⭐ Junior Ambassador - Welcome Amarli Angel ⭐

Amarli is a dedicated young horsewoman from rural South-Western WA, who has been riding from a young age. After attending her first polocrosse training day 5 years ago she has been hooked on the sport! Amarli loves her horses, and is a great young role model and member of the polocrosse community.

Amarli`s main horse Edenhope Tori is a great polocrosse horse and keen campdrafter, and Amarli has been working hard on developing young horse Fleets Shadows for the Autumn young horse carnivals.

Amarli has had some great achievements in polocrosse already, and was even selected to represent WA at Nationals in Queensland in 2024, with the team going on to win Sub-Junior Champions.

Amarli`s horses have been fed T&R for a number of years and her team is fuelled by Lupin Fibre Cubes and Might & Power Oat-Free Muesli.

Welcome Amarli, we`re proud to have Amarli on board as a junior ambassador.

Photo credit: Around The Traps-Rural Life in Photos
#polocrosse

JOIN US | Full Time Truck Driver
We are looking for a new team member to join us as a Full Time Truck Driver.

At T&R, our Truck Drivers are central to our logistics operations and functions.
If you’re well organised and energetic, work well with other logistics team members and can quickly integrate within your new team, this is the opportunity for you.

You’ll need to hold a current HR Licence (minimum) and proven previous truck driving experience. We’re offering a competitive hourly rate for the right person.

Please send your CV to peter@thompsonandredwood.com.au

Have a horse or pony that needs a low sugar and starch diet? Not sure how to choose the right option for them?
Our laminitis and metabolic condition-safe range is versatile and flexible, so there is an option for every horse and pony. We`ve put together this handy chart to help you choose the right matches:

They are all:
✅ Grain-free and grain by-product free
✅ Maximum 0.8% starch
✅ Maximum 5.3% NSC
✅ Soy-Free
✅ Grown, owned and made locally
✅ Cost-effective with lower feeding rates

#laminitissafe #carefeed #mashfeed #horsefeed #lowsugarandstarch #lowstarch #ulcersafe #horsehealth #ponyfeed

Laminitis, Cushings and Insulin Resistance - Why is Autumn a high-risk time for starch and sugar sensitive horses and ponies?

While spring gets most of the attention around grazing risks, Autumn is actually a high-risk time too. A combination of dry weather, hot days, cool nights and scattered rain creates a perfect storm in our pastures, and morning might not always be a safe grazing time.

Why?
➡️Hot, dry conditions mean pastures are short and stressed, so they store more sugars and starch (NSC or Non-Structural Carbohydrates) in the leaf.

➡️ Cooler overnight temperatures and warm days mean the starch and sugar levels builds up in the leaf.
Fructans are a component of the NSC level and normally vary during the day with highest levels in the afternoon.

➡️ Cooler overnight temperatures can mean fructan levels are still dangerously high in the mornings.
Some scattered rainfall can encourage small shoots of growth, and these new shoots have a higher concentration of sugars.

➡️ The weather is a bit unpredictable, which can cause sudden spikes in sugar content in pasture, rather than consistent levels, and any sudden variations in pastures are risky for horses.

➡️ Leading into winter, horses and ponies might be naturally prone to storing more weight prior to winter.

➡️ Horses with PPID (Cushings) can have a natural, seasonal change in hormone levels in autumn which can increase the effects of their condition and put them at risk of flare ups and laminitis.

What can you do?
🍂 Try to reduce their grazing time on stressed or green, sweet pastures with new shoots.
🍂 Monitor the conditions and adjust the time of day that they have access to pastures
🍂 If in doubt about your pasture, you are better to have them on suitable low sugar and starch meadow hay.
🍂 Consider the concentrates you are feeding and watch out for those high in sugars and starch. Calm Care Plus is only 5.3% NSC.
🍂 Include a safe, fibre supplement in their feed like Lupin Fibre Cubes or Lupin Fibre Boost, to keep the quality fibre in their diet and promote gut health.

It`s unseasonally hot at the moment, and with competitions in full swing it`s important to keep our horses hydrated 💧
Use Lupin Fibre Cubes or Lupin Fibre Boost to make a hydrating mash by adding plenty of water and some electrolytes. You can make your own isotonic solution (which are used to fluid volume and electrolyte balance) by adding salt at the following ratios:

➡️ 0.9% to 10L of water with 600g of Lupin Fibre Cubes or Boost
➡️ 0.6% to 5L of water with 400g of Lupin Fibre Cubes or Boost
➡️ 0.3% to 2L of water with 200g of Lupin Fibre Cubes or Boost

Feed Your Steed

Horse Cubes for Seniors - A highly digestible fibre cube for conditioning and health.
As horses age their nutritional requirements change. They may need additional support for weight gain and maintenance, gut and immune function and topline building. Horse Cubes for Seniors have been designed to meet their needs and help senior horses age in good health.

➕ Added Pre & Probiotics for gut health and function
➕ Highly concentrated so low feeding rate - a 500kg senior horse at rest only needs 2kg per day.
➕ High calorie formula with added canola oil for condition and coat shine
➕ Quality protein sources to support topline building
➕ Added vitamin E to mop free radicals, and Vitamin C to support immune function
➕ Mashable, palatable fibre pellet for oldies with poor dentition. Can be fed both wet and dry.
💲More affordable and cost-efficient without compromising on nutrition, at almost half the cost of other senior feeds.

If you have an older horse that needs some extra support, have a chat to us about Horse Cubes for Seniors and how to incorporate it into their diet.

#seniorhorses #horsecubesforseniors #oldhorse #seniorhorsefeed #carefeed #horsecare #horsenutrition #horsemash

DAPPLES - What are they and can we improve them?
A glossy, rich coat with dapples is a reflection of good health and vitality in horses. But did you know that not all horses can dapple?

Dapples are round areas of hair that appear in a deeper or lighter colour than the rest of their coat. Dapples are genetically controlled, so some horses will be more predisposed to them than others, and some might not develop them at all. Dapples tend to be more common in some breeds, and certain coat colours are more likely to have them like greys, bays, buckskins and pallys. Dapples can fade over their lifetime (like in greys) and change seasonally.

But it`s not just genetics! Dapples are also influenced by their health, good nutrition and coat care routines. Even if they have dapples in their genes, they might not show in an unhealthy horse. So, what can you do to help their dapples bloom?

1️⃣ Make quality, balanced nutrition a priority. They should be getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals in balanced ratios to meet their requirements, without excesses or deficiencies.

2️⃣ Keep good quality forage up to them to make sure their digestive system is working well. A healthy gut means a healthy horse! Adding super fibres, pre and probiotics can help.

3️⃣ Feed quality protein with good amino acids. The hair in their coats is nearly 90% protein!

4️⃣ Omega-3 Fatty Acids from high-fat ingredients like oils can give their coat an extra boost, promoting healthier skin and hair growth.

5️⃣ Keep a good parasite and health control program. Horses that are struggling with a parasite burden, allergies, illnesses or ulcers can often slip in their coat condition. Any of these issues need to be addressed first.

6️⃣ Look after their coat! Exercise and grooming increase blood flow and regularly removing excess hair and dirt helps to bring out healthy oils in their coat.

Remember, your horse`s coat and their dapple potential is as unique as they are. Getting their health and diet right is the first, essential step to getting them looking and feeling great, dapples or no dapples.

#tiptuesday #dapples #horses #horsehealth #horsefeed #horsenutrition