Tweaking a horse’s diet
QI’ve got a 24-year-old ex-eventer who is no longer ridden, so I need to cut his feed down. Should I do this gradually and what sort of feed (if any) should I change to? Matt Evans, Tunbridge Wells
ANow that your horse’s workload has reduced his nutrient and calorie requirements will also change, so you’re correct to think about adjusting his diet. However, cutting out a feed completely can result in nutrient deficiencies and an unbalanced diet. If this happens, then multiple aspects of the horse’s overall health, condition, muscle tone, skin and hoof quality will be affected. How to change you horse’s feed will depend on: How your gelding generally maintains his weight and condition. Is he normally a good-doer or a poor-doer who struggles to hold his weight? If he has, or has had, any clinical issues like laminitis, gastric ulcers or colic His temperament. Is he relaxed or does he need exercise to relieve tension? Is his routine going to change greatly now that he’s out of work? Will he be turned out 24/7 or stabled too? If your ex-eventer is a good-doer, then he’ll benefit from a feed balancer. Balancers contain all the essential micronutrients your horse needs but with a minimal calorie and energy contribution. You can use them alongside fibre products such as chaffs and sugar beet, so you can control his calorie intake. Fibre is also essential for supporting a healthy digestive system. If your horse did well on a high calorie and energy ration diet before, then dropping down to a balancer-based ration will reduce his energy and calorie intake. If this compromises his condition, then look for a feed high in fibre and oil.
Change feed slowly
All changes to a horse’s feed ration should be made gradually over a 10 to 14 day period at least. This is to allow the horse’s digestive system to adjust to any new products and to enable bacteria in the gut to increase or decrease as necessary. Changing feed too quickly will increase his susceptibility to colic.