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Providing longer feeds with fewer calories for a good-doer who needs to be kept occupied

The owner: Sam Mcallister The horse: Phyllis, a 16.3hh Belgian Warmblood The problem: Phyllis needs longer feeds but with fewer calories

Sam’s novice dressage mare, Phyllis, is a very good doer who loves her grub! With turnout limited in winter, Sam struggles to keep her occupied when in, without overdoing the calories. Sam hacks or schools most days, and walks Phyllis in hand when she can’t turn her out. When stabled, Phyllis gets a net of late cut hay four times a day. The haynets don’t keep her busy for long: Sam could double two small-holed nets together to slow her down.

Phyllis has a scoop of high-fibre cubes once a day, which she polishes off in two minutes flat. As the cubes are not being fed at the recommended level to give Phyllis the vitamins and minerals she needs, Sam should consider a daily balancer instead. Dividing the balancer into two meals with a scoop of low-calorie chopped fibre each time will help extend Phyllis’s eating time and support her gut health, with negligible extra calories.

New SPILLERS Fibre Lite Molasses Free is suitable for all horses and ponies. It’s a low-calorie fibre blend with short-chopped alfalfa and straw to help slow eating. Molasses-free and with no added sugar, it is also low in starch to support digestive health and minimise excitability. Grass nuts and garlic enhance taste and texture, and, with the softness of the chop, make it very palatable and an ideal accompaniment to a compound feed or balancer.