Are you noticing a difference in your horse's behaviour?
Digestive problems, leading to sensitive and even poor behaviour are more commonly seen during the winter months as horses spend prolonged time stabled with less access to daily turnout and consistent forage.
We have provided some helpful feeding and horse care tips below.
FEEDING TIPS
- Lower the daily starch intake without compromising daily nutritional needs, for which balancers are ideal
- Ulsa-Cool provides ONLY 6g of starch and 3.5g sugar per day for an average 500kg horse
- Feed smaller meals to regulate digestive function
- Include supporting ingredients to improve digestive function such as probiotics, beta glucans and nucleotides
- A low starch chaff such as alfalfa contains additional calcium which can help buffer acidity further
- Feeding a handful of chaff before exercise can limit the damage caused by stomach acid splashing onto the stomach lining when ridden
- Natural production of saliva through chewing (forage and fibre) also helps to neutralise stomach acid
- Feed forage ad-lib where possible
- Provide plenty of fresh water
HORSE CARE TIPS
- Increase turnout where possible - so long as your horse is less stressed in the field
- It has been scientifically proven that reducing exercise intensity to allow time for ulcers to heal (1 additional day off a week) can be beneficial
- Minimise changes in daily routine
Need advice? Call us 0114 266 6200, chat to us on social media, or contact our feed advisors via the button below.
As lifelong horse owners ourselves, we can offer considered knowledge and support, providing you with confidence in your feeding choices.
You know your pony/horse better than anyone, we are happy to add value to that with professional, reliable advice.
With your help, we look at the complete picture and offer practical, achievable solutions.