Anita Budgeon, Author at Fibregenix

Feeding Horses in Drought

Jan 4, 2020 | General feeding practices

Home » Archives for Anita Budgeon » Page 5

Feeding Horses in Drought

BY FIBREGENIX PARTNER JANE COCKERTON

Jane is based in Rockhampton, Queensland. She has a wealth of experience in feeding horses in drought conditions and feeding horses correctly.

Firstly, it’s best to explain how much a horse should eat every day. An average horse needs 2.0-2.5% of its body weight to maintain good condition and proper gut function. This means a 14.2hh horse will need around 8kg of food daily, and an average 16hh horse will need 10kg daily. Usually, this comprises of forage in the form of grass. During drought however, it’s very important to feed conserved forage (hay) to replace some or all of the horse’s diet.

Hay Suitability When Feeding Horses in drought conditions

Hay comes in many different forms, and depending on local differences and availability, it varies in energy content and palatability. Generally, hays are grouped into grass hays, legume and cereal hays.

All hays have an energy value, or as it’s commonly known – DE (Digestible Energy). This indicates how much energy an average horse can extract from a kilogram. As a rule, the older the hay, the less energy and nutrient content it has.

There’s another big consideration to take into account – the NSC level. Simply put, this is non-structural carbohydrates (starch and sugars). Most cereal hays are high in NSC as they’re made from partially developed seed heads and unripened stems of grain-producing plants.

The following list of hays provides useful details to help you choose what will best suit your horse or pony.

1. Rhodes Grass – the most common type of cut grass hay

Energy value approx 9MJ/kg. NSC content (starch 0.34% plus WSC 7.5% = NSC value 8.14%)

Considerations: Easy to feed to most horses. However, if coarse or musty smelling, then it’s unpalatable. It’s safe and cost-effective to be fed ad lib to all horses.

2. Lucerne/ Grassy Lucerne – Pure legume or a mix of legume and grass

Energy value approx 8-9.3MJ/KG. NSC content oflLucerne Hay or chaff mean average of 11%. Grassy Lucerne NSC% mean average of 13.6%

Considerations: This type of hay is highly palatable so can lead to gorging. Scouring may occur in horses when feeding prime (green) lucerne. Contains a higher digestible protein content which is often incorrectly perceived as increasing energy levels. It’s best fed in addition with other grass hays, not as the sole forage replacement to pasture. I’ve found if mixed with other hays, it increases palatability and encourages consumption of less desirable fodder products. In some horses, lucerne has been known to cause skin photosensitivity.

3. Cereal Hays (Barley/Oat/Wheat)

Energy value of oaten approx 7MJ/kg – barley and wheat higher. NSC content is 22% on average but can be up to 33%. NSC content for barley is 12.1 to 26.3%,. Wheat 10.5-24.8%

Considerations: Palatable with a very high NSC level which can increase energy levels in some horses. Long-term feeding has been cited as causing dental issues and metabolic issues due to its high sugar content. It’s not suitable for laminitis prone or insulin resistant horses. Issues can occur if the product is baled too early and when it’s too green. For example, mouldy product in storage and the possibility of mycotoxin development.

Crucially with barley hay, check that it’s been baled young and is a beardless variety. Barley barbs can get stuck in the horse’s gums and teeth causing big issues.

4. Lab Lab/Diolichos Lab Lab

Energy value unknown but is suggested to be similar to lucerne. NSC content unknown

Considerations: Palatable. Can be a good substitute for Lucerne but is prone to being coarse and not well preserved. Stems are thick and leaf matter is lost in the drying process. It’s fed overseas as a cattle and silage crop. No negative side effects reported with use in horses, however, the coarseness of the hay could cause digestive issues.

5. Sorghum Hay/ Forage Hay (another cereal hay)

The energy value is variable according to the species. It’s thought to be around the same as oaten ie 7MJ/Kg. NSC content unknown but it’s considered high, similar to cereal hays.

Considerations: Sorghum is palatable with a high NSC level which in some horses can increase energy levels. Its high sugar levels mean long term feeding can lead to dental issues and metabolic issues. Sorghum is not suitable for laminitis prone or insulin resistant horses. Again, manufacturing issues can be prevalent with the product being baled too early and too green. This can lead to mould forming in storage and the possibility of mycotoxin contamination. I’ve also noted that horses’ manure can become smelly when fed Sorghum.

