FOCUSONFEEDING


WINTER’S THE TIME TO WORK ON YOUR HORSE’S SUMMER BODY SAYS SPILLERS


W


inter is the prime time to help your horse find his perfectsummer body, says SPILLERS™. The colder months


canhelp shift those persistent surplus pounds as natureintended, and your horse canstepinto spring looking trim and ready forthe sunshine months ahead. “Unrelenting rain, brownporridge gateways


and mucking out akin to painting the Forth Bridge aresome definitedownsidesto winter,” says ClareBarfoot RNutr,Marketing and Research and Development Directorat SPILLERS. “But being able to use the season to help your horse’scondition is apositivethat ownersofgood doerscan embrace.”


To help youtoachieve your horse’sbestbody


this winter Clarehas compiled some of her favouritewinter weight watching tips: Cutcaloriesnot nutrients: Balancersare the ideal waytoprovide vitamins, minerals and protein without excess caloriesand those high in lysine maybeofparticular benefitfor horsesoncalorie restricteddiets because it plays akey role in supporting muscle and topline. Restrict forage: Ad lib forage isn’t the answerfor weight loss, but it should neverberestrictedtolessthan 1.5% of current bodyweight (dry matter)which on average,equates to approximately 9kgof hay(11kg if youintend to soak it –readmore on this below!) or 10-12kgofhaylage (fresh weight) fora500kghorse without grazing. Don’tbedeceived by winter grass: Grassgrows formostofthe year and


it contains calories! If the grassislong enough to pokethrough the holes, try using agrazing muzzle to restrictintake. Alternatively set up astrip grazing system- the latestresearchhas shown that it canbe auseful tool forrestricting weight gain. Soak your hay: Soaking hayhelps to reducethe sugar content, and this means fewercalories! Remember though that each haynet will also contain less ‘hay’ and morewater post-soaking so your will need to increase the amount of hayyou soak by around 20% to compensate. Buy some straw: Clean, high qualitystraw is useful forgood doersand overweight horsestodecrease the energy densityofhay. It canbeusedtoreplaceupto30% of the hayration but should be introduced slowly. Extend mealtimes: Adding lowcalorie chaff,a short fibre or asoakable fibreto meals will help bulk out the bucket and extend eating time without compromising your horse’swaistline. Serve forage little and often: Dividing hay/ haylage/ strawintoasmanysmaller servings as possible helps to prevent long periods without forage.Using multiple, double-layered, small-holed haylage nets canalso help to makerestrictedrations last longer. Resistthatrug: Horsesand especially poniesare metabolically programmed to gain weight when grazing is plentiful, which will carry them through the winter when grassis in short supply.Unless it getsvery cold and your horse has alarge clip,fewer rugs or no


rugs at all will encourage your horse to burn off afew extrapounds keeping warm! Saddle up: Yes, it is achallenge to find the time and the inclination to ride when the weather is rubbish, but youneedto find your mojo forthe good of your horse’swaistline! Exercise will help burn excess caloriesand a recent study found that even small amounts of exercise canhelp to support ahealthy metabolism. Check your progress: Monitor your horse’sweight, body condition score(BCS) and belly girth regularly to keep track of gradual changes. It cantakeseveral weeksto see resultssodonot be disheartened. What about poor doers? Let’snot forget that we don’tall ownagood doer.Winter canalso be achallenge forpoor doers. The keyhereistoprevent weight lossbeforeit startsbyidentifying the cause –which may involveanunderlying medical complaint, poor dentition or simply that not enough calories arebeing fed. Then, ensuregood qualityad lib forage is available,ideally in the field as well as the stable and choose fibreand oil- based feeds as asource of safe extracalories, fedasseveral small meals throughout the day. Also remember to keep your poor doer warm to ensuretheydon’twaste valuable energy generating heat.


Formoreadviceonfeeding your horse or pony this winter contactthe SPILLERSCare-Line on 01908 226626 or helpline.horsecare@effem.com


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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER2020


Forthe latestnewsvisitwww.centralhorsenews.co.uk


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