Building condition
QI’ve bought a new horse and his condition is quite poor. His ribs are showing and although his teeth have been deemed OK by a vet, I’m wondering how I can build condition without creating a hot horse? Carly Scott, Northumberland
AEnergy and calories are the same thing and it’s not possible to give a high-calorie feed to promote weight gain without giving your horse more energy. Focus on the ingredients within the feed that are important when it comes to determining the type of energy that is provided, and whether the feed could lead to your horse becoming excitable.
Focus on the fibre
Before looking at bucket feeds to build condition it is important to ensure your horse has a constant supply of good-quality fibre. Not only is fibre essential for good digestive health, its digestion also provides a good source of calories. As the fibre ferments in the gut, this produces a heat that helps to keep the horse warm. If insufficient fibre is being consumed the horse is more likely to feel the cold and have to use other energy sources to keep warm, so weight loss or failure to gain weight is inevitable, however many high-calorie bucket feeds you give him. Providing ad-lib hay or haylage when he’s stabled or when grazing is poor is the best way to ensure your horse has a continuous supply of fibre.
Conditioning feed
In addition to ad-lib forage, a high-calorie conditioning feed – one that’s high in fibre and low in starch and sugar – would provide energy for your horse’s workload and help him gain weight and reach an ideal body condition score. Avoid feeds that contain a high proportion of cereals as they will have higher starch levels compared to those that use fibre and oil as energy sources. Not only can a high-starch diet cause fizzy behaviour, it’s also more difficult for your horse to digest and leaves him more susceptible to laminitis and colic. A highcalorie conditioning feed that’s cereal grain-free and uses unmolassed sugar beet and linseed will be lower in starch and sugar than cereal-based mixes. Choosing a feed that contains prebiotics and probiotics is also useful in promoting good digestive health.