Seasonal articles

Fit not Fat – Feeding The Show Horse  Kate Redley “Well, he’s a nice horse, but he would do better in the show ring if he had more condition”. This is something many horse owners hear when taking the first steps into unaffiliated showing, but how exactly should this be interpreted, and how do you achieve this without compromising your horse’s temperament? First of all, take a step back and...

Not a day goes by without a news report highlighting the increasing problem of obesity in people and you may have seen your local vet running weight watching clinics for cats and dogs; but should we be doing the same for horses?

Water is the most important part of any diet and a performance horse can lose many litres during a competition or while training. A fluid loss of only 2% can affect the performance of your horse so keeping him hydrated is paramount.

Should I add salt to my horse's feed? The importance of electrolytes in equine nutrition Q: I have heard riders say that they add salt to their horse’s feeds. Why do they do this, how much should you add, when should you add it - and is it just table salt, or do I need 'equestrian' salt? Knowing how to feed electrolytes, how much and which sort can be highly confusing as there are so many...

With the plummeting temperatures and freezing conditions it is inevitable that your horse will spend more time in his stable. Horses react very differently to spending extra time behind their stable door so how you manage your horse may be very different to his stable mate next door. There are however some very simple management and feeding tips which may help to keep your horse happy during this...

Many owners with excitable horses dread winter; they know that increased time in the stable, coupled with increased feed for condition, can lead to an unmanageable horse. So how do you strike the fine balance between having a horse in good condition, and having one that is well behaved? The answer lies in where the energy is sourced from within the feed.

There are many conflicting opinions on how to fitten a horse, some trainers may talk about Interval training, Combined Training and others about Endurance Training. Ultimately though the final goal is the same, to ensure that the horse is fit, healthy and keen to compete.

The first thing to come to mind when comparing horses and ponies is their differing ability to maintain weight. Ponies have a well deserved reputation for being able to “live on fresh air” whilst the owners of some horses, particularly thoroughbreds, spend the winter struggling to stop their horse from becoming a hat rack.

In recent years there has been a great deal of interest surrounding the effects of diet on the behaviour of children and it is widely recognised that frequent snacks of sweets and fizzy drinks can contribute to a toddler’s tantrums. In some cases it can be just as simple to pinpoint a possible nutritional cause of difficult behaviour in horses and take straightforward steps to improve the...

As well as the challenges of mud and rain, winter also brings new feeding challenges for the horse owner. Many horses spend more time stabled during the winter and some may lose condition. This, combined with changes in the weather and grass quality means that most horses will require a different feeding regime compared to the summer months.

As interest in endurance riding has increased, so has our understanding of endurance horse nutrition. As with all competition horses the same rule very much applies: good feeding can’t make a slow horse faster, overcome lack of fitness or undo a bad ride, but bad feeding can quickly undo any horse, and a good diet can help a horse reach its potential

During their first year of life, foals grow and develop very rapidly so that by the age of one they have reached well over half of their mature bodyweight; in some cases they may even have reached 80% of their adult weight.  A yearling’s diet will therefore often start to move towards that of an adult horse as the rate of growth decreases and the skeleton matures. Protein requirements will fall...

Like humans, horses ‘get old’ at different ages. Nowadays it is not uncommon for horses to go on competing well into their teens and twenties, due to the better knowledge we possess about equine nutrition and veterinary care.

Nutrition plays a big part in the performance of show horses and ponies.  Early on in any horse's life, good feeding is incredibly important in creating the right skeleton, the frame on which all else hangs; once the horse begins its showing career, feeding will affect the condition the horse carries, its behaviour and even the shine on its coat. It is well worth planning your horse’s show season...

Winter can be a difficult time for some elderly horses. Energy requirements may increase by 30% or more in order to maintain body temperature; veterans are often very prone to weight loss as grass quality deteriorates and the weather gets colder. Older horses with poor teeth or previous worm damage are particularly at risk.

Weight gain and laminitis are the most talked about topic on the SPILLERS® care line at this time of year. More and more horses are becoming overweight due to increased grass growth from the warmer and wetter weather we now experience.  There is also an increasing awareness of the risk of laminitis and related conditions. By following our top ten tips, you can beat obesity and have a fitter,...

Horses are individuals, which means that the amount of feed and type of feed that they require to maintain their bodyweight, level of condition and provide the type of ride required etc. will depend upon many factors.

With the cost of feed escalating, how can I make sure that my horse is getting all the nutrients and bulk that he needs without wasting money? The winter is always a difficult time for horse owners; the colder weather and lack of grazing  may result in a change of routine and an increased feed intake. This combined with the increasing cost of feed and the poor availability of forage means that...

The ultimate aim when rearing a foal should be to produce a sound, healthy and successful athlete for whatever level and type of equestrian use. Many factors influence the growth and development of foals, but nutrition is one that we can more easily influence and therefore we should try and get as close to the optimum as possible.

During the winter, most of us stable our horses for a number of months, even if it’s just overnight. So what should we be feeding the stabled horse? Whatever we feed, fibre should be in the forefront of our minds and should make up the largest proportion of the horse’s diet.

During this time of year we get numerous phone calls on the SPILLERS® Careline from owners, who are worried their horses have lost weight over the winter.   Read the winter feeding tips prepared by Isabel Stewart BSc (Hons), SPILLERS® Nutritionist to help you keep condition on your horse or pony this winter.

Do you know how much the recommended amount of feed for your horse should be? If the answer is no, then you are not alone. Add this to the people who know the recommended amount but don’t feed it, and this describes most horse owners.

As we push our horses to the maximum in terms of athletic demand or technical excellence meeting their nutritional needs becomes increasingly important. Good feeding can’t make a slow horse faster, overcome lack of fitness or undo a bad ride, but bad feeding can quickly undo any horse, and a good diet can help a horse reach its potential. There are some very important considerations when putting...

During the winter, most owners consider a change in their horse’s routine and diet to help them maintain condition throughout the colder months. Whichever changes you make, they need to be individual to your horse, to ensure that he remains happy and healthy throughout the winter.

As winter sets in, most owners are considering a change in their horse’s routine and diet to help them maintain condition throughout the colder months. Whichever changes you make, they need to be individual to your horse, to ensure that he remains happy and healthy throughout the winter.

The winter brings wind, rain, mud and often a sense of relief for those owners with horses prone to laminitis. However now is not the time to throw caution to the wind, the winter weather can bring just as many challenges when managing the laminitic horse or pony.

Horse owners competing regularly in competitions and those aiming to qualify for the Trailblazers Championships may be looking for that little bit extra out of their feed. Competition feeds that provide optimal energy from controlled sources such as fibre, starch and oil are ideal as they will provide the extra energy required without contributing to bad behaviour. Quality protein is also...

Although horses and ponies can cope well with very low temperatures they will use a large proportion of the energy in their feed just to keep warm. As a result, many drop condition during the winter months unless care is taken to increase the calories their diet provides.