Knowledge
Winter Vitamins & Minerals
Photography courtesy of Paddock Power
Paddock power provides vitamins & minerals to help your horse through winter
Prevention is Better Than Cure Equipping your horses for winter weather
T
he weather has suddenly gone from Indian Summer to full-on winter and may have caught many on the hop with polo ponies and other competition horses now turned out for a winter break. The autumnal flush of grass is deceptive because it gives the impression that horses will be able to get all that they need from it, however whilst fibre is a crucial part of a horse’s diet it is important not to overlook the fact that they still benefit from vitamins and minerals – especially as the nutritional value of the grass starts to tail off even further as we get into November and December. To ensure our horses stay healthy so that they can combat the difficult winter months we should be aiming to build up their defences in preparation. 44
Polo Times, October xxxx 2020 2020
Not only that, there are certain elements that are scarce in the soil across the country such as copper (extremely important for its antibacterial properties and immune support) and some that are not in the diet at all – such as Biotin which you need for healthy foot and hair growth. When you combine this with the added need for B vitamins and elements like Zinc, then you start to see the gaps in what’s available from grass-based diets. Traditionally we only start to supplement when the problem is already there. It is proven that it takes six plus weeks for vitamins and minerals to balance in the body and some of these take longer so you need to start now. Preparation = Prevention More traditional feeding methods require
hard feeding which can be the perfect way to teach our horse to be aggressive and fight! How many times do we find ourselves feeding the one or two horses that do not need it in a group whilst the ones that do get chased off? And then you have the added irritation of wasted money as the feed gets trampled into the ground. Paddock Power helps alleviate these problems as it’s available all the time. Horses treat it the same as a water trough, so everyone gets a turn. How can Paddock Power help: • Protein, Biotin, Soya Oil, Vitamins B, A, D & E, and Zinc: As your horse changes it’s sleek summer coat to a warm winter duvet it needs these essential components to help improve the overall skin condition, lustre and quality. • Zinc, Copper and Biotin: Key to combating mud fever, foot abscesses and rain scald. After having shoes removed for the winter, hooves need six months to recover and regrow healthy foot for the new season. Hooves are 90% protein, made up of a substance called Keratin. Biotin, a vitamin B-complex is essential for the proper Keratin formation of the hoof wall. The supplementation of Zinc helps the production of Keratin, the addition of Copper (especially protected sources) is a cofactor in the production of Elastin, the connective tissue that binds the Keratin together, this strengthens and improves hoof integrity. • Selenium: Needed for healthy muscle tissue and aiding reproductive function, this works alongside Vitamin E as an antioxidant and is particularly important for the immune system. • Protein: Soya and Potato Protein provide two different high-quality protein sources with different amino acid profiles. The most important source is Potato Protein representing 78% of the protein in Paddock Power. This provides 18 amino acids to include the essential amino acids Lysine, Methionine and Isoleucine, Threonine, and Phenylalanine. This source of protein is one of the most bioavailable sources of proteins for horses (and humans) which helps avoid digestive upset and aids in muscle growth, recovery and reparation for heavy exercise and exertion. • Fibre: Fibre is an important part of a healthy balanced diet and can also improve digestive health. • Salt: Improves palatability and is needed for absorption of minerals and vitamins, it also acts as a regulator of feed intakes. • Calcium: Assists with healthy bone structure in developing foals and young stock and maintaining heathy bones in mature animals • Magnesium: Essential for promoting a calm temperament and helps balance deficiencies in pasture particularly in autumn and spring. Also important in helping reduce laminitis, and key for proper muscle function www.polotimes.co.uk
