Condition

 

I have taken a horse on loan and she is underweight, although she seems quite well in herself?
First, speak to your vet about a good worming programme and have her teeth checked. Then you need to feed her a conditioning feed such as Badminton Show & Conditioning Mix or Badminton Conditioning Cubes. The addition of Speedi-Beet or sugar beet pellets will also help to add condition. Feeds should be split between at least two feeds per day. Feed ad lib good quality hay in the winter months and provide access to good quality pasture in the summer.

My 17hh Thoroughbred needs to put on condition, but can't tolerate cereals. What can I use?
Triple Top-Up will provide the calories to put on condition and is cereal-free. Easy Rider or High Fibre Complete Nuggets will provide a good maintenance ration as they are both high in fibre.

My husband's 17hh heavyweight Hunter is a real star, but I struggle to keep condition on him towards the end of the season.
He has a big frame to fill so make sure that he is getting enough fibre. Ad lib hay is best and sugar beet feeds such as Speedi-Beet and Eurobeet will increase fibre intake. A diet lacking in essential nutrients or calories will show up as lack of condition or performance towards the end of a hard season. Feed 2kg/day of Equipower Basefeed and 2kg/day Extruform. You can increase the Extruform up to 4kg/day, but due to its concentrated high calorie content, it is unlikely that the horse would need that much. The extrusion process breaks down the starch molecules and makes it easier for the horse to digest than raw grain.


My 24yr old pony started to lose weight last year and now he really looks old. He has just recovered from his first every attack of laminitis, so I have to be careful what I feed. Do you have anything in your range which might help him?
Loss of weight followed by laminitis in an old, but previously healthy pony, suggests that he may benefit from a 20-day course of Remount, a liver tonic. The liver is under constant onslaught from toxins. It has a remarkable capacity for self-regeneration but under certain circumstances, especially in older horses, the regeneration fails to keep pace with degeneration. Impaired liver function is often only a temporary condition, but due you're your pony's age, we would suggest you give him a 20-day course 3-4 times a year.