Spring
As spring arrives we welcome brighter days and hopefully some warmer weather. This in turn means a review of our horse’s diet and feeding routine is necessary to take into consideration a possible increase in workload and also the high levels of fructans (sugars) in the grass.
New spring grass will contain high levels of soluble carbohydrates which when consumed excessively can cause behavioural and dietary upsets in some horses if not managed correctly. By gradually making changes to the diet the beneficial bacteria in the horse’s gut is given time to adjust to any changes, helping to avoid any digestive upset caused by the fresh spring grass, or a change in feed.
Horses that have a busy schedule of competitions and events ahead of them in the summer may require a change of feed when their workload increases, to provide them with enough energy. Many factors need to be considered when changing to a higher energy feed including:
• The horse’s temperament,
• Type of work,
• Condition.
Naturally laid back horses may benefit from a higher energy feed that supplies instant energy from sources, such as cereals to help give them a bit of extra ‘oomph’. On the other hand this type of feed wouldn’t be ideal for a horse that already tends to be a bit sharp or fizzy, as it may just exacerbate this behaviour. A feed which is low in starch but high in fibre and oil would be ideal, as ingredients such as these, provide the horse with slow release energy which is less likely to lead to fizzy behaviour.
Feeds such as Fast Fibre and Ride & Relax are ideal for horses in light work. As part of the Barley & Molasses Free Range, the energy provided is slow releasing for stamina, which is less likely to provoke fizzy or sharp behaviour.
Calm & Condition, also part of the Barley & Molasses Free Range, can be used as a medium energy feed, providing energy mainly in the form of fibre and oil. If more energy is needed Power & Performance can be fed, by itself, or alongside other products that do not contain barley and molasses. This feed provides fast and slow release energy to give your horse that extra ‘sparkle’ in any discipline, from dressage and show jumping, to endurance and driving.
It is important to consider that energy and calories are much the same thing, so by giving your horse a higher energy feed he will be receiving more calories. This is fine if your horse is doing enough work to use up the extra energy but if the workload decreases remember to decrease the feed as it could lead to unwanted weight gain as well as other ailments.
Laminits is a common problem for many horses and ponies in the spring, for more information click here.
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