The Horse Feed Guru

26/03/2024

I first worked with elite dressage riders over 16 years ago, originally as a part of Team GB, but in recent years with riders from abroad. However, still to this day, never do I breathe a sigh of relief more than when one of those equine athletes completes an inter-continental journey in the picture of health. Last week I was able to do just that as Uruguayan International Dressage rider Guillermina Birenbaum and Jazzmate safely relocated to Spain.

Guillermina has held the Uruguayan 2022 Vice Champion Small Tour and 2023 Annual Champion Big Tour titles. At the South American Games in Paraguay 2022 they formed part of the bronze medal winning team as well as a top 10 individual placement.

Shared with permission from Guille are some behind the scenes of this major journey to Spain to train on the European circuit with the next major aim of the Pan American Games 2027.

On Monday 18th March 24 at 3am they left the stables at Montevideo to go to the airport in Uruguay. After 13 hours on the plane they arrived in Frankfurt and following this on to Kronberg to rest and walk. In the afternoon the same day they then left for France, arriving at 1 am at the stopover where they spent the night. The morning of the 20th took them to Girona, Spain where they then arrived in the afternoon, and have been settling with their new dressage trainer since. Those who have anything to do with horses will be able to attest to a simple 3hr journey in a lorry being fraught with potential issues, let alone over 48hrs involving air travel and dietary change. Every little minute detail counts.

Please do go and give her a follow and some support over on insta and enjoy watching her continued journey over the coming years. She is quite frankly a star and I am very proud of her and everything she is achieving ✈️🏆🐴🏅👏

24/12/2023

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you ✨🎄🦌🤶

Thank you for all of your ongoing support, it is such a pleasure to get to work with you and your gorgeous horses, one for which I am forever grateful xx

Located in Newmarket, UK but working both nationally and internationally Donna has over 10 years experience as an Equine Nutritionist.

She has worked with the British Equestrian Federation World Class Start, Potential & Performance Squads, is a former nutritionist for Team GB and been seen in Horse & Hound, British Dressage, Eventing and British Eventing Magazines.

During her time as a nutritionist she has worked not only in high performance yards, but also at high profile events themselves in the stable areas on call. The stable areas worked in as a nutritionist, some for many years in a row include:-
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Badminton Horse Trials (FEI CCI ****)
Blair Horse Trials (FEI CCI ***)
Bramham Horse Trials (FEI CCI ***)
British Dressage National Winter Dressage Championships
Olympia The London International Horse Show
Royal Windsor Horse Show
Sandringham Driving Trials
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Although Donna has worked with horses and riders competing at an Olympic level one thing will always remain; her love of all horses. These days the majority of her clients are one horse owners wanting the very best for their horses but who can trust the independent advice they are receiving comes from someone with extensive industry knowledge and experience.
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"My aim is to demystify the haze which seems to surround feeding horses. I want to provide the best possible advice in the most simplest form that people can not only apply the day I visit, but a long time after I have left. Above all else my love for horses and wanting the very best for them remains at the forefront of my heart." Donna Case BSc (Hons)

www.thehorsefeedguru.com

31/08/2023

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦.... 🐴🏆

The other day I was merrily minding my own business, as you do (clearly not doing a very good job), scrolling through Facebook, when I came across a very interesting thread on a horsey group. It was all about NOPS and boy was there a lot of misunderstanding. So much so I thought I would do a post in here about it...

𝗦𝗢 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗣𝗦?

'A naturally occurring prohibited substance (or NOPS) is one that is either naturally present within certain ingredients or that occurs as a result of inadvertent cross contamination during processing before arriving at the feed manufacturer’s facility'.

As such, under rules yes they are prohibited substances, but looking at the ingredients list in your feed bag or supplement you would not find them there - as they were never intended to be in the final product. Think poppy seeds slipping in with other ingredients and introducing morphine into the ration by accident as one example. The manufacturer never meant for the poppy seed to be there, but it has accidentally slipped in. There are various other examples, but under a drugs test your horse would test positive for a prohibited substance.

However, manufacturers who follow best practice and adhere and are audited against the BETA NOPS code developed by the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) are demonstrating that they are doing everything in their power to minimise the risk of contamination with NOPS and can display the relevant logo.

For more information on this and to see participating companies take a look at the link below in the comments.

14/08/2023

Evening guys!! Don't panic I haven't turned my back on you... I have actually been away for the best part of a month Stateside!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸

In the past I used to schedule posts when away, but the problem is it just doesn't work as inevitably people ask questions and then there isn't the speed of follow up, so I genuinely find it easier now to just take a break when travelling. That said I have spoken to quite a few of you whilst away so I am not sure I ever really disappeared. 🤣🤣

Anyway in terms of social media normal service to resume now I am back and caught up in the UK. Hope you are all well!! 🐴🌱

04/07/2023

Equine Obesity really is a massive problem here in the U.K. but there is so much you can do to make a difference. Back in April I caught up with Agria Equine Insurance to discuss 🐴🌱

28/06/2023

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼.... 🐴💧

Horses with access to a good amount of forage or grass will normally have a potassium intake in excess of daily requirements. Sodium chloride intake however is often minimal and needs to be rectified.

