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feeding


feeding


Equestrian Life with


Just answer the question below to be in with a chance of winning


Win the chance to have a member of the Dodson & Horrell Nutritional Team work with you to devise a feeding plan for your horse as well as a £50 voucher to spend in Forrest Feeds on Dodson & Horrell products.


To win, simply answer the following question:


Dodson & Horrell – Six Steps to a Successful Yard Visit.


Since 1939, Dodson & Horrell have been producing high quality horse feed and our dedication to nutritional excellence has meant that we have grown and developed to become Europe’s leading horse feed manufacturer. Whether you enjoy keeping horses for leisure or competition, or even for breeding purposes, we have the right feed for you and our nutritional experts can help you formulate a diet to suit your horse and you.


In the run up to winter, owners often start to evaluate their winter feeding plans to determine what feeding routines and diet to use and Dodson & Horrell carry out free yard visits (minimum of 8 horses) to help you choose the most appropriate diet. Dodson & Horrell Nutritional Support Manager, Rachel Sainsbury, recently visited Chris and Chrissie Saunders’ event yard in Nottinghamshire. The Saunders have a pool of successful event horses ridden by Sam York (BHSI and lecturer at Nottingham University Brackenhurst), which compete at Novice through to Advanced during the eventing season and during the winter, the horses will be competing


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in affiliated dressage and show jumping competition. Chris and Chrissie have been using Dodson & Horrell feeds for a number of years, and they are supplied by Forrest Feeds of Edingley*.


What are the key components of a successful yard visit? Each horse on the yard is comprehensively assessed and an individual dietary recommendation form is filled out where the name, sex, age, weight, fat score and workload of the horse is noted as well as current diet, horse history and any concerns that the owner might have. Once the assessments are completed, dietary recommendations are tailored to suit the individual requirements of each horse whilst being cost effective for the yard as a whole.


So, where do we start....? 1. Weigh & Fat Score Assessing your horse’s weight and fat score is vital for deciding whether he is suitable for his breed, type and height as well as being a valuable tool for monitoring how your horse’s body is changing and deciding what dietary adjustments are required. To accurately weigh a horse, we use our scientifically calibrated weigh tape suitable for both ponies and horses. The weightape is used as shown. For fat scoring a horse, we apply a hands-on technique to feel for fat cover. The horse is divided


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into 3 areas; the neck, the back and ribs and the pelvis and each area is given a score (0-5). Ideally, competition horses should have a fat score of 2.5- 3.0 as overweight horses and those with a high fat score are at increased risk of developing laminitis, foot-related problems and musculo-skeletal disorders. We recommend aiming to weigh and fat score your horse every two weeks at the same time of day each time.


2. Assessing your Horse’s Workload Your horse’s workload will have a direct effect on his daily diet and event horses competing at affiliated level are usually in medium-hard work depending upon which level they are competed at. The event horse’s workload will be affected by the eventing season (March – October) and we often recommend altering your feeding plan gradually to reduce the amount of energy (calories) that the horse gets, depending on their condition. Most event horses after a brief holiday will continue to work on their dressage and show jumping over the winter months and therefore their calorie requirements will be similar. The colder weather may also cause your horse to lose additional weight, so a feed such as Dodson & Horrell Build Up Conditioning Mix/Cubes, along


with appropriate management and forage intake, will help to provide your horse with additional calories and protein to support his condition over the winter months.


Competition horses in medium- hard work will also benefit from added salt and electrolytes in their diet to replace those lost through sweating and physical activity. For the Saunders event horses, Rachel recommends adding ½ - 1 tablespoon of salt into one feed per day when the horses are in work (even during the winter) and this salt is then replaced with electrolytes for 1-3 days after travel, competition, during warm weather or periods of hard work.


3. Assessing Daily Life Your horse’s daily management routine has an influence on how you should feed and this has to be considered alongside workload and temperament. When looking at management, it is important to consider your stabling/turnout routine as well as the surroundings that your horse is in. We look at how much time your horse spends grazing and how much forage (hay, haylage) your horse has. Typically, event horses in medium work tend to have a concentrate:forage ratio of 30-40% concentrates and 60-70% forage due to their higher requirements for energy (calories) but during the winter, the concentrate proportion of the diet is often reduced and therefore, the forage ration is increased.


As part of our yard assessment we also look at the yard surroundings and the way that different horses react to different situations. For example, a busy yard can disturb horses that are prone to being nervous, and this can lead to weight loss.


4. Forage & Grazing Analysis Each forage harvest and pasture is different, so consider having your forage analysed as part of formulating a balanced diet. The Dodson & Horrell Forage Analysis Service offers a range of tests


including proximate analysis, minerals and hygiene. For further information, please visit www.dodsonandhorrell.com or contact us on 0845 345 2627.


Research carried out by Dodson & Horrell in 2005 has shown that even if your horse is supplied with the best quality grazing, he still won’t have a fully balanced diet and will be deficient in certain minerals such as zinc which is essential for good hoof condition. Dodson & Horrell Ultimate Balancer is a versatile way to top-up your competition horse’s mineral and vitamin demands. Rachel often recommends feeding a balancer, such as Ultimate Balancer, to a wide range of competition horses to ensure that your horse is getting his daily vitamins and minerals along with joint and digestive support. Balancers also allow for flexible feeding, allowing you to adjust your horse’s calorie intake according to his workload. For example, if feeding reduced quantities of a competition feed during the winter or during the early stages of training or during injury, balancers will help you to provide a fully balanced, consistent ration.


5. Weighing out your Horse’s Ration To accurately assess your horse’s ration, we measure your horse’s feed according to weight and


not volume (IMAGE 2995). This is so we know how much your horse is getting every day. As scoop sizes vary, we also weigh how much your scoop holds so that you know how much you are giving your horse. All of the Dodson & Horrell concentrate feeds are formulated to be fed at specific feeding rates in order to again supply your horse with a fully balanced diet. For example, Competition Mix has a feeding rate of 600g per 100kg bodyweight, so a 500kg horse would require 3.0kg per day in order to provide him with a fully balanced diet.


6. Assessing Specific Nutritional Requirements Some horses will have specific feeding requirements relating to their lifestage (youngstock or veterans) and others are also prone to conditions such as tying-up or laminitis. Dodson & Horrell have formulated specialist diets to suit the needs of these horses and these can all be found on our website and in our brochure.


For friendly and expert nutritional advice, give the Dodson & Horrell Nutritional Team a call on 0845 345 2627. We’re available between 8.30- 5.00 Monday-Friday.


What is the typical concentrate:forage ratio for an event horse in medium work?


* Forrest Feeds has been supplying the Equine owner with feed and requisites for over 28 years. Our training program is second to none. All staff are continually being updated in all aspects of the products we have for sale, gaining many awards for their knowledge gained. We have three staff fully licensed to prescribe your wormers.


Our Feed Store is packed with a huge variety of Feed, Chops, Haylage, Hay, Straw and Bedding to suit all classes of Horse. The turnover of stock is exceptional so you are always guaranteed fresh feed. You will find we are the largest supplier of Dodson & Horrell products in the area. We offer a regular and reliable delivery service covering Nottinghamshire and beyond. There is no minimum delivery size.


We have a large shop area warmed by a wood burning stove, where you are able to browse at your leisure. Whether you are looking for Rugs, Yard or Stable Equipment, Fencing, Supplements, Veterinary Medicines or Clothing for yourself, we have it all.


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