Amino Acids
Amino acids are known as the “building blocks” of protein. The quality protein found in SPILLERS® horse feeds will be constructed from amino acids.
Anti-oxidants
When your horse’s cells use oxygen, they naturally produce by-products called free radicals, which when produced in excess can cause damage to your horse’s body. Antioxidants such as vitamin E and C in your horse feed attract and bind these free radicals, helping to reduce this damage.
Azoturia
(See ERS)
Balancer
A nutrient dense feed designed to counteract the deficiencies in diets based on cereals such as oats (e.g. SPILLERS Oat Balancer Mix) or an all forage diet
Bio-available
The rate or degree a substance can be absorbed into the horse’s body once it has been ingested.
Bio-Active System
A blend of natural fibres found in SPILLERS® High fibre Cubes that help support gut health and digestion.
Biotin
A water soluble B vitamin which when fed at high levels can help strengthen the horn of a horse’s hoof.
Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio
There needs to be more calcium than phosphorus is a horse’s diet in order for them to interact effectively. The ratio should be kept around 1.5 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus.
Carbohydrate
Provides the main source of energy in the diet, carbohydrate is the collective name given to starches, sugars and dietary fibres found in horse feed which can be digested in some form to provide energy. Carbohydrates are processed by the horse’s digestive system at different rates. Starch and sugar are digested quickly so horse feeds with high levels of starch provide a lot of energy quickly (instant energy), which is good for feeding laid-back or lethargic horses. Fibres are digested slowly and so produce more controlled, slow released energy.
Chelated
If a mineral (e.g. copper, zinc, magnesium) is chelated it is combined with a small protein or amino acid which makes it easier for the horse’s body to absorb the mineral.
Combined Training
A competition involving both a dressage test and a showjumping round.
Complementary feed
A feed designed to be fed alongside forage to provide your horse with a balanced diet containing with all the nutrients he needs.
Complete Feed
A feed designed to be capable of supplying all the nutrients in the diet including adequate fibre levels to maintain optimum digestive health and vitamins and minerals (e.g. SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF)
Concentrated feed
A feed with concentrated levels of vitamins and minerals so you can feed your horse all he needs in a smaller portion. This avoids him getting too much carbohydrate (see above) causing excitable behaviour and weight gain. (e.g. SPILLERS® Cool Concentrate)
Conditioning
A conditioning feed aims to build condition, and support the development of topline and muscle tone. SPILLERS® Conditioning Cubes and Mix are proven in trials to build condition in as little as two weeks without excitability.
Condition Scoring
An assessment of your horse’s body fat coverage. With practice, condition scoring can be an accurate way of ensuring that your horse does not gain or lose too much condition, and allows you to make dietary adjustments accordingly.
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
See (RAO)
Digestible
A nutrient which can be absorbed in the intestines (as opposed to indigestible which will just pass through the intestine)
Digestible Energy (DE)
The estimated energy content in a horse feed. Measured in MJ/Kg
Digestive Enhancers
Products which aim to support digestionto help the horse digest the nutrients in it’s feed more efficiently such as yeasts, prebiotics and probiotics. They are not absorbed by the gut themselves. Often included in compound feed, for example SPILLERS® Senior Maintenance Mix and SPILLERS® Senior Conditioning Mix, where extra digestive support is required.
Electrolytes
Minerals responsible for maintaining water balance in the body. The most common electrolyte is salt (sodium chloride) but others include magnesium, potassium and calcium.
Energy Dense
A concentrated source of energy in a small amount of feed e.g. fats and oils
ERS (Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Syndrome)
Also known as azoturia, tying up, or setfast (amongst others). This is simply described as a disturbance in muscle function, causing the horse muscular pain. The horse may seem unwilling to move or seem stiff taking short steps, with the muscles over its hindquarters appearing hot and hard. In nutrition terms, it is important not to over feed cereal starch, as this can be one of the contributing factors.
Fatty acids
These are the molecules that make up fats and oils and are released when oils and fats are broken down in the digestive system. They provide a source of energy.
Fibre
Fibre is structural carbohydrate which cannot be broken down by enzymes in a horse’s small intestine, but is broken down slowly in the large intestine by bacteria, a process known as microbial fermentation.
