DEHYDRATION RISK - Why is it high in winter, even if it`s cold? Believe it or not, hydration is just as important in winter as it is in summer but is often overlooked. The cooler temperatures can actually decrease the urge to drink, so even though our horses are still exercising, they may not be getting the water needed.

💧Hydration is especially important if you are needing to feed hay that is lower in quality to reduce the risk of impaction colic.

What can you do?
1️⃣ It`s important to make sure your horse is getting enough essential electrolytes to support their critical processes and encourage them to drink. You can add salt to their feed or give them access to a pink salt block in their stable or paddock. Salt is an essential electrolyte and is also vital for the drinking reflex.

2️⃣ Offer a soaked mash feed or add a fibre mash supplement like Lupin Fibre Cubes or Lupin Fibre Boost with plenty of water to give them extra hydration. These can even be soaked with warm water to help keep fight the winter chills.

#lupinfibrecubes #mashfeed #equinefeed #horsefeed #horsemash #lupinfibreboost #hydration #tiptuesday

𝗡𝗦𝗖 - 𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?
You`ve probably heard us talk about NSC in feed, hay, fibres and pastures, but have you ever wondered what we actually mean?

❓What are NSC?
Non-Structural Carbohydrates are all of the carbohydrates in a plant cell that are not part of the cell wall, which includes sugars, starch and fructans. They are a vital source of energy for the plant, used for its growth and function. NSC levels can be calculated by adding the Water-Soluble Carbohydrate level of a feed (WSC=simple sugars+fructans) to its starch level.

❓What are NSC in?
Because they`re part of a plant, NSC are in almost all of the plant materials we feed our horses, including, hay, pasture, grains, fibres and molasses. The NSC level can vary greatly depending on a range of factors including:
- Type of plant or grain
- Maturity of the plant
- The part of the plant or grain that is used
- If the plant as stressed or not
- How an ingredient has been processed or treated when used in a feed
- Even the time of day for pastures!

❓Why do we measure NSC values?
NSC are a quick energy source for horses, and they`re easily digested and absorbed in the small intestine. As starches and sugars are digested, enzymes break them down into glucose. Once glucose enters the bloodstream, the pancreas releases insulin to help move glucose into cells for energy.

But if too much glucose enters the bloodstream — particularly from a diet high in NSC — it can overload the system. Over time, the body’s cells may become less responsive to insulin, leading to insulin resistance.

💡Think of it like your emails. If you get a few daily you can read each one, but if you get overloaded with junk, you stop reading them and soon they just go straight to your junkmail.

This becomes a serious issue in horses with metabolic conditions like Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), PPID (Cushing’s), or those prone to laminitis, where even moderate spikes in blood glucose and insulin can be dangerous.

Tech People: AI is getting so smart!
Horse people: is it though?

Did you know that we are a NO AI ZONE? What you see on our website, marketing and social media is created and run only by humans, and knowledgeable horsey humans at that! We don`t use AI to generate posts, content, images, graphics, articles or blog posts.

Why? Because our customers are real people, so we are keeping it real for you.

#fridayfunny - thanks to Lynne from ShiteDressageUnited for sharing this image.

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⚠️ARGT - What is it, and why hay testing is essential!
Unfortunately, there have been a number of horses impacted by Annual Ryegrass Toxicity (or ARGT) this year. Understanding what ARGT is and where it comes from is vital for WA horse owners to manage the risks.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗧?
ARGT is a very serious condition that occurs when a horses and livestock consume Annual Ryegrass that is infected by the Rathayibacter toxicus bacteria. The problem isn’t caused by the ryegrass itself but the nasty toxin that’s produced as a result of the infection.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱?
The bacteria hitch a ride with tiny nematodes (a type of worm) which target and takeover the young, growing flowers and seedheads, replacing them with galls. The bacteria can be introduced to a paddock by the nematodes, or it may be present already in the soil.

The galls are the perfect environment for the bacteria, which then multiply and produce a toxin (corynetoxin) within the seedhead, which is transferred to the animal when eaten.

Unfortunately, ryegrass that has been infected will remain toxic even after the grass has dried off and been cut, meaning that hay cut from it will be toxic too.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱?
Any grazing animals, from horses through to sheep and even pigs are susceptible to ARGT, when they eat infected pasture or hay.

The toxins have a cumulative effect. This means that the more the animal eats, the more it will affect them. Even if they have breaks between consumption for up to 9 weeks, the toxin can still accumulate.
Clinical signs of ARGT can show as early as 4 days post-introduction to infected feed but can also take weeks to develop.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀?
The toxin that causes ARGT impacts the central nervous system, and symptoms can be quite severe and quick to show. Symptoms include:
➡️ Staggering or wobbling
➡️Disoriented
➡️Muscle tremors
➡️Seizures
➡️Hyper-reactivity
➡️Sudden death

Cont ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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✅ Added magnesium for muscle function and reducing tension
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✅ Grain-free and grain by-product formula is safe for horses with ulcers and gastric issues
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Plus, it`s locally owned and made!