UC Davis recently opened the Equine Ophthalmology Service.

The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is pleased to announce the launch of the Equine Ophthalmology Service. In response to the increased demand for specialist consultations for equine eye cases, UC Davis has brought on a dedicated ophthalmology specialist to focus on horses. Previously handled by our top-notch team of multi-species ophthalmologists, horses with eye problems will now be seen by Dr. Mary Lassaline, DVM, PhD, MA, DACVO.

The new Equine Ophthalmology Service provides advanced diagnostics, as well as routine, complex and emergency medical and surgical care to horses with a variety of ocular disorders, including corneal ulcers, corneal and eyelid cancer, equine recurrent uveitis, cataracts, and glaucoma. Since starting the Service in late summer, Dr. Lassaline has hit the ground running and has already attracted a robust stream of patients.

“There certainly is no shortage of equine patients in need of advanced ophthalmology services, so there is a lot of potential to grow the service” said Dr. David Wilson, director of the VMTH. “We feel very fortunate to have recruited such a talented and experienced equine ophthalmologist as Mary to expand the services we can provide to referring veterinarians and horse owners.”

Dr. Lassaline earned her veterinary degree from Michigan State University, after which she completed a one-year medicine and surgery internship at the world-renowned Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Lassaline then completed a residency in veterinary ophthalmology at the University of Florida. Following two years in private practice, she spent the last eight years developing and leading the equine ophthalmology program as a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests span the breadth of equine eye problems, with a particular focus on equine corneal disease.

To learn more about UC Davis’ new Equine Ophthalmology Service, please see: www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/large_animal/equine/equine_ophthalmology.

Now in their fourth year of business, they find that a lot of work comes from referrals due to clients spreading the word about their professional, sympathetic and understanding way of taking care of each pet and client.

Lynsey tells us a little about the services they offer and why they have received so many glowing testimonials over the years.

“Being horse owners ourselves, we knew how distressing it was to see our much loved horse being taken to the knackers yard after it had passed away. We offer a complete and dignified service to each of our customers, starting with the collection of the body and ending with the delivery of the ashes in a beautiful chest or casket of your choice with engraved nameplate.

Up until now the options have been very limited for horse owners in Northern Ireland and indeed throughout Ireland. Glenvine now provide an alternative option if they find themselves in the unfortunate position of their equine friend passing away.

We try to make it as comfortable for the client as possible, offering to collect small animals from the home or veterinary clinic. Some clients prefer to come straight to the crematorium so we cater for all individual needs.

We are D.A.R.D approved and have all the regulatory and legal requirements, and being family run there is a more caring and personal touch which is very important to us. We also offer if required a bereavement service through the blue cross for both large and small animals.

We cover all areas of Ireland and prices vary according to requirements.”

New website launched…

We have just launched a new website to show our full range of services, we have photographs of our caskets and urns to display the full range. There is a full page dedicated to testimonials from clients who felt they wanted to put a note in writing about our service as it is always nice to use a business based on word of mouth. Click here to visit us online.

Equine Cremation

Denver commented “Many clients are not in a position to be able to bury their pets, so they chose to have them cremated instead. Lynsey and myself decided to look into setting up our own pet crematorium outside Randalstown and thus, after going through all the necessary procedures with DARD, meeting all the legal requirements and being granted the appropriate license, Glenvine Pet Crematorium was opened in January 2009.

After initially setting up Glenvine Pet Crematorium for small animals, we sought the relevant licensing for equines and are now the only equine crematorium for the whole island of Ireland.
At present we have about 30 vetinary practices on our books reaching from Castlewellan to Limavady and also stretching into the south of Ireland. We are a family run business and pride ourselves on providing that extra personal touch.

Glenvine put’s great emphasis on customer service; we have a bereavement room where owners can bring their pet to say their last goodbye (this is only available to small animals). We also have a great selection of caskets and scatter pouches for clients to choose from, as well as a pet bereavement service.

Our cremation facility is large enough to accommodate the largest equines and we also have a purpose-built trailer for collecting horses or ponies – with the aim of being dignified and respectful to the deceased animal and its owners.
Lynsey and myself are always on call and offer an out of hours service if required. Glenvine also offer a collection service from anywhere in Ireland to suit each individuals requirement.

Each animal is allocated an individual tracker number and Glenvine guarantees that your own equine’s ashes will be returned to you. Ashes are ready for collection or delivery within three to seven days and, for individual cremations, will be supplied in a crafted casket with a brass name plate and a certificate of cremation.”

