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UPCOMING HORSE SEMINAR PUT Feb 28th ON YOUR CALENDAR! Our Warkworth location is hosting a free Equine Seminar. Do you have concerns about your feed making your horse's attitude hot? Do you question whether you have made the right choice in feed for your horse? Do you realize that there are factors other than feed that can affect a horse's attitude? Marc Andre Blouin from Agribrands Purina Canada will be with us to answer these questions and explain issues regarding how "feeding affects attitude”. We are also fortunate to have Randy Bird, a renowned horse trainer. Join us for a discussion on his involvement and issues regarding "SAVE THE MUSTANGS”. Randy is a very unique trainer from the perspective that he works with riding horses, driving horses, and also problem horses. His business is Equine Education. january update
FEEDING THE LATE GESTATING BROODMARE Some of you are probably eagerly anticipating the arrival of newborn foals! Many brood mares are now in the last 3 or 4 months of their pregnancy. It is essential that the mare be properly fed during this period as a shortage of nutrients will affect her ability to nourish the fetus, maintain healthy bones herself and be in good condition to breed. During late gestation, energy requirements increase by about 20% and protein by about 30%. However, the real challenge is the huge increase in calcium and phosphorus requirements. In some cases, the mare has to utilize her own bone minerals to meet the demands of the growing fetus. There is also an increased need for copper, zinc, manganese and vitamin D. Some people simply feed their mares an extra scoop of whatever they normally feed thinking it will be adequate. Most people have no idea what the quality is of the hay they are feeding and it varies from year to year. Purina offers choices in mare and foal feeds that are designed to meet the nutritional requirements of the mare at this stage. They also offer supplements that are high in vitamins & minerals. If you have a mare that is going into her last trimester under weight, I can show you how to safely manage her feed program to get her into better shape. If you have an obese mare, there are supplement options to help keep her and the fetus healthy without adding excess weight. Another word of caution, it can be very deceiving figuring out a pregnant mare's body condition. Some consideration given now to a proper feeding program will give you a better chance of having a healthy, lively foal! december update Christmas and New Year’s are very busy and fun times for most of us. Very often this means a change in our routines and the feeding routines for our horses. Veterinarians often find an increase in calls due to colic and sometimes choke around holiday time. Horses are creatures that enjoy a regular routine, and those that are on a regular schedule can be affected by change. It is often necessary if we will be away to leave out extra hay which is great; however, for those of us without heated water systems, it is stressful to the horse to gorge on his extra ration without access to enough water to go with it. Impaction colic! Some people tend to treat their horses with extra portions of grain as a Christmas Treat. We also tend to need help from family and friends to do our chores if we are away. I have heard of a well meaning relative giving a horse a large portion of Hoof Supplement by accident instead the grain ration. This resulted in more than one visit by the Vet. Well meaning spouses may double or triple the ration because it is Christmas morning— meanwhile the ration was a pelleted vitamin, mineral supplement. If you are late with a grain feeding and perhaps feeding an extra large portion, it can lead to problems. The horse is anxious, waiting for his meal and bolts it down. If the ration is one that is high in fiber it can result in choke. My advice is to try and stay as close to your normal routine and the amounts you feed as possible. If you rely on someone else to do your feeding be very specific with your instructions and make sure your containers are labeled properly.
november update As the weather changes and we start feeding more hay there is generally an increase in the incidences of impaction colic. To help prevent this, make sure your horse has access to water, preferably warm at all times if possible. Horses tend to actually drink more if the water is warm. Time to dig out those water heaters! It is also very important to provide salt free choice (loose if possible) as well as adding it to the feed ration. Some people feed less grain or processed feed this time of year if they are not riding or working their horse as much. If the horse can maintain good body condition on a diet of mostly roughage, I would recommend in the very least that you provide a Vitamin Mineral supplement for good health. Some horses require increased amounts of processed feed in the winter as they require more calories just to maintain their body weight. Make sure you evaluate the body condition. Take that winter blanket off and actually feel different areas on your horse to determine if there are changes. Make sure that your feed program is working for you. The horse's body condition will tell you ! Visual assessments can be very deceiving especially with a winter hair coat or a hay belly! If you would like help choosing a feed or supplement give me call @ 705-930-4962.
