JUST A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

Helps the medicine go down… When your vet gives medication to put in your horse’s feed, they are hoping that you will do the following: Mix it thoroughly with a feed that your horse enjoys; Ensure your horse eats the entire dose in one sitting with little to no waste Continue to monitor…

BylizzieNovember 1, 20250Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

FEEDING THE MODERN SPORTHORSE

Are we getting it right? For decades, the default sporthorse ration looked something like this: two big buckets of concentrate, a slice or two of hay, electrolytes on hot days, and maybe oil ‘for shine.’ It worked, until it didn’t. Today’s competition horses jump higher, move bigger, travel more, and live more intensively managed lives…

BylizzieAugust 15, 20250Comments

Horse Health

WINTER WEIGHT LOSS – KEEPING CONDITION IN THE COLD

Loss of weight in winter is a concern with many of our equines, especially those who are older or naturally leaner. The cold weather in winter increases energy demands on our horses, as they must produce more body heat to maintain their body temperature. On top of this, the amount and quality of the grazing…

BylizzieMay 26, 20250Comments

Ask HQ Horse Health

FIBRE CAN CHANGE ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR

By Hannah Botha, MSc Equine Nutriiton Stereotypic behaviours are actions that are repeated without any apparent or obvious purpose or function. These behaviours involve a need-related drive that develops if an environment has inadequate opportunities for satisfying the need the horse is trying to fill. Once established, these behaviours may become a need in and of…

BylizzieMay 7, 20230Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health

ASKHQ: SHOULD I DROP THE FOOD?

Q: Should I drop my horse's food to a lower level? He is doing much less work at the moment but I'm nervous to make any changes. A: One key rule of f eeding horses is to ‘ feed for work done ’ . This essentially means that when your horse is given time off or…

BylizzieJune 11, 20200Comments

Ask HQ Horse Breed Horse Channel Horse Health

ASKHQ: INSULIN-RESISTANCE

Q: I have a question regarding insulin-resistant horses. I know about the condition, but would like further input about management? A: Management of the insulin-resistant horse or pony requires a multi-faceted approach: Minimising the sugar and starch level in the horse's total diet (including that in the hay given) is key: the less grain and concentrate…

BylizzieJanuary 22, 20200Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

HINDGUT DISTRESS

Horses are trickle feeders, designed to eat fibre all day long, rather than consuming large meals less frequently. Fibre digestion takes place in the hindgut where a population of micro-organisms break down the fibre, in a process called fermentation, to provide a source of slow-release energy. Fermentation requires a healthy population of bacteria in the…

BylizzieAugust 27, 20190Comments

JUST A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

FEEDING THE MODERN SPORTHORSE

WINTER WEIGHT LOSS – KEEPING CONDITION IN THE COLD

FIBRE CAN CHANGE ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR

ASKHQ: SHOULD I DROP THE FOOD?

ASKHQ: INSULIN-RESISTANCE

HINDGUT DISTRESS

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