Sorghum – buyer beware!

Another issue is the manufacturing process. When cut too early, stressed in dry conditions or isn’t the correct variety, it can be high in Prussic Acid (Cyanide). This is really bad for horses – an indication of high levels of Prussic Acid is redness on the leaves and stems. Grain hays comprised of sorghum grass and Johnson grass hay should NOT be fed to horses due to the toxicity levels of these plants. Sorghum grasses include Sudan grass, Johnson grass, hybrid forage sorghums, and grain sorghums. All classes of Sudan grasses and associated hybrids have toxicity levels that make them unfit for horse feed.

Further Issues have been reported with long term use including urine infections and abortion and deformities in foals.

6. Millet Hay (another cereal hay)

Energy value unknown. NSC content unknown

Considerations: Some varieties are not palatable so it’ll often take time to adjust to a new type of hay. The greener it is, the sweeter it is. Excessive selenium levels found in some varieties can become an issue long term. There are reports of mouth ulcers from certain varieties as well as mineral imbalances. If foxtail millet hay is fed to horses, additional calcium supplementation will be required as it is high in oxalates. These are substances that make it difficult for the horse to absorb dietary calcium.

Planning Ahead when Feeding Horses in Drought Conditions

Given the current drought conditions, some owners may be forced to use less desirable hay type to feed their horses. With soaring costs and diminished availability, good hay is far more difficult to source. Hence, the importance of planning ahead is paramount. If a change to hay type needs to be made, then this should happen over at least 2 weeks to avoid colic or gut disruption.

Other Useful Horse Feeds for Drought Conditions

Other fibre products are useful when feeding horses in drought conditions. For example, soaked feeds can be used as part replacement for chaff and hay. These include speedibeet, micrbeet, fibrebeet, and maxisoy. Providing a source of quality digestible fibre, they can help increase digestible energy of inferior hay products. It’s possible to feed them at quite high levels – up to 1kg dry weight a day (check the individual product for details).

Balancer supplements

Essential Nutrient Supply

When feeding horses in drought conditions, you must ensure your horse is getting the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Hay can be deficient in several major nutrients the longer it’s stored for, so a balancer is the ideal accompaniment. A Fibregenix balancer supplement also assists with fibre digestion helping to improve calorie intake. Ensuring your horse gets his correct daily quota of nutrients will mean a healthy, happy horse for when the rains come.

Reviewed and amended April 2021

Equine Cushing’s Disease

Dec 17, 2019 | Horse health

Home » Archives for Anita Budgeon » Page 5

Cushings Disease in horses

OVERVIEW

Areas affected by cushings

Cushings disease in horses or ponies(pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction) is a common disease associated with ageing. However, it’s been reported in equines as young as 7. In a healthy horse, hormones exist in balance and play an important role in maintaining and controlling bodily functions. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland which sit at the base of the brain, are the command centre to produce hormones such as ACTH and Cortisol. In Cushing’s disease, the nerves in the hypothalamus progressively degenerate and produce insufficient quantities of a nerve transmitter called dopamine. Dopamine controls the secretion of ACTH and cortisol by the pars intermedia which is in the pituitary gland. Cushing’s disease in a horse or pony has an imbalance of these hormones. which results in the symptoms of PPID.

SYMPTOMS

The best known, and probably the easiest to spot, is a long or curly coat that fails to shed fully
A pot-bellied appearance usually as a result of muscle loss over the topline
Abnormal fat distribution (above eyes, crest and above tail head)
Excessive sweating
Increased water intake so often thirsty and, as a result, urinates more frequently
Prone to laminitis or becomes at risk before the above symptoms present themselves

If your horse or pony has one or more of these symptoms, contact your vet for a diagnosis. They’ll conduct one or more tests to detect ACTH and/or cortisol levels in the blood. PPID can be controlled with medication. Most vets prescribe Pergolide, which stimulates dopamine receptors in the brain and replaces the activity of the damaged nerve supply to the pituitary gland. This results in a reduction of hormone production to normal levels. The dose range is wide and the improvement in clinical signs and ACTH levels is often used to determine the best dose rate for each horse. As the disease is degenerative, it’ll become progressively become worse over time, but many horses or ponies on medication can lead very normal lives.

