Did you know that wet winters = a higher laminitis risk coming into spring?
All the rain we`ve been getting leads to lush, sweet, fast-growing pastures and a spike in the starch, sugar, and fructan levels. If your horse or pony is prone to laminitis, that’s a dangerous combination!

While the cool weather is keeping growth at bay for now, as soon as temperatures warm up and daylight hours increase, the grass is going to take off and horse owners need to be ready. Being proactive is important, so for at-risk horses and ponies, you might need to start management earlier than spring by:

💡 Managing grazing through timed grazing, strip or track systems, or grazing muzzles

💡 Keeping their weight in check now, and reducing Body Condition Score if overweight

💡 Getting into the habit of doing regular hoof checks for any heat or changes in the digital pulse

💡 Checking that you have access to low NSC hay and chaff

💡 Being careful with calories in hard feed — if you`re not already feeding a low sugar and starch feed, look into laminitis-safe options like Calm Care Plus or Lupin Fibre Boost

💡 Including a low NSC fibre source like Lupin Fibre Cubes to maintain fibre diversity and consistency while grazing is being restricted

If you need help managing your laminitis- or EMS-prone horse or pony, reach out to our team for more information or a tailored diet plan 💬
#TipTuesday #HorseFeed #Laminitis #HorseNutrition #HorseHealth

Happy birthday to all of our equines today, we`re lucky to have them in our lives 🎂
.
.
.
#horsesbirthday #horseowners #horses #horsequotes

Broodmares- why does their feed need to change in late gestation?
Because most of the foal`s growth occurs from 7 months onwards. In late gestation, the foal will go from the size of a rabbit to a fully formed foal!

Pregnancy in horses can be split up into two main phases:
Phase 1 - from Conception to 7 months, (early gestation)
Phase 2 - from 7 months to foaling (late gestation)

🔹 Phase 1: at conception, it is important for your broodmare to have a Body Condition score (BCS) between 5 and 7 on the Henneke Scale. If a mare is underweight or overweight, her fertility and ability to hold a pregnancy is decreased.

Once she is in foal, the aim of feeding in Phase 1 is to maintain a good body condition score, as the foetus` nutrient requirements are small compared with the mare’s own maintenance requirements.

🔹 Phase 2: At the 7th month of pregnancy, a foetus weighs approximately 20% of its birth weight, which is less than 2% of the mare’s body weight. But from here on, it`s GROW GROW GROW! It`s from the 7 month mark that the majority of a foal`s growth, skeletal and tissue development happens.

The nutrient requirements of the foal, and consequently the mare, increase dramatically during this phase. During this phase, she also sets up her body for lactation, where her requirements will increase again.

WHAT IS THE GOLDEN RULE OF FEEDING A BROODMARE?
🪙Do not overfeed during early gestation, and do not underfeed during late gestation and lactation! 🪙

Broodmares need high levels of protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals to support the foal, without overfeeding on calories.

💡Feeding a full, balanced breeding specific feed like our Horse Grower Weaner Pellets helps to take the guesswork out of your mare`s ration.

💡Got a mare that needs a low sugar and starch feed? Calm Care Plus is safe for gestational laminitis and supports her nutrient requirements in late gestation and lactation.

COMPARE THE PAIR - could your chaff be a sneaky starch source?
Cereal chaff can be very high in starches and sugars, so if you`re feeding it, make sure you`re accounting for the NSC levels when balancing your horse`s diet.

Here are a few things to remember:

💡Cereal chaff is not suitable for horses that are prone to laminitis, metabolic conditions and ulcers. The NSC levels of oaten chaff in WA are around 31.5% but can be even higher depending on the region.

💡Sugars and starch do provide valuable energy for performance horses that need high calories to support their workloads, but make sure it is balanced with their concentrates which will already be providing quality energy.

💡For horses with low workloads, a cereal chaff or hay can give them too much energy, and you may see fizzy or `hot` behaviour. If seeing this, make sure you reduce the chaff or seek a cool alternative before changing your concentrates.

CHAFF ALTERNATIVES
✅️ A high fibre mash like Lupin Fibre Cubes is much lower in starch and sugars and actually higher in quality fibres.

✅ ️It provides high levels of pectins which promote gut health and feed good bacteria.

✅️ It is a more-cost effective fibre source, with a small amount going a long way. It expands to over twice it`s size when soaked, providing healthy fibre fill.

✅️ It is more stable and consistent than chaff, which can fluctuate in quality seasonally and depending on the source.

#lupinfibrecubes #fibreforhorses #fibremash #horsemash #besthorsefeed

Congratulations to young rider Mia Tollarzo and Stella, who won the Medium and Advanced at the Pony Club WA State Dressage Championships.

Stella is looking amazing and performing at her best - coming away with excellent scores and she maintained her energy over the three days of completion. She is a 16 year old warmblood cross and is powered by Calm Care Plus.

#calmcareplus #dressage #thompsonandredwood #fuelledbytandr #horsefeed Wandiera Park Dressage

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