The SPILLERS® Technical Team will publish articles on the site every few months relating to key seasonal issues.
Clare Barfoot BSc (Hons) RNutr, is a registered nutritionist and the research and development manager for SPILLERS®, the tried and trusted name in horse feeds.
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.
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.
Now is the time of year to review your horses or ponies diet to take into account the natural changes in the weather and in the goodness of the grass. During the autumn, grass growth slows and its quality falls as it becomes higher in fibre, less digestible and has less vitamin activity.
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 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.
During the autumn when the nights start to draw in and the mornings are getting chillier it is wise to start to think about autumn feeding. The quality and quantity of grass at this time of year starts to drop so most horses and ponies will start to require some supplementary feed to help them maintain their condition going into the winter.
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...
Laminitis does not only affect fat ponies; it can strike any horse or pony at any time. Don’t ignore the predisposing signs such as a cresty neck, sore feet or a change in hoof shape these are all warning signs to suggest it is time to take preventative action waiting until it happens could prove disastrous for your horse.