DIET MANAGEMENT FOR CUSHINGS DISEASE IN HORSES

Horses with Cushing’s disease can become either overweight or underweight. In the case of overweight Cushing’s horses resulting from insulin resistance, there’ll be regional fat deposits along the shoulders and tailhead, a cresty neck, etc.
Reducing the circulating insulin levels is key to managing the diet and the condition.
Research has shown that the macro-mineral magnesium can help reduce fat deposits, especially on the crest and base of the tail.
The overriding factor when managing diets for Cushing’s disease in horses is the increased risk of laminitis due to the hormone imbalances. Moreso if the horse or pony has previously had laminitis.
For those being managed with Pergolide, consider whether you want to promote weight gain/maintain condition, or encourage weight loss/avoid weight gain.
Pergolide can affect appetite, especially at higher doses. Horses can go off their food or eat something for a while before going off it. TIP: Rather than constantly changing the overall diet, try adding extras to tempt them eg cinnamon, fenugreek, mint, or even grated apples or carrots. (Go easy on the apples and carrots due to sugar content) It might also be wise to give medication separately from the main feed.

PROMOTING WEIGHT GAIN/MAINTAINING CONDITION

Forage

To help control sugar intake, forage (hay/haylage) should have an NSC content of below 10%. (NSC is the total of starch plus water-soluble carbohydrate). You need to get a hay analysis to have this confirmed. TIP: As a rule, later cut, coarser hay is generally lower in WSC. (water-soluble carbohydrate)
Soaking hay for an hour or two before feeding helps to reduce the WSC content. Any longer and you run the risk of nutrients being lost and reducing palatability. Be careful soaking in warm weather to avoid fermentation or bacterial growth.
Providing the above precautions are taken, forage can be fed ad-lib to provide fibre, calories and support gut health.
Later cut forages tend to be less nutritious; soaked beet pulp can be fed as an additional source of highly digestible fibre and provides some quality protein and other nutrients.
You need to carefully manage turnout, especially in springtime to control fructan (sugar) intake. Turning out very late at night when grass fructan levels are lowest, and bringing in by mid-morning, is safest. In winter, avoid turning out onto pastures during cold, bright conditions, eg frosty mornings, when the fructan levels increase.

Concentrates

Whilst calories promote/maintain condition, avoid standard hard feeds. Although they provide calories, they’re usually based on cereals supplying starch, the intake of which MUST be kept to a minimum.
Fibregenix Platinum Pro balancer will provide quality protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients without the high starch or calories. You can then add “Safe” calories alongside it such as beet pulp or oil.

PROMOTING WEIGHT LOSS

Avoid feeds that are high in sugar and starch. If your Cushing’s horse is overweight, avoid restricting his diet entirely. Remove concentrates, but never restrict hay as hunger will stress him and cause other potential issues such as colic or ulcers.

Forage

Forage intake should be restricted to the equivalent of 1.5% of the horse’s body weight per day.
Should contain less than 10% NSC and less than 10% WSC. Soaking can help reduce this.
Weigh all forage before soaking. Use small-holed nets to make a small amount last longer and keep the horse chewing.
In addition to the above guidelines regarding turnout, access to grass may need restricting by use of strip grazing, muzzling etc.
Soaked beet pulp may be fed as a low-calorie alternative or additional fibre sources if overall fibre/calorie intake is controlled.

Concentrates

Provide a balanced diet with Fibregenix Lami Low-Cal diet feed balancer supplement. This low-calorie balancer supplement has a total starch/sugar (NSC) feed value of just 8.8% and will supply those nutrients likely to be lacking in forage, but without unwanted calories. Lami Low-Cal also contains specific digestive aids to aid fibre digestibility, overall gut health and assist the insulin response.

You can feed white chaff with the balancer supplement to encourage chewing, as can small amounts of soaked beet pulp.