We have a wide range of styles in caskets and urns to suit many tastes and preferences, we also have scented cushions which also come in a variety of sizes.

Services at Glenvine Pet and Equine Crematorium

We provide a full range of cremation services to suit your individual needs.

·Equine and small pet cremation

· Arranged collection of your pet or equine friend from your home or veterinary practice in a dignified manner

· A choice of individual or communal cremations

· Crafted caskets available in three sizes. Individual cremations include engraved brass name plate and a certificate of cremation to guarantee your animals ashes are returned

· We also offer a selection of scatter cushions, urns and photo frames

· Pet bereavement room where you can say farewell to your beloved pet

· Your pet or equine friends ashes will be ready for collection or delivery in a timely fashion.

· Glenvine can guarantee your pet or equine friend will be treated with dignity and with the utmost respect. We understand this is a painful time and wish to make this difficult process as easy as possible for you.

Up until now, the options open to horse owners have been very limited, with burial not an option for anyone who doesn’t own their own land, even if the horse was their pet. Many horse lovers do not relish the thought of having their beloved deceased equine winched onto a lorry and removed to the knacker’s yard or the ‘burn house’… But now Glenvine has changed all that……

Supporting Local Charities

Glenvine made headlines recently when Lynsey and Denver put on their running shoes and booked their plane tickets in aid of the Cats Protection League…

“Denver and Lynsey run Barcelona Marathon in aid of the Cats Protection League”

All our hard work and training throughout the freezing cold and frosty winter months finally paid off, when we completed the Barcelona Marathon in a very respectable 3 hours 46 minutes.

Our run started at 8am on Sunday 6th March 2011, in 17 degree heat. The marathon route took us around all the sights and beautiful land marks throughout Barcelona, the crowds were amazing and cheered us on for the whole 26.2 mile course. It was a fantastic experience for us both, and felt like such an achievement. We were both on cloud nine after completing it.

After vowing “NEVER AGAIN” all our aches and pains have now disappeared and we are now ready for our next marathon challenge (of course all in aid of another animal charity)!

So we would like to thank all our sponsors and people that helped us raise money for the Cats Protection League in Dundonald. We raised £125 pounds in total, which we presented to the Cats Protection last week.

Lynsey Robb, Glenvine Pet Crematorium

What our other clients have to say…

“Thank you so very much for the service you provided in taking away and cremating the body of my beloved horse ‘Emma’. The whole process was very hard for me as Emma was my first horse and I had her from when I was 17 – my parents were never horsey and I had to wait to buy my own horse – so she was very very special and I had her for such a long time (25yrs) Denver you made this horrible experience so much easier for me to handle from the way in which you answered my initial call to the manner in which you collected the body and finally the very quick time you got the ashes back to me in a beautifully made up casket. Words cannot express how much I appreciate not only your professionalism throughout but probably what meant so much was the empathy that was genuinely heartfelt from yourself. Once again many thanks, and if you ever want to give my number to perspective clients to use as a reference I would only be too glad to do so.”

Yours sincerely Hazel Wilson, Ballyclare

“Lynsey,

Thank you so much for looking after our Barney after he died. It was such a shock to us all, but we were glad he was in your care. Your professionalism and the kindness you showed us was greatly appreciated.”

Many thanks again, Gary, Lynsey and Guiness xxxx

Many many more testimonials can be found on this link

Contact us

Get in touch with us at any time if you have a question, or just want to make an enquiry.

Glenvine Pet & Equine Crematorium

Craigstown Road

Randalstown

Co.Antrim

BT41 2PT

Telephone Office: 028 94 479975

Telephone Mobile: 077348 72177

Email: info@glenvinepetcrematorium.co.uk

• Colic

• Laminitis

• Navicular

As part of its overall commitment to working with horse owners, Troytown Equine Hospital has launched an online seminar series. These free online seminars focus on the key issues facing horse owners.

To date, Troytown has made seminars available on topics such as Navicular Disease, Laminitis, Colic and lung disease with new seminars being made available every month.

You can see the past seminars on www.EquineVetIreland.com and register to receive notifications as new seminars become available online.

Colic in horses

This fascinating 17 minute indepth seminar by Warren Schofield gives an insight into colic and demystifies this terrifying word for horse owners.

Warren explains many of the different types of colic, how it is treated and what the signs are for colic and abdominal pain.

He also talks about why it is important to understand Colic as an owner, when to make that important phone call to seek veterinary assistance.

This video also includes footage of operations being carried out and demonstrates a healthy and unhealthy intestine as blockages are investigated.

