Aug 27, 2019
While you’re introducing Fibregenix over the 7-10 days introductory period, we suggest making any changes gradually so you can monitor any weight changes. In a healthy horse at maintenance or light work, there should be no change in weight because of the high levels of probiotic in Fibregenix which enable a horse to get more out of his fibre feeds. However, you may need to increase the level of his fibre intake, again assess on an individual basis. If your horse is in hard work then you can’t just take everything out of the diet and start feeding just fibre and the balancer, the digestible energy required for work needs to be replaced gradually with other suitable fibre based products and smaller amounts of hard feed and/or oil. The key is to maintain the correct level of digestible energy in the diet. You can contact us for dietary advice in this respect. Supplements should also be phased out gradually in the first week of introducing Fibregenix. Remember, make all changes to your horse’s diet a gradual thing – no sudden surprises!
Aug 27, 2019
Although horses are essentially fibre fermenters, they can of course digest starch, just not in huge quantities at one time. Recent research has found that no more than 1g per 1kg of bodyweight in starch should be fed at any one meal for sensitive horses, albeit other research has suggested 2g per kg of bodyweight. If you are unable to adopt this practice and are concerned about providing your horse with enough energy for his work – try replacing some of that grain/hard feed with Fibregenix Platinum Pro ration balancer supplement and adding in a calorie dense feed such as oil or feeding a low starch grain such as lupins, or adding in some super fibres such as beet pulp. Too much starch in one meal can cause a multitude of problems. From gas colic to ulcers to hot and fizzy behavior, toxicity in the hindgut leading to laminitis, etc etc
Aug 27, 2019
If you have a horse in hard work/competition and you are currently feeding the daily recommended amount of a processed hard feed, once Fibregenix Platinum Pro is introduced you should be able to gradually reduce hard feed by at least half as the approved probiotic in Pro will enable him improve his nutrient yield from the fibre in his diet. You can then substitute that portion of hard feed with things such as beet pulp, linseed oil or lupins.
Pro has a Digestible Energy of 12.3MJ/kg, so it’s comparable with other medium energy hard feeds but without the whole cereal and molasses component in it. It’s also fed at just 100g per 100kg of bodyweight. Therefore it’s possible to reduce the amount of hard feed being fed which will cut down on the amount of starch and sugar in the horse’s diet – a ‘win-win’ for your horse’s digestive system.
Alternatively, you can also try feeding a ‘straight’ grain such as oats or micronized barley alongside your fibre and Platinum Pro to provide fast release energy – often a better option as you can actually see what you are giving your horse and you are feeding one type of cereal only rather than a combination of two or three as seen so often in processed hard feeds. Just be careful with the amount of grain you’re feeding in any one meal.
Platinum Pro is non-heating due to its low starch and sugar content.
Aug 27, 2019
Read the labels of that ‘cool’ feed – they may be labelled as ‘oat free’ but they’re all too often still formulated with other cereals. No feed can be considered ‘cool’ when it contains grains such as barley or maize (corn), even those that are extruded or micronized. Yes, cooking the cereal helps to improve pre-caecal digestion and avoid digestive disturbances, but the energy levels generated could be in excess to requirements leading to either unwanted weight gain or adverse behaviour. Ultimately, it’s all about helping horses to be fed a more natural diet as nature intended and keeping the digestive system settled. Horses in light work can utilise energy from volatile fatty acids produced from fibre digestion, so limiting starch in the diet and feeding more fibre is a far healthier option.
Aug 27, 2019
Where will my horse get his energy from?
In some instances – yes. For example if your horse is in light to moderate work then yes, generally he can get his energy/nutritional requirements from his fibre along with a Fibregenix balancer supplement to ensure his diet is balanced. The digestion of fibre produces volatile fatty acids which can be utilized as an energy source and you can also feed additional oil or super fibres such as beet pulp or even legumes such as lupins for additional cool energy/calories if required.
However, all horses and ponies are individuals and some may have greater nutritional requirements than others due to for example a compromised digestive system or having ulcers. Some may be in intense work which will require a fast release source of energy from cereals, so your horse should be assessed on an individual basis. Ultimately a wholly fibre diet is preferable and more often than not achievable. Add in the essential nutrients that Fibregenix will provide and you have the ultimate diet for lower energy requirements.