As every horse or pony is an individual, if you have any queries about feeding your PPID equine you can contact us: Anita 0408 920707, email anita@fibregenix.com.au

Reviewed and amended Feb 2022

Laminitis Prevention and hoof care

Dec 2, 2019 | Laminitis

Home » Archives for Anita Budgeon » Page 5

Laminitis prevention and hoof care

Preventing laminitis and maintaining hoof care is a key consideration in day-to-day horse management practices. Even mild cases can have a detrimental and long-term effect, so it needs to be taken very seriously. Laminitis is the scourge of modern feeding practices and continues to be a killer of many horses and ponies. Once the sensitive hoof structures have been damaged, it’s a long-drawn-out process to recover healthy hooves.

A helping hand in Laminitis prevention and hoof care

Laminitis is often linked to the over-consumption of starch and sugars. In order to help prevent this overload to the digestive system, Fibregenix Lami Low-Cal is a carefully formulated low-calorie diet feed balancer. It’s high in fibre, free from whole cereal and molasses and exceptionally low in sugar and starch. It provides every beneficial daily essential nutrient for horse and ponies that are prone to laminitis or weight gain. Of particular note is the hoof care element of Lami Low-Cal. This contains key nutrients for good hoof health such as biotin, zinc chelate, essential amino acids and MSM.

Gut health benefits

This specialist balancer supplement has been carefully formulated to help manage laminitis and subsequent hoof care. It includes a live yeast probiotic digestive enhancer and a gut health pack of MOS and FOS prebiotics. This potent combination promotes overall digestive health and assists in reducing lactic acid levels in the gut environment. Extensive research and studies have shown that the equine approved live yeast probiotic in Lami Low-Cal increases fibre digestibility. This is beneficial when a horse or pony is on a restricted or nutritionally poor-quality fibre diet. The specific MOS prebiotic assists in removing pathogenic bacteria for an improved healthy gut environment and stimulates the immune system. Additionally, the FOS prebiotic provides a food source for the beneficial gut bacteria. Plus it has the added benefit of immune system boosting properties for preventing laminitis.

Power of purified Nucleotides in managing laminitis and hoof Care

A unique and innovative part of the complex formulation of Lami Low-Cal is an added Nucleotide supplement. Nucleotides are the molecules that make up the structural units of DNA and RNA. They’re especially beneficial due to their integral role in the repair of the damaged laminae brought on by laminitis.

By increasing the number of red blood cells in the body, more oxygen can be carried to the injured tissue. This boosts the oxygen flow and helps your horse or pony back into recovery and work quicker Additionally, nucleotides promote rapid cell proliferation which aids the growth of the hoof wall. Another benefit is that they play a key part in maintaining a healthy immune system, so any bacterial infections present can be effectively fought.

Comprehensive hoof supplement

The comprehensive hoof supplement in Lami Low-Cal includes biotin, methionine, lysine, and organic chelated zinc and copper. These amino acids, vitamins, and mineral nutrients are highly important in the formation of pliable, good quality hooves. As a further benefit, Organic MSM has also been added to the balancer formulation providing a source of sulphur which is also essential for the development of hoof wall material.

Beneficial Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids

Lami Low-Cal contains a balanced ratio of both Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids improving overall health and well-being in the laminitic horse or pony. Omega 3 is particularly important in the role of hoof care as it has healing properties and is a natural anti-inflammatory essential fatty acid. Omega 3 deficiencies can exacerbate hoof wall problems so ensuring the diet is not deficient in this essential fatty acid is paramount.

A No brainer…

Adding Fibregenix Lami Low-Cal to your horse or pony’s diet is a valuable asset in the diet to help fight the negatives issues that accompany metabolic problems such as laminitis. Furthermore, it will also assist in maintaining general good health and well-being along with good husbandry standards into the future.

You can find a downloadable fact sheet on laminitis under our FAQs.

Reviewed and amended Feb 2022

Hindgut health in horses

Nov 25, 2019 | Digestive health

Home » Archives for Anita Budgeon » Page 5

HindGut Health supplements with Fibregenix

Compared to a few years ago there’s now a plethora of supplements on the market aiding hindgut health. In fact, it’s currently one of the hottest topics around. Most are in the form of yeast probiotics and prebiotics and some are even live bacterial probiotics. But are they really useful or just another unnecessary expensive supplement? Can they do more harm than good?

Well, actually there are plenty of instances when hindgut health supplements are extremely valuable for your horse. Good health always starts with a healthy gut. But how do you know which ones are really good and which are just a waste of money?

