Benefits of the sepiolite clay in Lami Low-Cal

Aug 27, 2019

The sepiolite clay in Lami Low-Cal works in conjunction with the MOS & FOS  Prebiotic.  It helps reduce the toxin load within your horse’s gut. Imagine it as a ‘buffer’ against the toxins that can be released if the gut becomes too acidic and kills the good bacteria off.  Therefore, the clay aids the recovery of the gut following acidification as well as helping to prevent it in the future.

Magnesium % in grams per kilo

Aug 27, 2019

In Prime Original and Platinum Pro it’s 0.4%, in Lami Low-Cal it’s 0.5%. It means the percent of whatever is being fed – so, if it was 0.4% of 100g, it would be 0.4g magnesium per 100g, so for your average 500kg horse = 0.4g x 500g = 2g per 500g.

Will the protein levels in Fibregenix make my horse hot?

Aug 27, 2019

Firstly, the protein in Fibregenix balancers is fed in grams not kilograms. Therefore the amount does not equate to an extortionate amount of protein, rather the amino acids that your horse requires on a daily basis. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle and are essential in your horse’s diet. Your horse will only use what he needs and the excess will be passed in urine. However, this depends on  how well it is absorbed and utilized etc. As with most things, it’s not just the quantity that is important but also the quality. So, a quality protein source will be easily digested and have an amino acid profile similar to that needed by your horse.

Secondly, there is also a difference between crude protein and digestible protein. Digestible protein is the figure we are interested in and the balancers are formulated to  ensure that the balance of digestible protein to carbs and fats is correct.

The “percent crude protein” found on the labels of feeds and supplements is a calculation of the nitrogen content of the product. Nitrogen is contained in the amino acids that serve as the building blocks of proteins.  “Crude” means that not all the protein reported by this number is digestible.

It’s estimated that between 2% – 5% of many common protein sources aren’t absorbed. The percent crude protein number is helpful, but shouldn’t be the sole piece of information used when choosing a feed or supplement.

For instance, crude protein percentage doesn’t tell you the source of protein contained in the feedstuff or the amino acid makeup of that protein.  Therefore it’s more useful when combined with information on the type of protein included in a product.

Fibregenix contains high quality protein sources with an excellent amino acid profile and bioavailability. The protein is derived from dehulled soya bean meal. Knowledge of the lysine and methionine content of a protein source is necessary when properly balancing your horse’s diet. Some labels will include these percentages. However, knowing what ingredients are good sources of lysine and methionine and identifying them in the ingredients list will also enable an informed decision.

Fibregenix will not make horses ‘hot’. The main reasons being

1) it is whole-cereal and molasses free so contains super low levels of sugar and starch.  These are the 2 main culprits that cause fizzy behaviour

2) each balancer contains generous levels of magnesium – the anti-stress mineral. It helps keep horses and ponies settled and relaxed.

3)  each balancer contains digestive aids that help to improve the health of the fore and hindgut. Bear in mind that a lot of ‘hot and fizzy’ behaviour is caused by poor digestive health.

Why doesn’t Prime Original have a MOS & FOS prebiotic?

Aug 27, 2019

Prime Original doesn’t contain a MOS & FOS prebiotic as it is intended for horses and ponies that are in light-medium work, being spelled or those that simply need to gain weight which the live yeast probiotic and nucleotides combination helps to encourage. The live yeast probiotic in Prime Original helps to settle the gut by promoting the beneficial bacteria and improving fibre digestion, but if a horse/pony had a specific digestive upset/had been on antibiotics then I would recommend feeding Platinum Pro to start with then swapping on to Prime Original.

In general terms, a horse that is being fed Prime Original doesn’t have the requirement for a prebiotic due to its lighter workload and potentially less stressful life circumstances, whereas a harder working/older horse does – hence the reason we would feed them Platinum Pro.

Importance of a high fibre diet for horses

Aug 27, 2019

Horses have evolved as grazing animals feeding for up to 16 hours plus a day.  They didn’t evolve to digest infrequent, large cereal-based meals which can bring about problems such as ulcers, colic, stereotypical behaviour, poor digestive health etc.  A high fibre/forage diet will always keep your horse happier from the inside out, and suit his digestive system much better.

A Fibregenix ration balancer supplement alongside forage or reduced levels of hard feed works beautifully, with the balancer providing a valuable top up of missing essential nutrients. Good-doers are more problematic as all too often they need a restricted diet, so they can end up deficient in several key areas of essential nutrients. This is where Lami Low-Cal brings its benefits.  You’ll be able to feed the recommended amount of Lami Low-Cal alongside a forage of lower nutritional value to ensure a balanced diet and healthy horse without encouraging weight gain.

Ultimately, the more fibre in the diet, the happier your horse’s  digestive system will be resulting in a happy, settled horse, which in turn means good performance.