So you do a bunch of research into Protein levels, you’re concerned about starch levels and you have a pretty good idea of what is in your hay – does that sound like you? Alternatively you were at a show and this very nice sales person told you all the reasons why their bagged feed addresses everything you need and all the other feeds are rubbish. There are any number of reasons why you are feeding a particular product but I am willing to bet that 99 times out of a 100 when you actually try to figure out what is in the feed from the label, you will be struggling.
Continue reading →

One of the first questions that springs to mind is why are horse supplements important in the modern equine diet?

If you go back in time a hundred years, horses were living on large areas of pasture with a rich combination of grasses, herbs and other beneficial plants that provided them with a rich source of nutrients. Today the vast majority of horses are confined to small areas, many having no access to pasture whatsoever and are sustained by grass and legume hays and grain products.

At Grand Meadows we believe that the heightened interest in digestion supplements has arisen from a widening recognition that the way horses eat today has changed so much relative to the way the horse’s digestive system has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years.

Horses evolved as grazers, and in order to consume sufficient forage to meet caloric demands, they must graze for many hours each day. Thus, their digestive system is designed to function through continual ingestion and processing of small amounts of forage. As soon as a horse rips a blade of grass or grasps a piece of hay, digestion begins.

In many cases horses are being fed quantities of cereal grains, ingredients that horses have not evolved to eat as a daily part of their diet. This change from a diet that consisted of 100% forage to a mixed diet has resulted in unprecedented levels of digestive issues from gastric stomach ulcers, hind gut acidosis, metabolic illnesses and gas or impaction colics. While we cannot realistically except horse owners to universally change their feeding programs, we believe it is helpful to understand why it is a good idea to be proactive in feeding a well formulated digestion supplement. As an example a viable* digestion supplement can support the more efficient breakdown of complex carbohydrate in the small intestine and reduce the workload being placed on the microbial population in the large intestine. This in turn will allow those beneficial bacteria to focus on breaking down the more indigestible cellulose and lignans that are not broken down in the small intestine, aiding the extraction of the remaining nutrients and supporting the production of B-vitamins for the immune system and Volatile Fatty Acids for energy.

Most people are generally aware that horse hoof supplements should, at a bare minimum, contain biotin and beyond that, based on the consistency in formulas in the marketplace, ingredients like methionine and zinc. Methionine is a critical ingredient as it is closely involved in the cross liking of keratin, thereby providing better structural integrity and resilience for the hoof wall. Keratin makes up a significant percentage of the hoof wall. Methionine is one of the “essential “ amino acids, in the sense that the horse cannot produce methionine on its own.  Zinc is also recognized as playing an important role in hoof health – be sure to look at the source of the zinc being used in a supplement as many manufacturers use cheaper inorganic forms that have a poor absorption profile in the horse. Copper should always be added when you are supplementing with zinc to keep mineral ratios correct and one should look for at least a 3 to 1 ratio of zinc to copper. The best evidence pointing to the benefits of biotin supplementation was based on a 1991 study of 42 Lipizzaner stallions at the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna, where it was demonstrated over an extended period of time that the horses receiving biotin had improved hoof condition.

“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right.” – Thomas Paine – Introductory to  Common Sense 1776

When it comes to horses, the natural way is not always the best way.  Many of us want to do the best thing for our horses but in doing so we may be thwarting what is natural. Sometimes we are so intent on being natural, and as a result we don’t make the best decisions for our horses.

Should you clip your horse?

It’s not natural, but it may be best.  Horses that live in warm winters benefit from clipping to make their days comfortable. A horse that is exercised regularly benefits from clipping; otherwise the sweat becomes trapped under the winter coat.  Cooling out a long process, and skin issues can arise.