spring feed & diet changes
Feeding the laminitic
Although it might be rather early in the year for laminitis, planning a suitable diet for when the grass does grow is an important part of spring feeding and Mollichaff HoofKind is a complete fibre feed designed for the nutritional support of those horses and ponies prone to laminitis. HoofKind is made from a balanced blend of high quality oat straw, dried alfalfa and fibre pellets, topped with a light dressing of soya oil with added vitamins and minerals, trace elements, including magnesium and natural plant- based antioxidants, plus added therapeutic levels of biotin. It is low in starch and sugar, high in fibre and does not contain any cereals. It supplies a low level but high quality protein and restricted calories and so provides limited, controlled energy from high quality digestible fibre and oil- based ingredients, making it an excellent feed for fizzy horses and good doers as well as laminitics.
Keep a note of these five tips for feeding the laminitic horse or pony: 1. Always avoid high starch concentrate feeds, use calorie sources such as fibre and oil if extra condition is needed. 2. Ensure your forage is as clean yet low sugar as possible. Either have your hay analysed, or use a good quality bagged forage which is guaranteed to fall within certain safe parameters. 3. Keep a close eye on your horse’s weight - an overweight or obese horse is much more likely to suffer from an attack. 4. Be vigilant with your grazing. Try not to use very rich, fertilised grazing and always restrict access at high risk times, such as when the grass is growing fast or there has been a frost. 5. Remember that any horse or pony can get laminitis, it is not a condition limited only to small native ponies!
Visit
www.horsehage.co.uk 365 Complete
365 Complete Feed Balancer is the revolutionary new conditioning product from Equine Answers combining all the vitamins and minerals your horse needs into one product. 365 Complete also includes pre and pro-biotics to help keep gut health at its optimum and supports the absorption of the nutrients in the feed. Use 365 Complete as a daily supplement to keep your horse in peak condition. Because 365 Complete includes chelated minerals, nutrients are up to five times more absorbed than conventional minerals. Add to your daily winter feed to help keep your horse in the very best of condition. Used by Equine professionals in all disciplines. From £21.95 for a 50 day supply. Buy direct from Equine Answers at
www.equineanswers.co.uk
LaminShield
Rockies’ LaminShield provides horse owners with a simple, safe and palatable way to supply their horse or pony with magnesium and other important minerals that can help to support condition and weight management. Look out for the new packaging coming to a shop near you! Available in two different presentations, LaminShield is suitable for all horses and ponies, whatever type of feeding regime they’re kept on. LaminShield is available as a hard pressed lick that can be offered in a free access manner and as LaminShield Pure, which provides magnesium, zinc and more in individual sachets that can be added to a bucket feed. Magnesium is important for many of the body’s processes and a deficiency can cause a range of issues. Supplementing the diet with magnesium can help to support weight loss in overweight animals, which can be a factor in some cases of laminitis. LaminShield is available 5kg and 2kg blocks as well as LaminShield Pure sachets. Prices for blocks start at £13.24, and a 28 x 25g box of LaminShield Pure is priced around £30.24.
Bug:go!
Rockies’ Bug:go! can be fed all year round, but is particularly useful for the spring and summer months where the garlic included in the formula works to naturally repel flies and biting insects. Each hard pressed 5kg block contains salt and 10% pure garlic. When the horse eats garlic, a fly repellent aroma is released through the skin that helps to repel flies and midges and can also support the digestive and immune systems. Due to the salt content, Bug:go! can also be used to help maintain sodium levels and prevent electrolyte deficiency in the warmer months. As it’s molasses free, it can be offered in a free access manner and, due to the manufacturing process, it won’t crumble or melt like inferior licks if kept in a sheltered position. Bug:go! is available in 5kg blocks priced around £9.81.
Visit
www.rockies.co.uk Equine Page 10
www.theequinesite.co.uk
Speedi-Beet – Quick Soaking Beet Pulp Flakes
Speedi-Beet is a highly nutritious micronized (cooked) sugar beet pulp feed which provides an excellent source of digestible fibre and is suitable for laminitics. Due to its unique manufacturing process, Speedi- Beet can be soaked and ready to use in just 10 minutes. Stabilise the ingestion of sugars present in spring grass when Speedi- Beet is fed before turnout. Priced around £10.95-£11.90.
Fibre-Beet – The Super Fibre
Conditioning Feed Fibre-Beet is a formulated blend of Speedi-Beet and high quality Alfalfa for optimum condition, and to provide quality protein for muscle tone and function. Fibre-Beet has added biotin for hoof quality and is suitable for laminitics. It can also be used as a forage replacer. Soaked and ready to feed in only 45 minutes in cold water, or 15 minutes in warm water.
Priced around £11.95-£12.90. Visit
www.britishhorsefeeds.com.
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