At Fibregenix HQ, in consultation with world-leading nutritional scientists, we sourced those with the most robust scientific research and data behind them. After all, your horse is precious to you – so it makes sense to ensure he’s getting the maximum benefit to keep him in the peak of health.

HORSE HINDGUT HEALTH SUPPLEMENT – LIVE PROBIOTIC YEASTS, WHAT ARE THEY?

hindgut bacteria

The idea behind adding a probiotic yeast to a horse’s diet is to help improve fibre digestibility. The key role they play in equine hindgut health is to help promote the production of bacteria which digest cellulose. Or in layman’s terms – improving fibre digestion.

GOOD, BETTER, BEST…

Live probiotic yeasts contain a thick cell wall which allows them to travel through the horse’s digestive tract to the large intestine where they are utilized and then excreted. Feeding a live yeast probiotic helps promote the production of bacteria which digest cellulose in the horse’s hindgut, improving fibre digestibility. They require daily supplementation to ensure they are replenished in the large intestine.

Some probiotics are good, some are better, and the best are very, very good. However, it’s the specific strain of yeast culture and the level included that differentiates one from another. The effectiveness of a yeast probiotic is only as good as how many yeast cells make it to the intestine intact and alive.

Fibregenix balancers contains Levucell SC Titan. The patented TITAN technology uses microencapsulation to coat the probiotic. This ensures that the probiotics will remain viable and stable through the challenges of the supply channel until they reach the horse. Eg, during freight, warehouse conditions, compatibilities with other ingredients in premixes/feed, temperature/moisture/pressure, etc. Equally important, the microencapsulation also ensures the viability and stability of the probiotic during its transit through the foregut to the hindgut.

Many studies have been conducted looking at the effects of Levucell SC Titan. Trials performed in horses proved that Levucell produced a significant improvement in fibre and overall dry matter digestibility. It does this by affecting the horse’s microflora ie stimulating the growth of cellulolytic bacteria populations. The visible benefits for horses include optimization of forage, improved feed utilisation – and therefore weight gain – performance and general well-being.

Trials also showed that Levucell not only increases fibre digestibility but also reduces lactic acid accumulation. By maintaining a more stable PH within the normal range (around 7), the horse’s health and welfare is improved.

Hindgut Fermenters

Horses have evolved as monogastric hindgut fermenters That is, they ferment the fibre they eat at the end of the digestive system – the caecum and colon. They’ve evolved to consume small, fibre-rich meals on a continual basis. This is in direct contrast to the high starch diet of today’s modern horse, which is difficult to digest. This is because horses don’t produce large quantities of amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into glucose.

Horse Hindgut Health – The Consequences of feeding a large starch meal

If a horse is fed small starch-rich meals, it’s unlikely that there will be any consequences. But if large quantities of starch are fed in any one meal, this gets pushed through the gut with increasing speed. Without having been broken down sufficiently by saliva or gastric juices, starch then reaches the caecum. It’s then fermented by bacteria producing lactic acid rather than beneficial volatile fatty acids produced from the fermentation of fibre.

Hindgut Acidosis

When lactic acid is produced, the PH levels in the hindgut drop. Known as a state of hindgut acidosis, it results in many potential health issues. The low PH effectively kills off good bacteria that would normally digest fibre. This can lead to complications such as colic, caecal and colonic ulcers and laminitis. Studies looking at the effects of Levucell SC Titan found supplementation with the live yeast could double fibre digestibility. It also aids in reducing lactic acid accumulation maintaining a more stable gut PH keeping it within the normal range (around 7). This improves both horse hindgut health and overall welfare.

MOS – WHAT IS IT?

MOS is short for mannan oligosaccharides. There are many different MOS products. Some are just crude cell wall preparations made from yeast leftover from yeast extract (the inside of the yeast). Another example is ground, dried brewer’s yeast. These basic yeasts have little or no data to support their use. Furthermore, they’re classified as feed ingredients, not additives, with no licensing required.

The most effective and reliable MOS products are licenced and manufactured specifically for the feed industry. We’ve included Agrimos MOS, tested for its bacterial binding capacity as part of the quality control process. And it provides high, consistent and guaranteed levels of mannan oligo-saccharides and β-glucans.

HOW DO THESE HORSE GUT HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS WORK?

