HOOVES - How does feeding influence hoof health?
No hoof no horse! Hoof health can be influenced by 3 key things – GENETICS, ENVIRONMENT and NUTRITION. What you feed can make all the difference to keeping your horse`s hooves strong and functioning, and here are a few reasons why:

✅ Balance is key! A balanced diet that provides the right levels and ratios of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals for meeting their daily requirements.

✅ Protein – hooves are mainly made up of a protein called keratin, and proteins are made up of amino acids. Methionine is an amino acid that is believed to be important for hoof quality, but balance is key.

✅ Quality Fibre - when bacteria in the hindgut ferment fibre, they produce essential B vitamins (including biotin) and vitamin K which are known to benefit hoof and hair growth and structure.

✅ Biotin – biotin has been widely researched for its influence on hoof growth and is believed to influence hoof integrity. Supplementation of biotin alone though isn’t enough for hoof health; it must be part of a balanced diet.

✅ Zinc – zinc influences the keratinisation of the hoof – what does that mean?? It’s the process by which the cells become keratin, and are ready to form a strong, protective hoof. Zinc is essential in this process.

✅ Fats – fats in the diet can be a help to your horse’s hooves. They can help to form a barrier that protects the hoof from fungi and bacteria.

✅ Calcium and Phosphorous – Calcium helps with cell attachment and cohesion in the hoof which is vital for hoof strength. It must be feed in the correct ratio with Phosphorous though to avoid issues with calcium absorption.

✅ Selenium and Vitamin E - these antioxidants (prevent cell deterioration) help to protect the cell membranes. A key sign of selenium deficiency is actually cracked hooves. But like all the others, balance is key to avoid selenium toxicity.

If you are worried about your horse`s hoof health, make sure their diet is balanced, and they are receiving their daily nutritional requirements. Need help? Send us a message, we`re happy to assist.

Our original mash, Lupin Fibre Cubes are simply fibre and simply excellent. Keep your horse`s fibre diversity high for a healthier microbiome and all the benefits that follow:

🟡 A highly digestible fibre source, made from 100% lupin hulls with no additives
🟡 Ultra-low in starch and sugars - NSC 5.3% and maximum starch 0.7%
🟡 High in super fibres and natural pectins (prebiotics) to assist with the growth of healthy gut bacteria
🟡 Perfect for boosting the healthy fibre in their diet
🟡 Cool source of energy
🟡 Quick-soaking mash, ready in under 10 minutes
🟡 Flexible! Can be fed with concentrates, grains or supplements as needed
🟡 Healthy proteins and amino acids contribute to conditioning, topline and coat shine
🟡 Wallet-friendly and more cost-effective than other fibre supplements
🟡 Low in iron to suit Western Australian horses, who have a high exposure to iron through water, pastures and hay

#lupinfibrecubes #lupinfibremash #horsemash #mash #lowsugarandstarch #ulcersafe

Energy in v. Energy out - have you got the balance of energy right for your horse? Energy balance in your horse`s diet refers to the amount of energy that they are consuming against the energy they are using.

Energy is life. All horses and ponies need energy to fuel basic daily functions, cellular functions, daily activity and maintaining health. When you add athletic performance, growth or reproduction on top, their energy requirements change, so it is important to achieve the right energy balance to meet the needs of your horse or pony.

There are three main categories for energy balance:

➕ Positive energy - the diet is providing more energy than they would need to maintain weight.
This is used when they need to gain body condition, grow or recover from exercise.

🟰 Net Zero energy - the diet is providing energy that meets the requirements of daily activity, so they maintain body condition.

➖ Negative energy - the diet is providing less than the horse needs. This may be used for overweight horses needing to decrease their body condition score.

Regular Body Condition Scoring is an important way of monitoring whether your horse`s energy balance is right for them, and adjusting energy balance is not about overfeeding or restricting feed.

Horses and ponies need to be getting enough fibre and forage to meet their needs (minimum 1.5%-2% of their body weight daily in forage, so adjusting energy intake can be more about adjusting energy density of feeds or changing the amount of energy they are using through exercise.

#tiptuesday #horsefeed #horseenergy #horses #horsecare

DID YOU KNOW? Horses and ponies have the smallest stomach in relation to body size of all domesticated animals. The average stomach size (volume) for a horse is only 10L, and a pony`s stomach is even smaller! How big is 10L? It`s about the size of a small jerry can or the average household bucket 🪣

It`s important to know this, because when you are putting your feeds together, you need to consider volume and not overfeed. The MAXIMUM volume you should offer in any single feed is 2/3`s of their total stomach volume.
That is:
➡️ 8L for a 500kg horse
➡️ 3-4L for a 250kg pony
This volume includes NO MORE than 2kg of grain or pellets (for a 500kg horse).

WHY?
When a horse`s stomach gets full, it actually starts to push undigested feed out into the small intestine, where the starch and sugars won`t be properly digested. This then travels to the hindgut where it can cause changes to the bacteria, lactic acid build up and lead to acidosis.

#factfriday #horsehealth #horsefact #horsefeed #horsefeeding #horsecare #horses

If you`re looking for low starch and sugar, here it is ⬇️⬇️⬇️

We don`t just say our feed is `low starch`, we mean it and we show you. Calm Care Plus has:

✅ Maximum 0.8% starch
✅ 5.3% NSC (Non-Structural Carbohydrates = WSC + starch)
✅ 4.5% WSC (Water Soluble Carbohydrates = simple sugars + fructans)
✅ 4.4% ESC (Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates = predominantly simple sugars)
✅ 5.2% HC (Hydrolysable carbohydrates = simple sugars + starch)

These figures are important when we talk about feed suitability for conditions like laminitis, insulin resistance and other metabolic conditions, because they influence insulin responses in the body.

#lowstarch #lowsugar #horsecare #horsehealth #laminitis

COLIC - Do you know these common risk factors?
Colic is a digestive upset, but it`s important to remember that there are different types like impaction, gas, spasmodic or sand colic, and a therefore a number of different triggers to be aware of. Here are some common triggers, and while even the most carefully managed horses can develop colic, there are things we can do to help prevent it:

⚠️ Sudden changes in diet, including hay, concentrates or pasture that can upset the microbiome. Even rain events that cause a flush in green pasture can be enough to upset the digestive system.

⚠️ Diets that are too low in fibre and forage

⚠️ Dehydration - a big one at the moment! Dehydration can lead to impaction colic, especially in periods of unseasonal heat or even in winter where drinking decreases.

⚠️ Lack of feed or irregular feeding, where the digestive system and hindgut doesn`t have a consistent supply of fibre and forage to keep it moving

⚠️ Sudden overeating or gorging

⚠️ Dental issues which lead to improper chewing

⚠️ Poor quality forage or very dry, course indigestible fibre

⚠️ Stress from transport, changes to environment or social stress

⚠️ Sand colic from the accumulation of sand when grazing short pastures or picking up feed off the ground

⚠️ Illness, infection or parasite overload that impacts the digestive system

⚠️ A history of colic or predisposition to intestinal displacement

As a digestive condition, nutrition and gut function play a huge role in colic management. Our horses are designed to eat fibre and forage, and they should always have enough fibre and water in their digestive tract to keep it moving.

✅ Make sure your horse or pony is getting minimum 1.5% of their body weight in fibre and forage daily
✅ Avoid large periods without feed
✅ Keep feed consistent and make changes slowly
✅ Keep them hydrated

#horsehealth #colic #horses #horsefeed #horsecare