feeding good doers Feeding for show ring sparkle


Q - I’m starting to do more shows with my Highland pony so I’ve changed his feed to a competition mix but I can’t feed the amount is says on the bag because he would simply get too fat. How can I give him a bit extra ‘oomph’ in the show ring without him gaining weight?


A - When we want ‘oomph’, we generally think, calories or energy but vitamins and minerals are important too as they are involved in the process of releasing energy from food in the diet. Good-doers, like yours, who get less than the recommended amount of a mix


or cube are missing out on these essential nutrients, whilst still getting some calories that they probably don’t need. I would recommend feeding 2 to 3 mugs of Baileys Lo-Cal balancer per day, perhaps with some low calorie Baileys Light chaff, to give your pony all the essential nutrients he needs without any additional calories. You may still need to watch his calorie intake by regulating how much grass and forage he gets but the Lo-Cal balancer will be giving him all the nutrients he needs to stay healthy. You should find your Highland pony ‘perks up’ once he’s on this fully balanced diet and getting


Mycotoxins are compounds produced by moulds and can form both in the field and during storage. They are toxic to animals at low levels and almost impossible to destroy, so it makes sense, says Alltech, to...


... reduce the risk of mycotoxins in your forage


The three main mould groups that produce mycotoxins are Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. Fusarium moulds usually produce mycotoxins in the field, whereas both Aspergillus and Penicillium mycotoxins are produced during storage of the crop, for example, as hay. The result is forage with reduced nutrient content and poor hygienic quality. Mycotoxins have been shown to affect various systems including the digestive, respiratory, immune and nervous systems, potentially causing a wide range of conditions, such as poor performance, reduced feed intake and bodyweight loss, with potentially more severe problems, including neurological and liver damage also reported. Reproductive disorders in breeding mares have been seen with the Fusarium mycotoxin, zearalenone. Horses are the species most sensitive to Fusarium mycotoxins, but acute mycotoxicosis is relatively rare in the UK and the challenge is more often chronic exposure to low levels of multiple mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are produced when moulds become stressed and flooding, drought and extremes of temperature are amongst the conditions that stress moulds. Damp, humid conditions during storage will also significantly increase the risk of contamination of conserved forage, such as hay and haylage. This provides farmers with a challenge to produce good quality forage in the often erratic weather conditions of UK summer. Hay can be more prone to greater levels of contamination than haylage, due to the more mature nature of the crop.


Equine Page 12


Additionally, hay should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated area, which should ideally be cleaned out between batches. However, poor conservation or weather at harvest can result in substantial levels of contamination in haylage. Haylage for horses should have at least eight layers of wrapping and open bales should be used within two to three days. Hence the size of bale should be appropriate to the number of horses being fed.When buying hay, an awareness of the weather at harvest as well as storage conditions will help to identify any potential risks. The presence of visible mould on forage is obviously not desirable, due not just to the potential adverse effect of the mould itself, but also the increased risk of mycotoxin contamination. That said, the presence of mould does not necessarily indicate mycotoxin contamination just as the absence of mould does not guarantee ‘clean’ forage. It is rare for forage to contain no mycotoxins, so the issue becomes which ones and at what levels.


Visit www.knowmycotoxins.com


the vitamins, minerals and quality protein he needs. These nutrients will also support strong healthy hooves and a shiny coat, as well as the muscle tone he needs to stand out in the show ring.


Should you feel you need a little more sparkle, you can give a handful of oats or competition mix each day, to keep your pony’s gut used to receiving it, then increase the amount for competition days. As long as you drop the amount back down afterwards, the extra energy should be used for performance rather than going to his waistline.


Smart Balance


Provides a concentrated supply of micronutrients; vitamins, performance minerals, amino acids, Omega 3 and antioxidants, and an advanced digestive aid. Smart Balance provides optimal levels of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients, high levels of vitamin E and selenium, antioxidants that combat free- radicals, optimum levels of biotin (which is scientifically proven to improve hoof quality) and generous levels of B vitamins for efficient energy metabolism. Smart Balance is also low starch and sugar, made without cereals or cereal by-products, is Soya free, contains non GMO ingredients and is molasses free. Email theteam@


smarthorsenutrition.com Watching the summer weight


Obesity is not just bad for humans – it is also a serious problem in horses and ponies, placing extra stress on limbs, joints, the spine and lungs. It will prevent a horse or pony performing well and he may become lazy and sluggish. However overweight horses and ponies still require the essential vitamins and minerals to lead a healthy life and they should receive a minimum 1.5% of their body weight in fibre intake each day to maintain gut motility. If they are grazing during the day, additional forage, such as


HorseHage High Fibre or Timothy can be given when they are in for the night. HorseHage is a dust free, high fibre forage and lower sugar compared to hay. Mollichaff HoofKind Complete is ideal for the good doer as it is a complete low energy, low starch, low sugar, high fibre feed in a bag. It contains a balanced blend of oat straw, alfalfa, fibre pellets, soya oil, vitamins, minerals, biotin, trace elements and antioxidants and when fed at the recommended levels, can be used as the sole bucket feed. Visit www.horsehage.co.uk


Contact Baileys Horse Feeds on 01371 850247, email info@ baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk or visit www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk


Highland Pony Fred the Cat is fed on Baileys Lo-Cal balancer


Ensuring good storage condition for your forage is important to minimise the potential risk of mycotoxin contamination


www.theequinesite.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64