( FOCUS ON FEEDING )
BALANCED DIETS FOR WINTER
BY KATE HORE
RNUTR (Animal) Snr
Nutritionist at NAF
W
inter diets can be a confusing topic. What to feed? How much? When? It needn’t be a complicated matter, we simply need to break down what our horses really need through the long winter months and tailor it to suit their activity level.
As ever, high fibre feed should be the basis of the diet, for many reasons. Primarily the equine gut has evolved to digest fibre through almost constant intake and therefore meal based feeding structures, often found in concentrate heavy diets, are not best suited to the horse. Fibre encourages salivation to a far greater degree than cereals, as horses only produce saliva when chewing and forages require greater breakdown than concentrates. This means that fibre encourages acid buffering in the gut helping to maintain healthy tummy pH. In the cooler months, high fibre diets also have the benefit of providing heat for the horse, with the hindgut acting like a mini radiator to keep the animal warm.
Whilst high fibre diets are hugely 8 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
beneficial to gut health in horses, they can come with their problems. One common issue with forages is that during drying or ensiling process, essential vitamins and minerals degrade and therefore this leads to a reduction in the nutritional value of the feed. As our horses need these vital
micronutrients for general health and processes within the body, we need to ensure we replace these. Using a balancer is a great way to do this and one which is quick and easy to do! Balancers have come a long way, with many types available to suit the specific needs of your horse, be they a senior, in need of weight management or a high performer. Most commonly these are available in powdered or pelleted form and a good quality balancer will include gut support alongside its micronutrients. Gut support provides ingredients which help to maintain the microflora within the digestive tract, enabling your horse to extract the maximum benefit from the diet. Always check the feeds and supplements you provide are from a reputable source and are
safe to compete on if this is something you enjoy. BETA NOPS and UFAS or GMP+ logos show a reputable company with maximal traceability of both product and ingredients.
If your horse is still active throughout the winter months, and you are looking to provide an additional energy source, consider adding oil to their fibre feed. Oil is a great source of slow release energy, avoiding the fizzy outbursts which can be a side effect of feeding starchy products. Being slow release is also perfect if you enjoy activities such as eventing or hunting, where your horse really needs to stay the course. Oil is also helpful in creating a barrier between stomach acid and the delicate gut wall, ideal if your horse has a sensitive tummy. Always make your dietary changes gradually, giving your horse a good two to three weeks to really adjust, this should help to avoid any gastric disturbance and keep them comfortable as the seasons change.
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