 07970 165479.
Tel: 01733 468000
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APRIL 2011 HORSE DEALS
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Break the Cycle
Effective worm control is more than just worming. It’s about using all the tools available to break the lifecycle of parasites that affect the health and performance of your horse.
manage
test
plan
dose
At Pfizer Animal Health, we believe it’s important to use wormers responsibly. The right worm control strategy involves: Managing your pasture to minimise re-infection Testing regularly to assess worm burdens Planning your worm control programme Dosing with the right wormer at the right time These concepts are explained in more detail in our free booklet, Worm Control for your Horse, available through your vet or SQP.
For more information speak to your vet, SQP or visit www.wormingyourhorse.info
Further information is available from: PFIZER ANIMAL HEALTH Walton Oaks, Tadworth, KT20 7NS EQUEST & EQUEST PRAMOX are registered trademarks of Pfizer Ltd. EQUEST contains moxidectin. EQUEST PRAMOX contains moxidectin and praziquantel. Advice on the use of this or alternative medicines must be sought from the medicine prescriber. Use medicines responsibly: www.noah.co.uk/responsible/
POM-VPS AH799/10