8/ FEBRUARY 2023 THE RIDER Knowing What to Feed Your Horse


uct based on good ad- vertising, maybe you chose it because a barn mate has had good re- sults, or maybe you’ve looked at the tag and thought that it meets your horse’s require- ments…and the list goes on. The thing is, what is being fed should be brought back to what is lacking in the forage. Forage first is a key


An Equine Nutrition Blog by Madeline Boast,


MSc. Equine Nutrition Entering a feed store and


trying to put together a nutrition plan that meets your horse’s needs can be a daunting task. With a market that is saturated with options, equine nutrition can be overwhelming. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way!


Are you choosing that prod-


motto at Balanced Bay and is generally ac- cepted by horse owners. However, there seems to be a disconnect when nutrition decisions are being made. Horses are herbivores with hindgut fermentation that have


evolved to graze. Continuous ac- cess to roughage or small fre- quent meals throughout the day has clearly reported health bene- fits. A more stable microbial en- vironment in the hindgut as well as a lower risk or stereotypic be- haviours have been widely re- ported in research. In addition to this, continuous forage access greatly reduces gastric ulcer risk. With clear physiological and psy- chological benefits, such as those previously listed, why isn’t for-


age the primary nutrition focus? Historically, it was chal-


lenging to meet the energy needs of hard-working horses with a primarily forage-based diet. A reason for this was that the avail- able forage was of lesser quality than what we have today. This nutritional problem contributed to the feeding of energy-dense grains. This feeding technique is still used today despite the avail- able forages being of much higher quality. So…how do you know if


you are feeding enough forage? Or if your diet is meeting your horse’s requirements? The answer: a hay analysis! A hay analysis should al-


ways be used as the starting point of a diet evaluation. Since forage is the primary component of the diet it makes sense to balance the diet to that forage. Having a qual- ified equine nutritionist come to your farm to take core samples of multiple hay bales is the gold standard. This will give you a more accurate analysis of the hay. The nutritionist can also ensure that the laboratory they are send- ing the sample will provide an equine-specific analysis. The quality of hay varies


greatly, even from the same field year to year. When purchasing or


harvesting your own hay, the only way to know the nutrient content is with a lab analysis. With all the time and money that goes into feeding our horses, why not know exactly what you’re feeding! The nutrient analysis pro-


vides you with information such as moisture levels, dry matter, di- gestibility parameters, protein content and mineral content. There are also calculated values such as non-structural carbohy- drates. With this information you can work with a nutritionist to develop a feeding plan that meets your horse’s nutrient require- ments.


When you have a nutrition-


ist calculate and provide exactly what your horse needs, it takes the guesswork out and allows ad- equate nutrient supply. Addition- ally, you will also be at ease knowing your horse is not suffer- ing from any vitamin or mineral deficiencies that may hinder their health and well-being. In conclusion, everyone is


trying to do the best for their horse, so why not ensure you have accurate information to base your decisions off? There is a plethora of scientifically proven health benefits to a forage-first diet. Therefore, basing your nu-


trition decisions off of your hay analysis is the best way to sup- port your horse’s nutritional well- being. If you have any further


questions, please contact Made- line at balancedbaynutrition@ gmail.com.


About the author: Madeline Boast completed her master’s in Equine Nutrition at the Univer- sity of Guelph and founded an in- dependent nutrition company Balanced Bay. She has worked with a variety of equids – from miniature ponies to competing thoroughbreds. Through Bal- anced Bay she offers hay testing, balanced diets, as well as both on-farm and remote nutrition consultations. For additional in- formation see www.balanced- bay.ca


References: Durham, A. E. (2009). The


role of nutrition in colic. Veteri- nary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice, 25(1), 67-78. Ellis, J. M., Hollands, T., & Allen, D. E. (2002). Effect of for- age intake on bodyweight and performance. Equine Veterinary Journal, 34(S34), 66-70. Goodwin, D., Davidson, H.


P. B., & Harris, P. (2002). Forag- Beyond the Wither Tracing


A Saddle-Fitting Series by Holly Barnett, REMT, CSF The Great Gullet Plate Debate


ing enrichment for stabled


horses: effects on behaviour and selection. Equine Veterinary Journal, 34(7), 686-691. Jansson, A., Saastamoinen,


M., & Lindberg, J. E. (2012). Forage feeding systems. In For- ages and grazing in horse nutri- tion (pp. 289- 303). Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wagenin- gen.


