Showing success for veteran harry
It is incredibly variable as to when your horse will begin showing his age, but it is inevitable at some point that there will be tell tale signs that he is getting older. Perhaps he will come out of the winter lacking in topline or maybe he’s not quite as exuberant as he has been in previous years. It is due to these variables that the nutritional requirements of the veteran horse vary greatly; a traditional veteran feed is not always applicable and sometimes we have to “think outside of the box”. This is the exact situation that Britta Francis found herself in when trying to find a suitable feed for her horse, Harry. Read on below to find out how the Care-Line helped Britta and Harry to realize their full potential.
Harry is a 20 year old Thoroughbred gelding who is used mainly for ridden showing, as well as hacking and schooling at home. Despite his age he is an excitable type who doesn’t need any excuse to act 2 years old rather than 20! To add further complications to his diet Harry also has a history of laminitis, and although he has now fully recovered it does mean that any feeds we offer him have to be suitably low in starch, rendering traditional mixes unsuitable.
When Britta called the Care-Line she was concerned that Harry was lacking in topline, especially compared to how he usually looks at this time of year. He was being fed a chaff with a feed balancer, which just didn’t seem to be helping him to maintain condition very effectively. When Britta called the Care-Line we recommended that she use SPILLERS® High Fibre Cubes, as they would aid all round good condition without promoting massive weight gain or fizzy behaviour. As SPILLERS® feeds contain a full compliment of vitamins and minerals the balancer was no longer necessary. Additionally SPILLERS® High Fibre Cubes are approved by The Laminitis Trust making them ideal for those at a heightened risk from the disease.
Previously Britta and Harry had been unplaced in their local veteran class, but after just two weeks of feeding SPILLERS® High Fibre Cubes they attended their first affiliated show and the results were phenomenal. Harry was placed third in the in hand veteran class, second in the ridden class, he qualified for the regional championships (in hand and ridden), and also qualified for the South West Veteran of the Year Championship. Britta was thrilled with these fantastic results, and as you can see from the photograph below Harry seemed happy with the situation too.
The SPILLERS® Care-Line team understand that not every veteran can be given a traditional senior or veteran mix. Conditions such as laminitis and Cushing’s Disease can often mean that the horse owner is faced with a daunting task when trying to find a suitable ration for their veteran. We will take all of your horse’s individual needs into account and tailor-make a ration to their specific requirements. Whether this is via the excellent support from our two senior feeds; SPILLERS® Senior Maintenance Mix and SPILLERS® Senior Conditioning Mix, or a more specialized feeding plan, we are confident that we will be able to help.
To find out the best feeding regime for your veteran either email us a Care-Line enquiry or telephone us on 01908 226626.
If you would like to let us know how well your veteran looks on his SPILLERS® feed, we would be delighted to hear from you so please contact the Care-Line either by email us a Care-Line enquiry or by telephone 01908 226626.
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