laminitis Lose weight to be healthy


Effective dietary management


This fit and healthy native is an enjoyable ride and successful in the show ring


Laminitis is an issue that many of our readers are concerned about and if the following question sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone!


“My vet is always telling me my 15hh, ‘overgrown’ Connemara pony needs to lose weight to be healthy, especially going into the summer.


I find though that if I restrict his feed too much, he isn’t such a willing ride and doesn’t easily go forward. Can you help with a feeding regime that will keep the weight off, yet will still give him energy to work with enthusiasm – at times I feel I do all the work, instead of being able to enjoy riding him.


He is kept stabled overnight and is out during the day on old meadow whilst I’m at work. We are Riding Club members and do unaffiliated dressage and show jumping, along with lots of hacking on the fells near us.”


Blue Chip provides some practical feeding advice... In order to establish a suitable feeding regime for your pony, you first must assess the factors that may contribute to his weight gain, which include his diet, workload and environment and then take steps to balance these to formulate a correct ration to feed him. Firstly, in order to provide him with all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that he needs to remain in optimum condition, including a correctly formulated feed balancer in his diet would be highly beneficial.


Equine Page 12


Blue Chip Lami-light is the Diet feed balancer that is whole-cereal and molasses free, keeping starch and sugar levels low, which is perfect for those horses and ponies that struggle to battle the bulge when grazing becomes richer as spring and summer come around. It incorporates a high quality probiotic into the 100% natural formula which acts to help improve the balance of healthy bacteria within the digestive system, improving the efficiency of nutrient absorption and helping your pony to better utilise the feed that you provide him with. Lami-light also contains zinc, soya and linseed oils to promote scurf free skin and the development of a gleaming, glossy coat alongside high quality sources of protein to help him achieve good muscle tone and condition, whilst keeping calories low and helping to facilitate steady, consistent weight loss alongside his exercise regime.


As Blue Chip Lami-light is low in starches and sugars, its calorie contribution to the diet is quite minimal and a safe way to help provide additional energy to your horse’s diet should you feel he requires it would be to feed a chaff enriched with oils. Oils contain no starches or sugars and are a great source of energy that can be easily utilised during low-medium intensity exercise, leaving more glycogen in muscular stores, ready for when it is required during higher intensity work. When selecting your chaff to feed alongside Lami-light, look for an unmolassed, Alfalfa based product as this is naturally high


in fibre to help keep the gut healthy and motile, but low in sugars and starches to minimise the risks of digestive upsets.


Here in Britain, one of the common causes for laminitis is susceptible horses and ponies grazing in lush pastures, especially in spring when new grass is growing rapidly. The Trickle Net is a highly effective tool for the dietary management of equines prone to laminitis. Owners are advised not to starve them, as this can do more damage than good. Trickle Nets provide the perfect solution and encourage eating at a more relaxed and natural ‘grazing’ rhythm. The Trickle Net helps by slowing down the rate at which horses and ponies eat their hay, thanks to the robust small holes which only allow small amounts of hay to be taken at a time and so prolonging eating time. Trickle Nets are made from 4mm rot proof braided polythene, meaning they are extremely strong and robust, prolonging the life of the net. Up to 8.5kgs of dry hay will fit into a Trickle Net, which costs £32.99. Visit: www.tricklenet.co.uk


LaminShield


Finally, when introducing your horse to a new feeding regime, it is important to do this gradually to allow his body to acclimatise to the changes that you are making. It would be beneficial prior to making changes to accurately assess his weight so that you can firstly ensure that you are feeding the correct amount of the diet feed balancer to help facilitate safe, consistent weight loss and to help you keep track of the changes to his weight throughout the year and keep him happy, healthy and thriving all year round.


LaminShield from Rockies provides horses with a safe, easy to feed and palatable form of magnesium, as a block and as powder. The solid blocks, which are available in 2kg and 5kg sizes, allow the horse to help himself as and when he wants. The licks are made using high pressure presses, and this means that they won’t crumble or melt like inferior products, so they’ll stand the test of time. Each block contains five different types of magnesium to support the horse’s body systems, and three different types of Bioplex to further support the horse and his wellbeing. For those who want to add LaminShield to their horse’s feed, it’s also available as a 25g sachet that’s really easy to add to your horse’s daily ration; you don’t even need to measure it! Magnesium can be a useful supplement for horses that are overweight, prone to laminitis and more, as deficiency can potentially compromise the horse’s health. LaminShield sachets are available in boxes of 28 that have a RRP of £30.24. The price for licks start from £13.24. For more information, see www. rockies.co.uk, email info@rockies. co.uk or call 01606 595022.


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