HOW TO | Add Energy to Your Horse’s Diet — Without the “Heat”
Energy can sound scary, but it doesn’t need to be. Energy is essential for every horse and pony — supporting daily function, work, and performance. If your horse becomes “hot” or over‑reactive when energy is increased, it may be because:

- Their diet provides more energy than their workload requires
- The energy sources don’t suit the type of work they’re doing
- There’s a vitamin or mineral imbalance
- A health or functional issue is present

Horses obtain energy from different sources, and each behaves differently in the body. When more fuel is needed without more heat, the goal is choosing slow‑release energy sources that support performance without unwanted behaviour.

1️⃣ Focus on fibre first
Highly digestible fibre (quality hay, forage, lupin hulls) provides cool, steady, slow‑release energy. Fibre also supports gut health which is the foundation of calm, consistent performance.

2️⃣ Match energy to workload
Different work requires different fuel:
- Endurance, flatwork & steady training: fibre and fats for sustained energy
- High‑intensity or speed work: some starch may help, but must be carefully balanced
- Light work or spelling: lower energy density helps avoid unnecessary fizz

3️⃣ Choose fats over sugars
Oils and fat‑based feeds deliver concentrated, non‑heating energy without blood sugar spikes linked to high‑starch diets.

4️⃣ Balance vitamins & minerals
Imbalances can affect muscle function, recovery, and temperament. Magnesium, calcium, and vitamin E are especially important for working horses.

5️⃣ Support the gut
A healthy digestive system improves nutrient absorption and helps manage acidity, supporting both behaviour and performance.

6️⃣ Make changes gradually
All diet changes should be slow and measured to avoid digestive or behavioural upset.

Need help fine-tuning a cool, calm diet for your horse? Use our free FeedSmart tool on our website or reach out to our team for extra help 💬

Because everyone needs some brightness added to their Monday - here is our Junior Ambassador Milan enjoying cuddles with his new pony `Tommy`.

Tommy is fuelled by Lupin Fibre Boost and Calm Care Plus, to give him a complete feed that is low in sugar and starch, and nice and cool for a special pony looking after precious cargo.

We can`t wait to watch these two progress!

@x_thedvoraks_x

Supporting our community brings us a huge amount of joy, and we wanted to share the amazing achievements of the Karlayura Rodeo Inc team. This event is Indigenous-led and not-for-profit, and they have just been awarded the `Rodeo Committee of the Year` by the ABCRA.

This is a huge achievement for all of the team, including our sponsored rider @tui_rei and we were proud to support the event as sponsors.

Make sure if you`ve got an event on in 2026 to head to our website and submit your sponsorship request!

Huge congratulations to Aja Tito, 2025 Australian Junior All Round Cowgirl! After a huge year of hard work and dedication, with time away from home and family, Aja`s season finished with a bang with two round wins in the barrels and two catches in the breakaway to clinch the overall Australian title.

We are hugely proud of what this talented young horsewoman has achieved this year, well done Aja from the whole T&R team 👏👏

@ajareitito @tui_rei

GOOD-DOERS - have you ever said, "My horse is too fat; he doesn`t need feeding"? Feeding the good doer can be challenging, but here are 4 rules to remember...

1. AVOID HARSH RESTRICTION or poor-quality diets. Good doers can`t live off an oily rag, they still need to meet their daily requirements for protein, vitamins and minerals. A diet of only pasture or hay may not provide their full nutrient needs and can often be low in digestible fibre and protein.

2. FOCUS ON FIBRE and make sure their forage intake meets the minimum 1.5-2% of their body weight daily. Getting enough fibre is vital for the function of their digestive system and hindgut, and restricting access can cause damage to their digestive health.

NOTE: If pasture is too high in quality, you can restrict grazing and substitute with lower calorie hays. Watch out for low quality hays and straw though, which can be too high in indigestible fibre and cause issues.

3. THEY NEED THEIR DAILY VIT & MIN requirements still! These are essential for bone, skin, hoof and coat health, plus muscle and digestive function, immunity and more! Look for a complete, low-calorie feed that gives them the nutrients they need while promoting healthy weight.

4. KEEP HIGH QUALITY PROTEINS IN THEIR DIET. If you are trying to reduce calorie intake, be careful not to restrict quality protein, which is essential for muscle, coat and hoof health.

Got a severely overweight horse? They need a very carefully tailored weight loss plan. Message our team and we can help you put one together...

Our Lupin Fibre mash range is ideal for good doers:
🟢 Lupin Fibre Boost is a complete, low feeding rate fibre mash enriched with vitamins, minerals, pre and probiotics. Made from lupin hulls which are a highly digestible fibre source and rich in quality amino acids and proteins to promote health and function.

🟡Lupin Fibre Cubes is our low feeding rate fibre-supplement, made from 100% lupin hulls which can be fed in very low amounts to keep quality fibre and protein in their diet and used with a vitamin & mineral supplement for horses and ponies needing limited hard feeds but the nutrients they need to stay healthy.

