Overcoming Feeding Problems During Or After A Cold Snap
29 January 2010
Some of these horses included performance horses that had started their fitness campaigns in preparation for the forthcoming season.
Periods of enforced confinement can bring with it potential health issues in already healthy and normal horses. We have seen an increase in the number of calls to our nutritional helpline in relation to horses returning to work and suffering acute Tying Up episodes, or horses that have succumbed to colic, in particular impaction colic.
Hopefully we can put the cold snap behind us, but the following tips may help to make the return to work easier or recovery from colic less traumatic.
• As far as possible, think about meeting your horse’s psychological and physiological need to trickle feed. Horses can normally eat all day long without getting a bellyache! This means making it a priority to meet his fibre intake (e.g. hay or haylage) and to be ingenious with methods of extending eating times if your horse is stabled. Call our helpline if you need some ideas.
• Horses that are fed plenty of forage have increased water intake, helping the horse to remain properly hydrated. This helps to reduce the risk of impaction colic and incidence of Tying Up (together with other management strategies).
• For horses that have suffered from Tying up, the provision of plenty of good-quality forage may help to reduce the reliance on a concentrate feed to support bodyweight and performance.
• Horses that have suffered from colic require high-quality forage sources that are easily digestible e.g. haylage or a hay replacer, such as chaff mixed with soaked Super Fibre Pencils and some sugar beet pulp. Hay replacer diets are low in residue so give the intestine a chance to recover.
• To help maintain normal digestive function and muscle function, choose feeds that are based on providing the energy-using digestible fibre sources and oil e.g. Re-Leve.
• Research has shown that horses that are predisposed to Tying Up demonstrated less post-exercise muscle damage than horses fed on conventional feeds (e.g. diets containing cereals).
• Horses recovering from colic will benefit from Re-Leve to help restore a normal environment in the hindgut so that the ‘friendly’ bacteria can re-establish themselves.
• The high digestibility of Re-Leve means that it can provide a high level of calories but without the fizz. This is particularly important for horses that are prone to Tying Up and in regular work and for horses that may still be on box rest, recovering from possible colic surgery and requiring additional body condition.
• Re-Leve is fortified with high levels of antioxidants, including a KER's unique natural source of vitamin E. Antioxidants have a vital role in the protection of the cell from toxic ions that are produced during exercise, stress or injury. Antioxidants work as scavengers and help to reduce muscle soreness and recovery times, as well as supporting immune function and general health and well-being.
• For horses that require additional body condition, and in order to keep meal sizes small, Re-Leve should be supplemented with a high-fat supplement such as Equi-Jewel. The low starch content of Equi-Jewel makes it suitable for horses prone to Tying Up, and its high digestibility makes it a ‘softer’ energy-dense supplement for horses recovering from colic. Equi-Jewel should be fed at 1-2lbs per day.
• Add some salt to your horse's feed (2-3 ounces). Salt is the only mineral for which horses have an undisputable appetite and will actively try and seek. Salt will help to keep your horse’s thirst response stimulated.
