With Spring just around the corner, now is the time to prepare your horse for what is to come, so take advantage of our offer and get top tips from our nutritionist on getting your horse ready for the change of season.
Most horse owners cannot wait for the lighter days and warmer weather, especially as this means less mucking out as horses are turned out again!
It is important to remember that changes in forage are a considerable dietary change to your horse and must be done gradually to avoid causing digestive disturbances. If your horse has been stabled all winter and has been fed on hay or haylage, now is a good time to start introducing a little bit of grass to their diet if they are to be turned out again soon.
Hand grazing for a few minutes each day or adding some dried grass chaff or pellets into their daily diet will help the gut microbes to adapt, ensuring that they are ready for consuming a grass-based diet. Not only is this good for your horse but it also helps to avoid the green, sloppy cow pats that come along with the re-introduction of spring grazing!
If your horse shows signs of digestive sensitivity or has experienced digestive problems in the past, adding a yeast into the diet now can help to support the hindgut microbiome during seasonal changes. Ultimate Ease® supplies pre-, pro- and postbiotics to optimise digestion and assist the delicate mucosal gut lining. Find out more >>
Although lush green spring grass looks far more nutritious compared to conserved forage such as hay and haylage, grass rarely supplies the horse with a fully balanced diet of vitamins and minerals. Fresh growing grass is much higher in energy (calories) when compared to hay or haylage on a dry matter basis, and whilst fresh grass will provide vitamins such as vitamin E, it won’t provide everything your horse needs.
If your horse is going to be turned out more now the weather is better, don’t forget that they will still need a vitamin and mineral supplement, even if they are a good-doer. Vitamin and mineral supplements will supply your horse with a broad range of important nutrients which support health and wellbeing.
For good-doers or horses that doesn’t require much (if any) hard feed a vitamin and mineral supplement is ideal as it will supply important nutrients whilst being low in calories. Benevit™ contains chelated minerals at optimum levels for your horse. Find out more >>
The saying “The joys of Spring” really does apply to some horses and managing excitable or ‘fresh’ horses can be a challenge at this time of the year.
The higher level of energy in the grass, compared with being out more can be all too much for some horses and many owners turn towards calmers to help get through this tricky time. Look for ingredients such as Magnesium which has been shown to promote a calm and trainable temperament. Additional ingredients such as herbs like Chamomile and Lemon balm, which have soothing effects, can be beneficial, along with B vitamin which have a positive effect on nervous function.
If your horse gets excitable or tends to be nervous, using a calmer can help to support a more desirable temperament and encourage focus. Steady-Up® contains key ingredients to support your horse through this time. Find out more >>
