46/ MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE RIDER


Equine Wellness: Health and Nutrition with Jean Klosowicz, Superior Equine Health and Nutrition Inc.


Your Horse’s Tipping Point Honeymoon and Nikah


ers and riders are welcoming the coming of Spring. After such a cold winter, the warmer temper- atures are changing the land- scape, causing seasonal changes in our horses, and thankfully, making it more comfortable for us to do what we love most - hangout with our horses! Whether you are managing


Across Ontario, horse own- Nikah 3 Months Old routines and feed programs,


Ontario are already allowing their horses to access pastures that have barely started to grow. Meanwhile up here in Northern Ontario, our fields are still very much snow covered (hopefully by the time this article is printed the snow will be gone!) and horses are still relying on hay as their main forage. With changing seasons,


equine care, riding or training your horse, you are probably changing up feeding routines and possibly changing up the feed itself, in preparation for more demanding work ahead in the months to come. If you are not doing this by now, then per- haps it is a good time to take a closer look at both the feeding program and your horse. Many owners in Southern


other changes are happening with our horses. The blankets come off and heavy winter coats begin to shed, allowing us to see more noticeably any muscular and/or weight changes that have occurred over the winter. If you haven’t paid much attention to


fines “tipping point” as the point at which a series of small


the hooves throughout the win- ter, then it is usually at this time of year that your farrier becomes the busiest with trims, shoeing, resolving hoof issues, etc. The Oxford Dictionary de-


cases, be life threat- ening to our equines. The horse’s tipping point


has been


ting hay analyzed and providing optimal vitamins and minerals, while meeting caloric and protein requirements all based on the horse’s require-


reached. If I mention get-


health throughout the seasons can sometimes be a challenge but richly rewarding. So before you put your


what we can see, feel, call attention to, treat, cost us money, and may,


weight management issues, behaviour is- sues, laminitis, colic, etc. These dramatic consequences


are in extreme


my clients, I hear concerns regarding their horses about poor hoof quality, re- peat


infections,


changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change. Sometimes the end change is pos- itive, and sometimes negative. Or it may be irreversible. Or it may be very noticeable, or very subtle. The change can occur quickly or be prolonged over months and sometimes years. When it comes to equine health and nutrition, it is usually when the horse has reached it’s tipping point (or sometime afterwards) that we actually pay attention, seeking advice from veterinari- ans, nutritionists, farriers, etc. At no time is the tipping point more evident than in the spring when we “suddenly” notice changes that have been happening to our equines all winter long. When working with some of


ments, it is like I suddenly started talking in a foreign lan- guage to some. (Are you still with me or did I lose you?) Yet this is the fundamental practice to feeding horses which many horse owners overlook. When you provide your horse with balanced nu- trition, and meet his/her nutri- tional needs based on requirements (health, stage, workload, etc.), the horse is less likely to reach a tipping point, and is able to maintain sta- bility in health without conse- quence. While some owners choose to feed “minimal” amounts of nutrients, it does not mean “optimal”, and “optimal” does not mean excessive. Find- ing the right amounts for your horse to carry him/her in good


Nikah 12 Hours Old


horse out on wintered-over grasses and soon to be lush spring pastures (both very high in sug- ars), I encourage you to think about your horse’s tipping point so you are not putting your horse at risk with colic and/or laminitis attacks. If your horse’s winter feeding program consisted of hay and a mineral salt lick, perhaps a closer look at your horse’s nutri- tional needs is in order. With a strong foundation in nutrition (without deficiencies and ex- cesses), keen management prac- tices, and an astute eye for small changes, owners and horses can be rewarded with a very happy spring and a great start to a sea- son of horsin’ around!


Jean Klosowicz, Equine Nutrition Consultant & Educator Superior Equine Health and Nu- trition Inc. Bruce Mines, ON www.superiorequinenutrition.com www.feedmyhorse.ca fb: @SuperiorEquine


Cheers!


information purposes only and are not intended to replace the ad- vice of a veterinarian, or provide a diagnosis for your horse.


All articles are for general


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