Choosing the Right Conditioning Feed
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Outstanding top line, condition and coat shine is achievable with the right diet….
Improving your horse’s condition isn’t just about pumping him full of food but, if he needs to gain weight, he will need to consume more calories than he expends. Very often, a look at what, and how much, you are feeding now will reveal a shortfall, either because your horse is not getting enough feed or because the feed isn’t suitable for the job in hand.
If it’s only a little extra condition you’re looking for, and you find you’re under-feeding your current mix or cube, simply giving the manufacturer’s recommended amount may get the desired result. In order to make a real difference though, a closer look at what you’re feeding is called for.
Calorie Levels
The key is to look at the energy (calorie) content of a feed, measured in Mega Joules per kilogramme (MJ/kg) and called Digestible Energy (DE). The higher this is, the more calories are provided per scoop (per kg) so meal sizes can be kept manageable, while still increasing your horse’s overall calorie intake.
Calorie Sources
Cereals, like barley and wheat, are concentrated sources of calories which are still used in many conditioning and competition feeds. When they are well-cooked, the starch they contain is easily digested and absorbed directly into the blood stream as glucose, hence the term ‘quick release’ calories/energy. For horses who are sensitive or prone to gastric ulcers, calorie sources like fibre and oil are more appropriate as an alternative to cereal starch and are ‘slow release’ so less likely to cause excitability.
Other Nutrients
Calories which are not used for work or maintenance will be laid down as body fat ie. weight gain, but condition isn’t all about fat levels. Top line and muscle are built through correct training and the inclusion of good quality protein in the diet. Look for sources, like soya and alfalfa, as these provide a range of amino acid building blocks, including essential ones, which are required to for the production and repair of muscle tissue.
A balance of vitamins and minerals is also important. Vitamins are involved in many of the metabolic processes throughout the body, including the release of energy from food, whilst minerals are also vital components of body tissues, including bone and muscle. Minerals that have been ‘chelated’ are often included in conditioning and performance feeds as they are more easily absorbed and utilised by the horse’s body, again ensuring the horse gets the most from every mouthful.
Gut Health
If your horse is given ad lib forage, he should be getting all the fibre he needs to keep his digestive system healthy and his mind happy. For those who are poor eaters of traditional forages (hay or haylage), or if the nutritional quality of these is questionable, Alfalfa Blend or Alfalfa Plus Oil are useful alternative sources of digestible fibre and quality protein. They are best fed separately from the hard feed as a ‘hay net in a bucket’, and a choice of fibre alternatives, like soaked Speedi- or Fibre-Beet or Natural Meadow Cobs, will encourage natural foraging behaviour and improving fibre intake and thus digestive efficiency.
A healthy hindgut is a more efficient gut so ensuring the horse consumes plenty of fibre, is essential both to support the microbiome and to provide fibre calories and other nutrients. Many conditioning feeds also contain maintenance levels of ingredients to actively support gut health, like prebiotics and/or probiotic yeast, although for some horses, additional supplementation with either Digest Plus prebiotic or Better Biome, may be more appropriate.
Meal Sizes
To make the most of your chosen feed, follow the feeding guidelines on the back of the bag or our web site, and divide the daily ration into as many small meals as you can. Adding chaff or soaked beet pulp is fine but be careful not to over fill your horse’s bucket; his stomach has limited capacity and large meals may not be digested effectively and can cause problems.
Having chosen a conditioning feed, avoid the temptation to “dilute” the effect by adding a lower energy mix or cube or to unbalance the diet with straights, like barley. You are likely only to prolong the development of the condition you are looking for by reducing overall calorie intake or affecting other nutrient levels.
Once your horse is looking great, you may find that you can maintain this with a lower energy feed, especially if you’ve got spring grass to back it up. Always feed according to recommendations, for a fully balanced diet, and be prepared to change again if workload increases or cold weather approaches. Feeding a fully balanced diet year-round, through work, rest or recuperation, will help your horse maintain internal nutrient reserves (not just fat), avoid huge fluctuations in condition and be a credit to you wherever you go.
Improving Condition Without Weight Gain
With the right nutritional building blocks and correct training, even good-doers can develop top line and well-defined muscle tone. All balancers are concentrated sources of essential nutrients but very low in calories; choose Lo-Cal or Performance Balancer to supply quality protein, vitamins and minerals to build muscle tissue and support health, well-being and performance, without unwanted calories.
WHICH FEED?
Choose….
- You have a horse/pony who is prone to ulcers.
- If you know your horse needs a low starch diet because ther have muscle problems, PPID etc.
- If you have a stressy/excitable horse needing calories for condition and performance.
DE 13 MJ/kg, Protein 13%, Oil 10.5%, Fibre 18%, Starch 8%, Sugar 8%
- Your horse requires more calories and is known to need a low starch diet eg. for healthy muscle function or gastric support.
- Your horse is stressy/excitable and needs calories for condition and performance.
- You have a fussy or selective feeder who leaves elements of coarse mix feeds - these cubes contain flavours of essential oils so are highly palatable.
DE 12 MJ/kg, Protein 13%, Oil 8.5%, Fibre 18%, Starch 8%, Sugar 4%
No.4 Top Line Conditioning Cubes if
- Your horse needs to gain or maintain condition, whilst remaining controllable.
- Your horse is not stressy but tends to fizz up on a mix. These cubes are lower in starch than No.17 mix and are barley-free.
- Your horse is naturally fairly laid-back.
DE 13.5 MJ/kg, Protein 12.5%, Oil 5.5%, Fibre 9%, Starch 26%, Sugar 4%
No.17 Top Line Conditioning Mix if
- Your horse could do with some sparkle, without fizz.
- Your horse can be fussy and you’d prefer to avoid oats.
- You or your horse prefers a mix to a cube.
DE 12.5 MJ/kg, Protein 12.5%, Oil 6%, Fibre 8%, Starch 32%, Sugar 5%
No.20 Slow Release Condition & Competition Mix if
- Your horse needs to gain or maintain condition, whilst remaining controllable.
- You like the “high fibre” approach with a blend of other energy sources.
- Your horse can be fussy.
DE 13 MJ/kg, Protein 12%, Oil 10%, Fibre 12%, Starch 22%, Sugar 5%
- Your horse is older and “dentally-challenged”, or recovering from illness or surgery, as this makes a tempting, highly digestible mash.
- You feed an additional source of vitamins, minerals and quality protein, like a balancer, as Cooked Cereal Meal is a supplementary feed.
- Not suitable for those needing a low starch diet eg. suffering from Cushing's (PPID)
DE 14 MJ/kg, Protein 11.5%, Oil 1.4%, Fibre 2%, Starch 59%, Sugar 3%
- You need your youngster in show or sales ring condition, whilst still supporting correct growth and maintaining control.
- Your mare is in foal and needs non-heating calories, whilst supplying the elevated nutritional requirements of the growing foetus.
DE 13.5 MJ/kg, Protein 15%, Oil 6.5%, Fibre 7.5%, Starch 30%, Sugar 7%
Baileys Outshine high oil supplement if
- You prefer to add slow release calories to your horse’s existing balanced diet.
- Your horse has a limited appetite and needs extra calories in a small volume.
- Your horse needs a low starch diet or improved stamina.
- You just want improved coat shine (feed as little as ½ to 1lb per day).
DE 24 MJ/kg, Protein 12.5%, Oil 26%, Fibre 8%, Starch 19%, Sugar 3%
