Posted: 3rd December 2015 | Back to news feed
I want to compete my 15hh Intermediate Show Hunter pony on the indoor winter circuit. During the colder months he can drop condition and his coat never shines as much as in the summer what do you suggest?
Answer
With winter just around the corner it’s a good time to start thinking about how you will feed and manage your horse during the colder months.
Provided your pony is otherwise healthy, the most likely explanation for his weight loss is that he’s using up more energy (calories) than is being provided in his diet. Remember that during very cold weather horses can ‘waste’ up to 80% of their feed energy just staying warm. Making sure that your horse is well-rugged, but not over-rugged, will help to reduce his energy expenditure in cold weather.
Maximising forage quality should always be the first adjustment when trying to promote weight gain. During the winter the nutritive value of the grazing declines and you’ll need to provide your horse with additional conserved forage such as an early-cut hay or a ryegrass haylage. This should be provided ad-lib when your horse is stabled and, if needed, in the field. Feeding plenty of forage will also help to keep your horse warm because heat is produced in the hind-gut during the fermentation process.
Many horses won’t maintain condition on forage alone and those that struggle to keep weight on will benefit from a conditioning feed. However, many conditioning feeds are high in starch and this can exacerbate excitable behaviour, particularly during the winter period when turnoutand exercise is often reduced. As well as being undesirable in the show ring, fizzy behaviour will also increase energy expenditure and therefore may contribute to weight loss.
Equerry Conditioning Mash is specially formulated to promote weight gain and condition, without intensifying fizzy behaviour. It provides a high level of calories (12.5MJ/kg) from ‘Non-Heating’ digestible fibres and oil but contains approximately 50% less starch than most conditioning mixes. Equerry Conditioning Mash provides good levels of quality protein to promote muscle development. Plus it contains very high levels of yeast to promote a healthy balance of microflora in the hind-gut and maximise digestive efficiency.
Equerry Conditioning Mash will also help improve your horses coat condition as it provides good levels of quality amino acids, which are needed for the production of keratin fibres inhair. Plus it’s fully balanced with all the essential vitamins and minerals including biotin, zinc and copper, all of which play an important role in coat condition. Equerry Conditioning Mash also provides excellent levels of oil (5.25%) and linseed to promote a glossy, shiny coat - great for catching the judge’s eye!
Equerry Conditioning Mash should be mixed with at least equal parts of water to cube for 5-10 minutes prior to feeding and is a great way of adding a little moisture back into your horse’s diet over the winter. Plus as a special treat Equerry Conditioning Mash can even be fed as a warm mash by making it with warm, but not hot, water!
If you need help putting together your horse’s winter feeding plan simply call the Equerry Feedline for practical, friendly advice on 01845 565640 or visit www.equerryhorsefeeds.com
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