National Research Council.


Nutrient Requirements of Horses. (2007). National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. Saastamoinen, M. T., &


Hellämäki, M. (2012). Forage analyses as a base of feeding of horses. In Forages and grazing in horse nutrition (pp. 305-314). Wageningen Academic Publish- ers, Wageningen. Undersander, D., Morrison,


J., Phillips, E., Leep, R., Peter- son, P., & Sheaffer, C. (2002). Buying horse hay. Wisconsin, USA: University of Wisconsin Extension Publication. Uotila, R., Thuneberg, T., &


Saastamoinen, M. (2012). The usage of forage analyses in opti- mizing horse nutrition in Fin- land. In Forages and grazing in horse nutrition (pp. 331-334). Wageningen Academic Publish- ers, Wageningen.


Gullet plates come in


an array of styles with vary- ing angles, widths, designs, and qualities. Fixed gullet plates are riveted to the tree whereas


interchangeable


plates are typically fastened with screws so they can be exchanged for different sizes. Interchangeable gullet plates are not themselves adjustable though swapping them out for different plates adjusts the width of the sad- dle. Adjustable gullet plates are pressed into different widths and shapes with a de- vice commonly known as a tree machine. Interchangeable gullet


plates are typically (though not always) found in entry priced models. It’s impor- tant to note that while they make the saddle adjustable, your horse will still need to ideally fit in one of the ‘cookie cutter’ shapes that are available within that brand. Some interchange- able plates have a slight


kink to their shape which I’ve found can cause an un- desirable pressure point that’s nearly impossible to alleviate. Others may be too long or too short for the height of your horse’s wither so it’s important to have an educated assess- ment as to whether the shape, width and height of the gullet plate is appropri- ate for your horse. (Also, important to note that just because the gullet plate matches your horse it doesn’t mean the rest of the saddle shape is appropriate) Fixed gullet plates are


most common – some are adjustable (to a point) and others aren’t meant to be ad- justed. Adjusting a wood tree isn’t without conse- quence, you’re bending metal and wood – both ma- terials have limited proper- ties that can handle being adjusted – furthermore ad- justing a fixed gullet plate also affects the rest of the


tree shape. If you are ad- justed this type of saddle, it’s important to stamp the flap so the number of adjust- ments and extent of adjust- ments can be tracked. Too many adjustments or taking it too far compromises the integrity of the tree and once it warps, it needs to be re- placed. An infinitely ad-


justable gullet plate may seem like the best solution at first glance though it too has pros and cons. One cau- tion is these plates are often made to be asymmetrical to match a crooked horse. Short-term making a saddle straight on a crooked horse by bending the gullet plate


to stabilize the saddle may seem advantageous – prob- lem is you’re casting the horses in compensatory pat- terns which is detrimental long term. I’ve seen horses shift their posture in mere minutes


(even without


bodywork) once moving in a more appropriate saddle or after asking the rider to per- form a few exercises under saddle. I’ve use shims reme- dially (ie short term during the fitting only) to also achieve these shifts. I’ve transformed hundreds of horses this way and strongly caution against leaving them in asymmetrical equipment. The other consideration is saddles that have been ad-


justed asym- met r ical ly are next to impossible to bring back into symme- try so the saddle will always be warped in the gullet plate – this poses a problem as many are then sold and bought by unsuspecting horse owners. As you can see all gul-


let plates bring pros and cons to the table – my goal is to empower equestrians though education, enabling them to better advocate for their horse. This March we dive


into our second round of Saddle Assessment


4


Equine


(SA4EB) – if you’re an equine bodyworker


Bodyworkers (or


know one) be sure to learn more at www.auguste- quine.com or


email


holly@augustequine.com for more information.


About the Author: Holly Barnett is professional fitter and equine therapist for 20 years. She’s worked with horses of all breeds and rid- ers of all levels and disci- plines throughout North


America. Founder of August Equine, located in Camp- bellville ON, Holly now fo- cuses on education and advocacy for horses and riders – She is the creator of Saddle Assessment 4 Equine Bodyworkers (SA4EB-2023) offered annually in March. Holly works with a small team of saddle-fitters serv- icing clients across Canada. For upcoming clinics and educational events www.augustequine.com.


see


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