DL Equine Nutrition

22/03/2026

To promote calm behaviour and keep the horse gut happy, always feed less digestible energy on your horses days off exercise.⚖

Feed less calories.
= cut down high energy feeds such as grains and fats.

If you are not sure what the energy of your feeds are check the lables on the back of feeds and supplements.📑

If you need help balaning your horses diet so that you are feeding for optimum health and not wasting money on things your horse deos not need see www.dlequine.co.nz

20/03/2026

Hey are you out and about competing this weekend?🐴

Tell us where you are going? What is your event?👇👇👇

12/03/2026

If you are wanting weight gain in your horse follow the steps for increasing these types of feeds.
Fibre the most and always first!
Grains always last, the least and extruded or micronised.

See equine nutrition advisor for the right feeds in the right amounts for your horse!
www.dlequine.co.nz

10/03/2026

Hey there following on with circulating current feeding myths here is one I have seen on no less than 3 separate posts on fb today! Please please share this with your friends and fb groups it is important.📣

** Feel free to send me in more weird nutrition claims and I will share the truth with you!

Situation = Your adult horse is underweight, so you are told to feed a lactating mare/ young horse/ growing horse feed.
You read the label (of course) and it is made from the following maize, barley, oats…

Fact:
These feeds are specifically made for the requirements of young growing horses. The very high digestible energy content mainly comes from grains and minerals are all very high as is necessary to meet the requirements of these horses.

Fact:
1.The first way a horse gains weight is via FIBRE fermentation in the hindgut!
Then by using protein and then use of fats.
The very last way of adding to the diet for weight gain is by digestion of the starch from grains in the small intestine.

2. Overloading the hindgut with starch means increasing numbers of lactic acid loving bacteria.
This means drop in ph level of the hind gut = acidic environment.
These lactic acid loving bacteria can kill off the beneficial bacteria. These good bacteria normally produce a Vit B1, critical for appetite.
The lactic acid bacteria also produce a compound thiaminase, an enzyme that destroys Vitamin B1.
= Horse has further loss of appetite!

ALWAYS feed fibre first and most!🌿🌿🌿

08/03/2026

Monday Myths 🌟

Tell me what is a strange thing you have heard/ been told about horse feeding???🙋‍♀️
Lets try and bust some myths this week!!

04/03/2026

Are you concerned about the rapidly approaching high sugar Autumn grass?🌿🌿
Do you worry about issues like laminitis or obesity?

Let me know if you need some help in understanding what is going on with the grass and your horse at this time, what to feed and why?🙋‍♀️🦄

comment below and share with your friends 👇👇👇

02/03/2026

Things nobody tells you about being self-employed in the equestrian industry...

Nobody tells you it’s not just pretty bridles and clean horses in golden hour light.
Nobody tells you that “living the dream” still comes with invoices. Lots of them.
Nobody tells you how heavy it can feel.

They don’t tell you about lying awake at 2am wondering if you ordered the right stock (You probably didn't)
About refreshing your website hoping someone, anyone checked out (They found it cheaper overseas..)
About pouring thousands into inventory and hoping it doesn’t sit there for months.

They don’t tell you that loving horses enough to build your entire income around them means your passion now has to pay your bills.

They don’t tell you about posting on social media when you feel exhausted.
About trying to stay “on brand” when you feel anything but polished.
About answering messages nicely when your nervous system is already stretched thin.

They don't tell you that your clients will become your friends before your friends become your clients.

They don’t tell you about watching other businesses thrive and quietly wondering if you’re just not good enough.

They don’t tell you about the guilt.
The guilt when you’re spending time with your own horse because you “should” be working.
The guilt when you’re working because you “should” be riding.
The guilt of never really switching off.

They don’t tell you that if it fails, it doesn’t feel like a business failing. It feels like you failing.

There’s no sick leave.
No guaranteed pay.
No safety net.

Just you.
Your ideas.
Your bank account.
And a whole lot of pressure.

Some days it’s empowering.
Some days it’s exhausting.
Some days it’s incredibly lonely.
This industry can look glamorous from the outside.

Behind most small equestrian businesses is just one person wearing every hat; marketing, ordering, packing, customer service, problem solving - while still trying to ride their own horse and hold it all together.

It’s not all rainbows.
And some days, it’s really bloody hard.

01/03/2026

Please share this information!📣

Its feels like every week I get a q about minerals and blood testing for deficiency.
❌The majority of minerals are NOT stored in the horses blood, so you cannot use a simple blood test to see if their levels are low or high, then feed more or less of a mineral based on this.
The ONLY mineral you can bloodtest for levels of is selenium.🧪

You are being misled if you are paying for bloodtests to check for deficincies.

Obtain a diet analysis where all sources of minerals that the horse is ingesting are calculated, and balance the diet from this!

see www.dlequine.co.nz for diet anlaysis and nutrition programme formulation.

27/02/2026

Are you competing this weekend?
What are your management strategies for navigating the heat??
Share a Pic 📸

24/02/2026