october update Autumn Pasture can cause Grass Founder Most of us think of lush green fast growing spring grass as the culprit when thinking of grass founder. Excess protein was always considered the cause. Now research has shown us that it is actually the Fructans (a sugar or carbohydrate) in the grass that the horse cannot digest that causes the problem. Normally the plant produces the Fructans during photosynthesis in the day and then at night uses the Fructans as fuel to grow. However, on cold nights the plant is unable to grow and stores an excess of Fructans. Also, overgrazed stressed grass will hold on to Fructans. Some species of grass are more likely to do this than others. The problem occurs when your horse consumes this grass that is high in Fructans and cannot digest these starches resulting in an upset in the normal balance of the digestive system producing toxins that lead to laminitis! Not every year is the same, conditions and factors are different in your pasture every year. Be aware that right now we are experiencing warm days and cold nights. Also by this time of year the pasture is often over grazed and stressed. It may be a good time to start feeding hay! Susan
september update FEEDING THE WEANLING
EQUINE JUVENILE sets a high standard in nutrition for the growing foal! It is critical that we pay close attention to feeding weanlings and yearlings to ensure proper growth.. Equine Juvenile is specifically formulated to meet the special needs of the growing horse by providing controlled starch levels (commonly referred to as low glycemic). Diets low in starch and high in fat and fibre have demonstrated to support proper and sound growth. This diet also minimizes the incidence of DOD's (Developmental Orthopedic Diseases) and digestive upsets (colic), compared to traditional grain based diets high in starch. Juvenile also contains high levels of Vit. E, an important antioxidant, and it is supplemented with Lysine and Methionine, protein building blocks. Do not make the mistake of thinking a weanling will reach its full potential being fed hay alone! august update
FEEDING THE FOAL
In order for a foal to reach it’s full potential, it is very important that it receives proper nutrition. The first step is to feed the Lactating Mare properly. To feed the foal you must feed the mare. The mare requires a very nutrient dense ration-high in energy, vitamins and minerals. I would recommend Evolution Maternity or Omolene 300. The foal should be introduced to the feed as well. Creep feeders work well for this. By the time the foal is 3 months of age, the mare’s milk production slows down. The quality of the milk decreases as well. The foal’s digestive system is still not fully mature. The majority and fastest growth occurs during the first 6 months of life. A combination of the mare’s milk, forage and a foal feed will help the foal meet their growth demands. If the foal is doing well and already eating a creep feed, the stress will be eased at weaning time.
may update Marc Andre Blouin from Agribrands Purina Canada will be with us to answer these questions and explain issues regarding feeding to Body condition!
We are also fortunate to have Dr. Kristin Buchanan or Millbrook Equine clinic –Division of McKee-Pownall Veterninary Prof Corp join us to discuss health issues related to feed management. Please call 705-924-9498 and let us know if you plan to attend.
Compare the price of the pail and the recommended dose to see how much you get for your money compared to other leading brands! There are a variety of nutrients necessary for healthy hoof growth. BMZ contains Biotin, a vitamin which is water soluble - no toxicity. Studies prove that feeding 15 to 20 mg of Biotin per day enhances hoof integrity and growth.
BMZ also contains Methionine, which is a major amino acid that helps build a main protein used by the body to build connective tissue such as the hoof wall. It also contains Zinc, which is a mineral that is involved in creating healthy skin, hair and hooves. Most horses have healthy feet being fed the correct amount of fortified feed, but for those who need some extra help this is a great product. Keep in mind that it can take up to 11 months for new growth to reach the bottom of the hoof. How you are feeding your Equine friend right now may affect his hooves next riding season.
My biggest concern with feed management this time of year is actually WATER! Getting horses to drink enough water can be a challenge at the best of times. Many horse people worry more so about this in hot summer weather when horses are being worked and sweat more. However this time of year can bring about 2 changes in a horses feed management. Horses that are accustomed to pasture during the summer months are switched to eating hay for their forage. Many of us make this switch without much thought. What is the biggest difference between pasture and hay? It is the moisture content. Pasture can be 70% to 80% moisture and hay can be around 10%. If you make a change suddenly you must make sure your horse is consuming enough water. If things do not go well the results are colic due to impaction. In addition to the change of forage some barns experience this time of year, there is usually a difference in the temperature of the water we offer our equine friends. Studies prove that horses consume more water if it is between 45 and 65oF. If the water is cold, almost at the freezing point, they drink but tend to slack their thirst and not consume as much as they should. If we are feeding forage that is considerably lower in moisture and the horse is drinking less you are setting yourselves up for a problem.
