As the temperature drops, the risk of impaction colic often rises — particularly as you increase your horse’s forage intake to promote body warmth. In this article, we discuss the three most common causes of impaction colic during Winter.  There are many benefits of feeding forage, such as pasture and hay, including in Winter. A concentrated source of fibre, forage helps your horse: Gain energy Maintain body condition Produce body heat At all times of year, every horse needs to consume between 1.5 and 2.5% of their bodyweight in forage every day to maintain a healthy body condition. Fibre is,…

Nutrition is a fundamental part of your horse’s health, wellbeing and performance. In this new series, we discuss the components of correct nutrition to help you formulate a healthy, well-balanced diet for your performance horse or pony.  In Part 1, we examined two of the most commonly overlooked ingredients that are vital to sustaining performance – vitamins and minerals. In Part 2, we turned our attention to the importance of fibre. In Part 3, we discussed fats. In Part 4, we explored protein. Next, we explain the complexities of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are usually the main source of energy in commercial…

Nutrition is a fundamental part of your horse’s health, wellbeing and performance. In this new series, we discuss the components of correct nutrition to help you formulate a healthy, well-balanced diet for your performance horse or pony.  In Part 1, we examined two of the most commonly overlooked ingredients that are vital to sustaining performance – vitamins and minerals. In Part 2, we turned our attention to the importance of fibre. Now, we discuss feeding fats. Feeding fats, usually in the form of oils, is becoming more commonplace for both pleasure and performance horses. Fats are an excellent source of…

Nutrition is a fundamental part of your horse’s health, wellbeing and performance. In this new series, we discuss the components of correct nutrition to help you formulate a healthy, well-balanced diet for your performance horse or pony. In Part 1, we examined two of the most commonly overlooked ingredients that are vital to sustaining performance – vitamins and minerals. Now, we turn our attention to the importance of fibre. With a gastrointestinal tract capable of digesting large amounts of fibre, fibre should be the foundation of your horse’s diet. Not only does fibre provide them with energy, chewing and digesting…