AGRIMOS has a long history in the market and is well-documented for its efficiency in binding undesirable bacteria and certain mycotoxins. It helps maintain intestinal integrity while improving microflora balance and animal performance.

It works by mimicking sites on the gut wall that pathogenic (bad) bacteria bind to. Once bound to the MOS, these bacteria are rendered useless and flushed out of the gut. MOS also provides a double benefit to a horse’s hindgut health by stimulating the immune system to provide support against infections. MOS products aren’t always necessary if your horse has a healthy gut environment. However, today’s modern horse is placed under a lot of stress. Recovery from illness, training, travelling, competing, large amounts of hard feed. If your horse fits any of these categories, he’ll benefit from the inclusion of Agrimos MOS in his diet.

FOS PREBIOTIC – WHAT IS IT?

FOS stands for fructooligosaccharide. The FOS found in Fibregenix is a prebiotic comprising of short-chained fructooligosaccharide. Research has shown that harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Clostridium Perfringens cannot utilise FOS. And this means that beneficial species are able to competitively exclude them. FOS seems to be particularly useful when horses are suffering with diarrhoea, presumably because numbers of C. perfringens are reduced. FOS also provides an energy source for the beneficial bacteria already living in the horse’s hindgut. In turn, this creates a healthier digestive tract, unsuitable for the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria.

HOW CAN THIS FOS BENEFIT MY HORSE?

Scientific support has proven that this specific FOS may:

Positively modify the gut microflora
Enhance digestive health
Reduce the risk of digestive upsets
Reduce putrefactive compound production
Strengthen the immune system
Improve insulin sensitivity in the obese horse.

Including both MOS and FOS prebiotics as part of Fibregenix’s horse gut health supplement provides a synergistic effect supporting overall gut health.

NUCLEOTIDES – WHAT ARE THEY?

Nucleotides are highly innovative when it comes to horse gut health supplements. They’re the building blocks for RNA and DNA. All feed contains a level of nucleotides. However in ingredients used for horse feeds they’re at low levels, with very low availability (around 5-10%). They’re also hard to digest due to their protein coating.

Very few companies are giving horse owners the added benefits from feeding Purified Nucleotides to their horses. Fibregenix is the first major feed balancer supplement company in Australia to include them. Prime Original, Platinum Pro and Lami Low-Cal contains purified nucleotides as part of the horse gut health supplement pack. This specific blend of purified nucleotides has a 95% availability rate to balance the limited levels available in the current diet.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF WHAT ADDITIONAL NUCLEOTIDES IN YOUR HORSE’S DIET CAN DO CLICK HERE.

Reviewed and updated July 2023

Overweight Horses – Feeding Mistakes

Nov 12, 2019 | General feeding practices, Horse health

Home » Archives for Anita Budgeon » Page 5

Overweight Horses – Common Feeding Mistakes

When it comes to feeding overweight horses, there are many common feeding mistakes that could be a contributing factor. You think you’ve got your horse’s diet sussed. The problem is he’s still carrying too much weight for his own good. Where are you going wrong? Check our guide of common errors to see where you might be slipping up.

1. You’re feeding too much for his workload

Calorie-counting in overweight horses is the same as it is with humans. If a healthy horse takes in more calories than he burns off, he’ll put on weight. A 500-kilo horse in hard work will burn nearly twice as many calories as his mate who weighs the same but in light work. ie 34,500 calories as opposed to 20,000. So make sure your horse is receiving the right amount of feed for his weight and workload.

2. You’re feeding incorrectly for his breed

Native breeds have evolved to be good-doers, making the most of poor quality grazing. They generally require feeds of a lower-calorie level as they maintain their weight easily. However, they still need lots of fibre to maintain digestive and behavioral health rather than being starved to keep weight down. While native types don’t tend to require concentrate feeds to provide calories, they do need a balanced diet. A quality feed balancer eg Fibregenix, with a small amount of fibre, is all they need plus grazing and hay.

3. You’re feeding incorrectly for his age

Feeding young horses correctly is important to ensure they grow at an appropriate rate. It’s also really important to ensure that the diet is completely balanced at all times. The majority of growth and development problems occur when there’s too much energy/calories going into the diet. Especially in combination with insufficient levels of vitamins, minerals and quality protein. Ideally, you’d want to keep youngsters in relatively light condition (4-4.5 out of 9 on the body scoring scale). This reduces the amount of pressure and strain on growing joints and limbs.

