How to Promote Condition Safely

Can you see your horse’s ribs? Are they prone to losing weight over the winter? Is your older horse just not looking quite as good as they were? Here are Dengie’s 5 top tips for promoting condition safely:

1. Are you feeding enough?

Feed enough forage eg, hay or haylage and if fed ad-lib, weigh what’s offered and what’s left to ensure sufficient is eaten. This is important for weight gain and to support a healthy digestive system. Aim for 2% of your horse’s bodyweight of forage on a dry matter basis each day. Provide additional forage in the field if the grazing is poor or in inclement weather conditions such as frost and snow.

2. Know what you’re feeding

Choosing good quality forage is key as it makes up such a large part of the diet. Offer a trug or bucket of short-chopped fibre such as Dengie Pure Grass or Meadow Grass with Herbs and Oil alongside hay to provide a higher calorie forage.

3. Check your horse’s teeth

Dental problems can have a big impact on your horse’s ability to digest their feed and forage. Regular checks by a vet or qualified dental technician are important. If a horse is struggling to chew, find a format of fibre they can manage eg, short chop fibres and fibre mashes, such as Dengie Alfa-Beet.

4. Provide slow-release energy for condition without the fizz

Dengie Cool, Condition & Shine is a fantastic conditioning feed for weight gain. A high-fibre blend of soft chopped and pelleted fibre to encourage chewing, Cool Condition & Shine also contains a high oil content to promote condition and coat shine without excitability. Spearmint oil and a light molasses coating tempt fussy feeders.

5. Maximise your horse’s ability to utilise their feed

The digestive system of any herbivore is undoubtedly healthier when fed a high fibre diet. Using highly digestible fibre sources, such as sugar beet, which is included in Dengie Alfa-Beet, can make a significant contribution to the horse’s energy requirements. Rich in pectin, one of the most digestible forms of fibre, sugar beet has been shown to have a prebiotic-like effect in the gut. Including it in rations can therefore help to improve the digestibility of other fibres the horse consumes.

Our thanks to corporate partner, Dengie, for providing this helpful article. For further help and advice, the Dengie Feedline team can be contacted on 01621 841188 or by filling out a Feed Advice Form.

If you are interested in becoming a corporate partner, please contact Dee Shadforth our Fundraising Assistant via email to: funding@remussanctuary.org.