DO HORSES NEED VETERAN FOOD?

Understanding senior nutrition Text: Hannah Botha, MSc Equine Nutrition Just like humans, horses age at different rates according to their lifestyle, diet, exercise and genetics. In today's times, horses are living longer as research improves our understanding, enabling horses to lead active lives late into their twenties and even thirties. Just because a horse has reached a…

BylizzieNovember 26, 20230Comments

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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

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ASKHQ: THE HORSE THAT WON’T DRINK

Q: How can I encourage my horse to drink? A: The simplest way to encourage your horse to drink is to ensure that he has clean, fresh water at all times. Frequently cleaning and refilling buckets is essential to keep water fresh and palatable. Other ways to up your horse's water intake include soaking hay, adding water…

BylizzieApril 4, 20210Comments

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ASKHQ: BEET PULP

Q: Why is beet pulp good for horses? A: Beet pulp is a great feed for horses. It is an energy-rich source of digestible fibre that helps to promote and maintain a healthy microbial hindgut population, keeping the digestive system healthy. Beet pulp is a byproduct from the sugar beet industry. Sugar beets are grown and harvested…

BylizzieFebruary 16, 20210Comments

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ASKHQ: SHINY COAT

Q: What can I feed to make my horse’s coat shiny? A: Coat condition is a marker of your horse’s health, so before changing the diet, you should evaluate your horse’s overall health. You should check for worms with a faecal egg count, make sure that his teeth are in good shape and assess his general…

BylizzieFebruary 16, 20210Comments

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ASKHQ: MOULDY HAY

Q: How can I tell if my horse’s hay has gone off? A: The consequences for your horse’s gastrointestinal and respiratory health can be severe if forage quality, especially hygiene is poor. Changes in forage have a much bigger impact on gastrointestinal health than that of concentrate feeds. In particular the impact of forage on the…

BylizzieFebruary 16, 20210Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health

ASKHQ: FEEDING FOR MUSCLE

Q: How do I feed my horse to build muscle for eventing using nutrition? A: It goes without saying that building muscle requires correct work, so nutrition is not going to be the only piece of the puzzle. Eventing is also a ‘multi-discipline’ sport so your horse is going to need to cross-train to really start…

BylizzieFebruary 13, 20210Comments

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ASKHQ: LINSEED OIL

Q: Why is linseed oil the new thing to feed? Asked by Erin Booth A: Oils have been available on the equine market for years now, yet there is still some confusion over which oil to use. While there is technically no ‘bad’ oil, there may be some that are better options for your horse than others.…

BylizzieJuly 31, 20200Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health Know How

ASKHQ: SIZING FOALS

Q: How can I tell how big my foal will be when he is an adult? Asked by Tamryn Moolman A: In essence you can't. There are a variety of methods that certain people swear by, but unfortunately none of these is entirely reliable. The reason that none of these formulas can be relied upon is because…

BylizzieOctober 30, 20190Comments

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