Veterans, however, may need more calories to maintain condition as their ability to chew may be impaired by dental issues. The digestive system of the older horse also tends to be less efficient at processing feed. However, not all aged horses need a ‘veteran’ mix. Instead, monitor the condition and speak to a nutritionist if advice is needed on what best to feed your older horse.

4. You’re feeding too much for the time of year

In spring and summer, the grass is richer. In winter, it’s poorer and sparser. In winter, your horse can use up to 80% of his feed energy to keep warm. So if he doesn’t get enough feed his weight may drop accordingly. Most horse owners prefer their horses to maintain a steady weight throughout the year. This doesn’t always follow the horse’s natural metabolic pattern of losing weight in winter and gaining in spring. If a horse comes out of winter already in good condition, he’s likely to stack on more weight when grazing becomes plentiful. Condition score your horse regularly so you know whether he needs more or less feed. Remember, the level required will fluctuate with the seasons.

5. You don’t know what he weighs

Horses in light/medium work need to consume 2% of their body weight. This should be mostly forage (70-100% of their food intake) a day. So if you don’t know how much he weighs, how do you know if he’s getting the right amount? Invest in a good weigh tape or take advantage of the weighbridge services that some feed companies or vets offer.

6. You’re not weighing his feed

If you have a good doer that’s prone to piling on the pounds, don’t just throw some feed into a bucket and hope for the best. You need to be strict with him — and yourself — and weigh his feed. A 500-kilo horse needs 20,000 calories a day in order to maintain his weight. There are approximately 7-8 MJ (or 2,000 calories) in a kilo of good quality hay. So if you’re stuffing his haynet with 10 kilos of hay each night, he’s already receiving all the calories he needs just for maintenance. And that’s before you include any grass or hard feed! Are you worried he’s scoffing his hay ration too quickly and having nothing for the rest of the night? If this is the case, invest in a small hole haynet to encourage him to eat more slowly.

7. You’re feeding too much hard feed

We should all know by now that many diseases are linked to high starch diets. These include laminitis, colic, gastric ulcers, Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (DOD), Equine Rhabdomyolysis Syndrome (ERS) and Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM). Does he really need all that high starch hard feed? The majority don’t. Limit starch where possible and if not, split high starch diets into several smaller meals.

8. You’re buying the wrong hard feed

Work out how many calories your horse needs for his weight, breed, age, and level of work. Then check the calorie intake he’ll receive from his hard feed and consider honestly whether or not he really needs it. If he has too much energy or is carrying too much weight, ditch the hard feed and switch to fibre feeds only.

9. Your grass is too good

Grass can contain a lot of sugar and calories, particularly in Spring and Autumn. Or in fact, any time after drought-breaking rains. So when feeding overweight horses, restrict grazing in the danger periods. Alternatively, yard with hay. A Fibregenix balancer such as Prime Original OR Lami Low-Cal alongside forage will provide enough daily nutrients he needs for good health.

10. You’re buying the wrong hay

When feeding overweight horses, you need to choose the most suitable forage possible. A late cut, coarser hay will typically be less nutritious than an early cut forage. Good doers don’t need cereal or legume hays – look for simple grassy hay instead. If you can’t find a more suitable forage, soaking the hay for an hour or so can help reduce sugar content.

11. You’re trying to starve him into being skinny

Horses can’t do ‘crash diets’ any more than humans can. They’ve evolved to trickle feed. This means they need an almost constant supply of forage for their digestive system to work properly. If you withhold food, they may develop ulcers and may also gorge quickly on food when presented with it. All dietary changes should happen gradually and over a significant period of time to be effective, especially in overweight horses.

12. He’s a good doer

Feeding overweight horses can be a nightmare. Some just seem to get fat on thin air. If your horse is putting on weight despite taking all the precautions above, then speak to us. He may need to have a more specialised feeding program devised for him. Being a good doer can also be problematic for competition horses. Feeding them for their level of activity can provide too many calories and cause them to gain too much weight. One solution is to feed less hard feed and provide a good balancer such as one from the Fibregenix range.

Reviewed and updated May 2022