An excellent way of boosting a horse or pony’s water intake, which is especially important for veterans who can be reluctant to drink enough water, particularly in winter

When feeding Fast Fibre as a partial hay replacer, 1kg of hay is equal to 1kg of Fast Fibre (dry weight). The quantity fed will depend on various factors such as the severity of any dental problems, and also the time of year. During winter, for example, when grazing is limited and reliance on long forage is far greater, feeding amounts will need to much higher to compensate for this. Please call our friendly nutrition team who will be able to help with feeding amounts for your horse or pony. Cereal & molasses free, high in fibre & low in starch & sugar making it ideal for good doers and those in light work. Perfect for senior horses with poor teeth, especially those who have difficulty chewing long fibre. What causes laminitis continues to be an area of huge research. It has become evident in recent years that although the over consumption of grass or feed high in starch or sugar is still commonly associated with horses developing laminitis, up to 90% of cases have an underlying hormonal cause. Animals that suffer from problems such as: Cushing’s disease (also known as PPID), Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and Insulin Resistance (IR) will have an increased risk of developing laminitis.Weighing & EID Agriculture Tech AG TECH Handling Equipment Herd Monitoring Grassland Tech Weighing Equipment

Horses that are good doers, have a tendency to put on weight easily or that are at rest should be fed a high fibre, low calorie feed alongside their forage. This will not only help keep their digestive system healthy, but also help prevent unwanted weight gain. Performance horses that have a higher energy requirement due to their workload can also perform well on a high fibre, low starch diet. Oils such as linseed oil and rapeseed oil and highly digestible sources of fibre can provide additional sources of slow release energy for the horse, in a way that is much better suited to their digestive physiology. In all cases the horse’s diet should be tailored to suit their individual requirements.

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Excessive intakes of lush or frosted grass, molassed feed and cereal grains that leads to an overload of soluble carbohydrate in the hindgut Stabling him on a deep bed of shavings to provide support for the hooves. Do not use straw as your horse may eat it.

Bear in mind that not all laminitics are the typical overweight ponies we usually associate with the condition; some are poor doers or hard working horses that require higher calorie/energy diets. Ingredients like beet pulp and alfalfa are not only high in fibre but they are also an excellent calorie source, containing as much energy as many cereal grains but without the high starch content. Oil is also an excellent source of extra calories that is safe for laminitics; in particular, a linseed meal or oil would be a useful addition to the diet for any horse requiring an energy boost. Linseed is high in omega 3 oils and well known for its excellent anti-inflammatory properties within the body. Supplies quality protein to help maintain topline & muscle tone. This is especially important for balancing the diet of horses and ponies on calorie restricted rations.Laminitis is recognised as one of the most common and crippling diseases affecting horses, ponies and donkeys. Laminitis occurs as a result of inflammation of the sensitive layers (laminae) in the hoof. The laminae attach the pedal bone to the hoof wall and any inflammation causes pain and lameness. In severe cases the laminae can fail completely, leaving the pedal bone detached from the hoof wall and able to rotate within the hoof capsule or sink downwards and protrude through the sole. Laminitis isn’t just a spring and summer problem it can occur in the winter too, particularly when horses eat frosted grass. Avoid turnout on days when it is very cold but bright and sunny as the fructan (sugar) content of the grass will be at its highest. Wait until the temperature has risen and the frost has melted before turning out.