Help! Top tips for more condition

Feeding a poor doer (a horse/pony who struggles to maintain weight) requires careful attention to their diet and management. Here are some of our top tips:

Emily Dobson and Sprite - Sprite is 29 years old, and needs a little more help to maintain her weight than in previous years. Emily feeds Blue Chip Senior Plus as this contains higher levels of protein, highly digestible quality fibre, pre and probiotics plus an elevated level of vitamin and mineral provision PLUS supplements to aid joint health and hormonal balance. 

• FORAGE FIRST - We always advocate for a forage first diet. This should always form the base and largest portion of a horse's diet, whether a poorer or good doer. For poorer doers, find the best quality you can and feed ad-lib (at least 2% of their body weight). Haylage may be preferred as it is easier to digest and the nutritional content more readily absorbed. REMEMBER if feeding haylage you need to feed more weight than hay as it contains a higher water content. Haylage is also a little sweeter, so useful if you have a poorer doer who is also a  bit picky.

• Feed frequent smaller meals - This mimics natural grazing, feeding little and often, more suited to your horse's digestive needs. Larger meals can put horse's off their food. By feeding smaller meals you may help increase overall daily consumption and calorie intake.

• Increase calorie intake - If you are feeding antioxidants (in all Blue Chip balancers) you are able to add further natural oils to the diet to increase calorie provision. Horses digest oil well, make sure to introduce it slowly, and feed up to 100ml per 100kg of bodyweight. Some horse's won't tolerate a lot of oil in their feed, but this can be a great way to add more calories to the diet, while providing slow release energy. We advise feeding linseed oil or a linseed based blend as this contains the correct ratios of Omega 3 to Omega 6. Often supermarket oil has higher levels of Omega 6, which is pro-inflammatory.

• Feed probiotics to aid nutrient absorption - Support a healthy gut by feeding probiotics, which can help support healthy digestion and nutrient absorption.

• Make dietary changes gradually - When introducing changes to your ponies/horse's diet, make changes gradually over 7-10 days to prevent digestive upset.

• Check dental and worming routines - Ensure your horse’s teeth are in good condition. Dental issues can lead to difficulty in chewing and poor nutrient absorption. Horse's should be checked every 6 months by a qualified Equine Dental Technician (EDT) or your vet. Also look to maintain regular worm counts and treat only as necessary, as parasites can affect your horse’s ability to absorb nutrients sufficiently.

• Be aware of workload - Horse's in hard work who are struggling to maintain their weight may need their workload decreasing for a period of time to enable them to gain a little more weight as calories fed are preserved rather than being used for energy output for work.

• Avoid competition for food - If your pony/horse lives out 24/7 in a herd, try to make provision to feed separately to ensure they receive their full intended ration without competition from other horses.

• Choose feeds suitable for their individual needs - Look for higher protein levels providing essential amino acids necessary for muscle maintenance and repair.

   

• Always ensure they have access to clean, fresh water - Dehydration can lead to reduced feed intake and poor digestion.

• Consult a vet - If your pony/horse continues to struggle despite dietary adjustments, consult your vet. They can provide further advice to rule out underlying health issues.