Fizzy
An excitable or exuberant horse
Fully Balanced
A feed that provides all a horse’s dietary requirements when fed at the recommended rate.
Glucosamine
A molecule that can help support joint health which can be beneficial in elderly horses or those with stiff joints.
Glycogen
Glycogen is the body’s storage carbohydrate, it is broken down into glucose when the horse requires energy.
Good Doer
A horse who holds weight or condition easily, often with a propensity to become overweight.
Hard Feed
(See complementary feed)
Hard Work
Work such as three day eventers, advanced endurance, racehorses.
Light Work
Most Leisure horses being ridden between 1-2 hours a day 4 to 6 times a week or less. Occasional weekend competing.
Live Yeast
A digestive enhancer which helps good bacteria in the large intestine break down food.
Low calorie
Contains low levels of energy or calories making the feed ideal for good doers. A low calorie feed should still provide the correct levels of vitamins and minerals when fed at the recommended rate e.g. SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF®.
Macro minerals
Minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium which are required in relatively large amounts in a horse’s diet (i.e. g/day).
Magnesium
A mineral known to have calming properties found in SPILLERS® Cool Mix and SPILLERS® Horse and Pony Cubes.
Maintenance
A horse not being ridden and therefore requires only minimum energy levels to maintain condition.
Medium Work
Horses working between 2 and 5 hours a day such as rising school horses, or those competing regularly at a higher level.
Micro (trace) minerals
Minerals and elements such as copper, zinc manganese and iron which are required in tiny quantities (i.e. mg/day)
Muscle Tone
The amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle. All muscles are constantly partially contracted so they are ready for immediate use. It is important to maintain muscle tone to keep them healthy, a muscle without any tone will waste away.
Non-heating
A non-heating feed is one that is less likely to produce excitable behaviour in horses and ponies when fed at the recommended rate.
NovaMin-S
A unique formulation of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants formulated for all round health, found in SPILLERS® Cool Mix.
Nutrient Dense/Rich
A feed dense in vitamins and minerals so is fed in lower volumes than traditional compound feeds. The lower volume means carbohydrates are fed at lower levels avoiding weight gain and excitability e.g. SPILLERS® Cool Concentrate.
Pelleting
One of the processes used in milling horse feed to create pellets or cubes. The feed is heat treated with steam then forced through holes of different sizes depending on what size pellet is required.
Prebiotics
Fermentable carbohydrates which act as food for good bacteria in the gut.
Probiotics
Live micro-organisms which can colonise the gut and add to the population of good bacteria.
Protein
Required for growth and repair of the body. Protein is made up from amino acids, some of which the body cannot produce itself and must be included in the diet.
Quality protein
A protein containing high levels of essential amino acids, important for building condition and muscle tone.
RAO (Recurrent Airway Obstruction)
A condition where a horse’s airways become narrowed, restricting airflow to the lungs causing stress on the respiratory system and sometimes a cough.
Rest
See Maintenance
Senior
A senior horse is traditionally considered to be any horse over 16 years old, although as horses are living longer 16 years old is often an age where horses are in their prime. However in reality horses all age at different rates.
Starch
A non-structural carbohydrate found in high levels in cereals. Broken down in the horse’s small intestine to provide quick released energy.
Steam Flaking
Cooking a cereal such as barley or maize in steam to aid digestibility, then rolling the soft, hot cereal into a flake.
Straights
The term given to cereals, cereal by-products, proteins, vitamins and minerals when they are fed individually rather than mixed or blended as in a compound feed.
Trailblazers
Trailblazers is an organisation developed for the enthusiastic rider. It is a competition structure suitable for the true amateur/recreational rider with competitions for showjumping, dressage and showing. Find out more at www.trailblazerschampionships.com.
Topline
The muscles over the neck, withers, back and croup of the horse. A good topline requires good muscle tone which can be built from quality protein in the diet combined with correct exercise.
Veteran
See Senior
Vitamins
Substances required in the diet in minute quantities to maintain health and normal bodily functions. The main fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K and the water soluble are C and the B vitamins.
Yeast
Supports fibre digestion by helping to stimulate bacteria which breakdown cellulose (fibre). Live yeast is found in SPILLERS® Senior Feeds.