For some horses, winter means a change in routine and possibly workload too which can require a change in feed. In other cases, feed plans may not need changing but reviewing your horse’s feed routine helps ensure your horse is on track to maintain good condition throughout the winter months.
Recently, we spoke to Allen & Page supported riders Daisy Brucki and Jess Blackford about their winter feeding plans and here’s how it went.
With the eventing season coming to an end and with winter well and truly here, it’s always crucial for me to review the feed of my horses to ensure they maintain maximum condition and nutrition levels whilst out of work and during the cold temperatures.
My main eventer, Tom, is not renowned for ‘wintering well’ (as Sarah, my Allen & Page nutritionist, is very aware of!) being a 9 year old full Thoroughbred, who is enormous and rather spritely to say the least. Throughout the 2022 eventing season he was fed 1 x scoop of Soothe & Gain and 3 x handfuls of Power & Performance (twice daily), I found this worked well for the majority of the season as he progressed from BE90 to BE Novice. However, prior to our final event of the season (Blair Castle CCI-1*, August 2022), I felt his energy levels and excitement were going through the roof (as he truly is a horse that loves his job, a little too much). Therefore, I cut out the handfuls of Power & Performance which provides fast release energy, and changed his diet to Soothe & Gain only to maintain the condition-building and slow-release energy he needs.
For his first stay away show (5 days) and travelling to and from Scotland (11 hours), he behaved impeccably. He was incredibly calm and docile in the stable, not fizzy at all and his energy levels were still very much intact despite reducing his feed. After the competition and when reviewing his feed for winter and entering into his ‘post-season-holiday’, I decided to stick to the new Soothe & Gain only diet.
Fast-forward to November 2022, Tom has since finished his 2-month holiday and moved to Bristol, where I am now based, studying at the University of Bristol Vet School. Given the huge change for him, moving somewhere unknown, in all new surroundings, I was slightly worried he would ‘lose his marbles’, but I am pleasantly surprised to find that he has behaved superbly on the ground for all livery staff and has settled in no problem! He remains turned out during the day, in overnight with 2 x hay/haylage nets, and hard feed twice daily as I slowly build his fitness back up, ready for winter training.
Tom is being weighed and routinely checked by Sarah when we return to Norfolk where we will review his current diet once again in December to ensure he is in the best condition over the harsher winter months!
With the ups and downs of the British weather it is sometimes quite hard to ensure that our horses are getting the best type of feed to suit their individual needs. I have been feeding my horse, Vieuw Point, 'L' Mix for a few years now and he absolutely loves it. He’s getting a good meal whilst keeping his waistline in check and I love its simplicity!
Throughout the summer months we had some very hot days, this is when I contacted Karen, my Area Sales Manager, from Allen & Page for some advice. I wanted to ensure the horses were staying hydrated during the hot days. She advised to add in some Fast Fibre which, like the ‘L’ Mix, is very low in calories at 8MJ/Kg, but would be a good way to get him to take on water when he was reluctant to drink enough.
This has also worked well for me when out competing and he decides he doesn’t want to drink away from home! We recently competed at the Amateur and Veteran Championships at Aintree and I found a bucket of diluted Fast Fibre was a great way to get him drinking. Fast Fibre is not only low in calories, but it also soaks in under a minute so you can make it at the show quickly and there are no messy spillages!
Karen had previously been to my yard, met the horses and found out about each of them individually. She then created for them their own diet plan specific to their individual needs.
Now the darker nights have set in, the horse’s workloads have decreased, and they are stabled more meaning they tend to drink less and prompting a review of their feeding routine. After some advice from Karen, I have decided to keep the Fast Fibre going as this again will help keep him hydrated. On those really cold days when I go and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate, I can relax knowing he can enjoy a warm bucket of Fast Fibre along with his ‘L’ Mix.
It is always good to ensure our horses are getting the feed they need but also with the cost of living going up, it’s important to know what you are feeding and why. Most people aren’t aware that Allen & Page feeds contain all the daily vitamins and minerals needed. This not only saves room in your feed room, but also saves you from buying extra balancers on top. This feed not only makes my horses feel good, but it is also simple, cost effective and helps with my OCD!