REMINDER - Our racing nutrition seminar is on tomorrow from 1pm at the Rose and Crown in Guildford. It is free to attend, and Dr Judi Maxwell will be covering topics including:

- Maintaining and management of the stomach

- Optimising nutrient performance

- Hydration and its impact on performance

- Managing transport, travel and other periods where performance may be impacted.

There will be time for questions and discussions with Dr Judi, as well as finger food, drinks, raffles, gift bags and more.

To RSVP please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/p72SYWdCAunGthpM7

More than just a MASH - feeding Lupin Fibre Cubes can offer many health benefits to you horse...

BOOST fibre intake and diversity

IMPROVE gut health with high levels of super fibres and their prebiotic action

CONDITION with low sugar and starch, cool, fibre-based calories

HYDRATE with the quick-soaking cube, that can absorb three times it`s weight in water

ADD more stomach fill to their diet - it can expand to nearly 5 times its size when soaked

STIMULATE healthy hindgut function, with fibre fill and water to keep good motility

FUEL with COOL, slow-release energy that helps horses with any discipline and workload

BUILD their protein levels with quality amino acids to support muscle health, topline, coat health and topline

SAFELY manage laminitis or metabolic conditions with its low NSC (5.3%) levels.

Lupin Fibre Cubes are our ultimate flexible fibre mash. They are compatible with any of our complete feeds and can also provide an alternative fibre source to chaff.

Want a mash that`s complete? Opt for our Lupin Fibre Boost instead which includes vitamins, minerals, pre and probiotics to meet your horse`s daily requirements.

⚠️Health alert ⚠️ High heat, dehydration and impaction colic:
Did you know that dehydration is a contributing factor to impaction colic? Impaction is a type of colic that occurs when the water content in the large intestine decreases, and the feed content can dry out and become difficult to pass through or even cause a blockage. With more extreme heat this week, keeping our horses cool and hydrated is essential for prevention.

Risk Factors
⚠️ Horses are particularly at risk of dehydration during periods of hot weather and intense exercise which increases their requirements, or when they are not drinking enough clean, fresh water (if their trough gets low, warm or dirty).
⚠️ An increased amount of dry forage, or poor-quality grasses and hays that are higher in indigestible fibre can mean the contents of the large intestine become too dry.
⚠️ Reduced fibre intake can also increase the risk of colic.

Prevention is key - here are some things you can do:
1️⃣ Make sure your horse has constant access to clean, cool and fresh water. They might not drink if the water gets too warm, or their troughs are dirty.

2️⃣ Offer a soaked mash like Equi-Restore with plenty of water to rehydrate and keep highly digestible fibre in the gut. You can offer this into smaller feeds throughout the day.

3️⃣ Ensure your horse is getting enough essential electrolytes to support their critical processes and encourage them to drink. Equi-Restore provides electrolytes, and you can add salt to their feed or give them access to a pink salt block in their stable or paddock.

Why does adding salt encourage them to drink?
💡 Salt is not only an essential electrolyte, it is vital for stimulating the drinking reflex.

When a horse`s body gets low in sodium, it starts to conserve more water, and it actually LOWERS their thirst stimulus. So even though the horse needs to consume more water, their body isn`t telling it them to drink more which only increases their dehydration.

If your horse is showing any signs of impaction colic, early recognition and treatment can improve outcome so call your vet immediately.

#horsehealth #dehydration #horses #horsecare #horsenutrition horsemash

Do you work in the racing or equine vet industry? Or do you have an elite performance horse with a heavy workload in a fast-paced sport? Don`t miss our free nutrition seminar next Friday. Join Dr Judi Maxwell, International Nutrition and Veterinary Advisor as she discusses fuelling racehorses to optimise their health.

This seminar is ideal for anyone who works closely with thoroughbreds and standardbreds, from trainers and grooms through to studs and spelling facilities. It is also ideal for veterinary professionals, or riders with horses competing at an elite level in disciplines with fast, heavy workloads.

WHEN: Friday 23 January, 1pm to 5pm
WHERE: The Rose and Crown, Guildford
RSVP ESSENTIAL: Fill in our online RSVP form: https://forms.gle/8KRe6eqZhTxByFc29 or email donna@thompsonandredwood.com.au

EVENT DETAILS:
- Drinks and finger food supplied
- Lucky door prizes
- Show bag
- Entry is free

ABOUT DR JUDI - MRCVS BVSc BSc (hons)​:
Dr Judi’s professional focus is the evaluation of performance horses for nutritional optimisation; as well as the use of nutrition and nutraceuticals, to support positive clinical outcomes. Judi spends a large amount of her time in the UAE and travelling around the globe, supporting equine athletes, focusing on Racing, Polo and Showjumping.