I highly recommend both salt licks and feeding loose salt in a horse’s grain ration. Salt is your basic electrolyte which helps keep things in balance and makes your horse thirsty. Salt licks were designed for cows and horses, but horses tend not to utilize a salt block because it is rough on their tongue.
There are different water heaters on the market. There are floating and sinking heaters that can be used in a variety of containers. I use one that is designed to fit in the bottom of a Rubbermaid trough that has a hole and plug at the base for the heater. Water heaters can be hard on your hydro bill but saves you lugging water numerous times a day to make sure your horse has water and not just ice to deal with. It could also save you a vet bill! I had my husband build an insulated box with a lid (the lid has a hole cut out so the horse can
drink) to cover my water trough. This helps reduce how hard my water heater has to work to keep the water from freezing. There is also the option of the Ritchie Automatic Water Systems. They may seem expensive at first, but if you do the math, it is amazing how quickly the savings on your hydro bill will pay for the system and the cost to install it.
The advantage of an automatic heated water system assures you of a constant supply of fresh, clean, warm water, thus eliminating carrying water. We sell sinking and floating water heaters, water troughs and Ritchie automatic water systems at our three locations. In Madoc feel free to talk to Len Lalonde. He is very knowledgeable on the Ritchie Water Systems. If you have concerns about your horse’s hydration status, call at 613-339-9970 or 705-924-9498. Everyone should keep their Televisions tuned to NBC for coverage of the FEI World Equestrian Games held in Kentucky at the Horse Park in Lexington. AQHA will be a major part of the games, which start Sept 25 and run until Oct 10. There are 8 disciplines featured: dressage, driving, eventing, jumping, vaulting, endurance, para-dressage, and for the 3rd time Reining. Reining along with cowboy hats and American Quarter Horses appeared for the first time in 2002. In 2006 our team took silver, being a very close runner up to the US team.
Our athletes have been chosen and are gearing up for this event. Unfortunately it looks like Ian Millar will not be able to join the jumping team this time.
This is the first time the Games are being held in the United States, and will probably not be held in North America again for a long time. So take advantage of the TV coverage and watch the best in the world compete. Equine Nutrition Seminar **Reasons for Feeding Purina Integri-T Horse Feed**
Integri-T humbly began nearly 15 years ago as Purina's " Hi Fat Hi Fibre ".
The concept was a fresh idea, that was thought of at that time to be just a fad. However, years later Purina " Hi Fat Hi Fibre " has proven to be one of the #1 horse feeds sold in Canada. Many horse rations contain oats, corn, barley and molasses making their formulas fairly high in sugar and starch.
Integri-T does not contain molasses or any of these grains. This drastically reduces the sugar/starch levels. The energy sources found in Integri-T are derived primarily from highly digestible fibre, veg oil and flax seed.
Integri-T is ideal for horses that tie up, get excited off grain, have a history of laminitis, have Cushing's disease, or are insulin resistant.
Integri-T also contains Horse Plus an exclusive B vit and vit C supplement, which is good for immune functions and has blood building nutrients. It also includes Pur-a-yeast which improves the digestibility and protein utilization of the feed. There are many nutritional advantages to Integri-T. Purina recommends that you soak Integri-T prior to feeding it to your horse. SUMMER & SHOW SEASON is upon us and for many of us this means a change in our horse’s feed program. Purina offers a wide range of Horse Feeds and supplements designed to meet a variety of needs. Whether you have a Lawn Ornament, Growing Foal, Halter Horse, Endurance Horse, Gaming Horse, Pleasure Horse, or a Race Horse, we have feeds designed to provide the balance of nutrition and energy your horse requires. If you would like help understanding which feeds or supplements best suit your horse’s needs call Susan at our Madoc location
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