Normal table salt is an easy way to achieve this and will suit many. As I have already said the amount of electrolytes your horse will lose will vary, but for most leisure horses who go out for hacks, schooling, clinics or low-level competitions, will typically require between 1/2 - 2tbsp of table salt per day to rectify the sodium chloride lost through sweat. Whilst salt licks MAY meet requirements, horses are not very good at regulating their salt intake so generally speaking it is always best to provide them with the correct amount in their feed as opposed to using a lick. For those who sweat very little it may be sufficient if they actually use it.

If you have a horse with gastric ulcers there are strategies that are a little kinder on the stomach to suit their individual needs, so pick up with an independent nutritionist like myself if your horse has clinical issues, works harder/sweats profusely, eats low levels of forage or indeed you just want to get it checked to ensure the plan really is right for your individual horse!!

26/06/2023

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁?

Carrying on from last week and more to follow on Wednesday... Put simply the sweat of horses (although electrolytes are lost from other bodily processes too) is rich in electrolytes, but in particular, sodium, chloride and potassium. These electrolytes are involved in a variety of basic cell functions in your horse including muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission and maintaining the body’s pH. There are several problems that can occur if electrolytes are not replenished. What I have seen most often over the years however is fatigue, heat stress and at the lower end simply poor performance. The situation can be very dangerous.

The amount of electrolytes your horse will lose through sweat will vary depending on how hard he is being worked and how long for. Then factors such as the weather so heat and humidity as well all come into play. Ultimately, the more your horse sweats the more electrolytes are going to be lost.

21/06/2023

Are you feeding electrolytes on a daily basis or just before/at an event or when working hard? Perhaps you just wait for a hot day? Or maybe they just confuse you full stop? 🐴🌞💦

This is one that still seems to catch so many people out (so please don't worry you are not alone).

With this heat at the moment owners are naturally thinking about electrolytes, and that is great but the reality is electrolytes should be added on a daily basis in the horses diet. Obviously the amount required will vary depending on the level of work your horse is in and environmental factors. It applies to all horses, not just those competing either! I will share electrolyte info and tips over the next few days to help you get this NAILED...

Who has already got their electrolyte strategy in place? This is something that I always ensure I go through with clients.

29/05/2023

𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 - 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻!! 🐴🌱

The nutrient content of grass will vary depending on factors such as soil quality, grass species, stage of growth etc. However we know that ultimately If a horse relies solely on grazing for its nutritional needs that it will likely have nutrient imbalances or deficiencies. It's important to ensure that the horse's diet is properly supplemented with either the recommended amount of balancer OR other hard feed containing vitamins and minerals.

If you are reducing a balancer because you feel you need to reduce calories as your horse is gaining weight; this is a mistake. What you need to do in this scenario is restrict the grazing, the primary area the calories will be coming from, whilst also looking at any other forage you may be providing. The balancer will still be required for vitamins, minerals and quality protein and is but a drop in the ocean of your horse's calorie intake. 💧🌊

Another area you may be able to reduce down is other hard feed aside from a balancer that you may be giving. If you aren't giving a balancer as you were providing a recommended amount of cubes or mix for example, then as you reduce these down, remember to introduce a balancer.

Balancers are low in calories yet make up for the shortfall in vitamins and minerals that grass and forage alone do not.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 🌱🐴

26/05/2023

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲'𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀!🐴🏋️

Sometimes it is easy to confuse being unfit for needing more feed. Big mistake, which can lead to even more frustration and problems such as weight gain which will only make the situation worse... Remember to look at your horse as a whole and to look at his fitness programme in conjunction with the feed you are giving. No amount of feed will remedy an unfit horse.

Work with your trainer to establish and build your horse's fitness levels alongside a nutritionist to make a great plan. There may be some nutritional tweaks that can be made to support you whilst you are working on those fitness levels, such as feeding appropriately for temperament, ensuring electrolyte supply is ideal and introducing or increasing a feed at the appropriate time. Teamwork makes the dream work, I seem to say this a lot and I've said it again...

June is fast filling up so if you need a consultation guys please do get in touch. 😊🐴🏆

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 🌱🐴

24/05/2023

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲'𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱? 🐴🌱

Well before you do I ask you to consider if your grazing increased. Grazing can account for a significant energy/calorie intake so don’t forget to bear this in mind. Whilst you might not have realised your horse’s energy intake has gone up, the chances are at this time of year it probably has by default. Mother Nature has given you a helping hand. You may not need that extra feed you think you do...

As ever ensure he is maintaining weight nicely and that the diet is correctly balanced. Make sure that you have a suitable electrolyte strategy in place too.

22/05/2023

𝗨𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗠𝗦/𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲? 🌱🐴

Basically it is all about consumption levels, and therefore the amount of calories, sugar/fructans (WSC’s) consumed.

It is true that short/stressed grass can have a high sugar/fructan level, HOWEVER, it is about how much your horse consumes. If the horse is going/ able to consume a lot more of the longer grass, then overall they will consume more calories and WSCs than if they ate less of the shorter grass. In this instance it is better for these types of horses to receive a lower amount of grass through being on a shorter, restricted field with added hay, than lots and lots of longer grass which they consume with ease and at speed. If however you have a longer grass that is restricted e.g. through strip grazing or a track that is gradually increased then this may work really well as the consumption rate is reduced.

As such don’t get so hung up on which grass is lower in calories and WSCs when consumption rate could differ, but more so about how much the horse can eat in the time that he or she is out and appropriate restriction as necessary for your individual situation.