Warren also explains the importance of being quick to react if you think your horse is having abdominal pain similarly to a human patient with appendicitis.

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Laminitis in horses

Cormac Feeney MVB, Cert ES describes the diagramatic anatomy of the horses’ hoof and explains the aspects of the disease that affect the horses feet and the options available to help your horse back to recovery.

Cormac also looks at the separation and swelling associated with laminitus,with footage to show the difference between a healthy hoof and that of a severely laminitic hoof in a developed stage. There are several stages of this webinar to view further progression of the disease and its treatment.

Diagnosing Laminitus in Horses

Cormac Feeney MVB, Cert ES continues his webinar on laminitis with emphasis on the factors causing the cells to let go and the many causes of laminitis in equines including grain over load, endometritis, Colitis, Cushings Disease, Obesity and weight overload.

This video is complete with demonstrations and images to aid explanation to horse owners of this disease.

Treating Laminitis

This video outlines the options available including restricting exercise, cooling the feet, treating the inflamation and pain, providing weight distribution and cushioning to the foot, unload the feet by encouraging the horse to lie down and dealing with any secondary complications like infections, ulcerations etc. Modifying the diet may also be necessary.

Cormac also looks at three of the most common situations to encounter lainitis with diagrams and video footage to explain each part of his webinar.

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Navicular Disease

The next in the series of Troytown webinars looks atnavicular syndrome and the range of different diagnoses it can contain. As a very complicated condition, it is not always presented in the same way, and is not narrowed to one particular type of conformation.

Typically it can be found more often in older horses in competition, almost always in the forelimbs and more often in hanovarian and warmblood breeds. A series of diagrams and photographs are used to illustrate each explanation in this super webinar on Navicular

Part Two: Treating Navicular

This second webinar in the navicular series conducted by Hugh Dillon of Troytown looks at the clinical examination and imaging modalities to help make as definate a diagnosis as possible.

Images throughout this video show a great level of detail and understanding for horse owners wanting to understand this disease.

Part 3: Treating Navicular Disease

In this third and final webinar for the navicular syndrome series, Troytown Veterinary clinic look at the various treatments for this disease.

Corrective trimming, supportive eggbar shoes, controlled exercise and medications available are some of the treatments considered in this video.

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Lung Disease in horses

This video is conducted by Hugh Dillon from Troytown Veterinary Clinic as he explains the various causes of different types of lung disease in equines.

This 11 minute webinar looks at symptoms of horses with recurrent airway obstruction and treatments available today. The video is complete with a demonstration on use of an equine nebulizer at Troytown.

More seminars are online atwww.equinevetireland.com

No Foot No Horse

For this final video, please click the link for a very informative video on the importance of correct shoeing for your horse and the effects it has on its’ tendons. The link will take you to the website for Equine Vet Ireland. This unique resource hub is packed full of videos and webinars like those above on veterinary advice for horse owners. This library of videos is being added to on a regular basis so check back regularly to see the latest videos produced by Troytown Veterinary Hospital.

If you would like to contact Troytown, you can phone or email them using the details below:

Troytown Equine Hospital
Green Road
Kildare Town
Co. Kildare
Ireland
Ph: +353 45 521686
Fax: +353 45 522012
Email: info@troytown.ie
www.troytown.ie

Connolly’s Red Mills

A vital nutrient

Protein serves a multitude of roles in the body. It is used to build and repair body tissues, and is a major component of the body forming muscles, skin, tendons, blood vessels, organs, bone, hair and hoof. It is not only important in building cells and repairing tissues, but also aids in regulating many of the bodies’ systems and functions. Proteins form antibodies to combat invading bacteria and viruses; they make up enzymes and some hormones; they build nucleoproteins such as DNA; they carry oxygen throughout the body and they participate in muscle activity. After water the major constituent of the body is protein. In fact eighty percent of the horse’s fat free, moisture free body composition is protein.

Wrongly accused?

So if protein is such an important nutrient of the body why does it get so wrongly accused of so many problems in the horse? As feeds have been traditionally categorised by protein content rather than starch content it is understandable when a high protein (and high starch) feed is being fed, why protein is believed to be the cause when problems such as laminitis, epiphysitis, excitability and colic arise. With traditional cereal based compound feeds such as mixes and cubes, it usually follows that the higher the protein level, the higher the starch level as the feed provides more energy for a harder level of work or a more demanding life stage. Research has shown that high starch diets and the imbalance or deficiency of other nutrients such as minerals, are contributing factors to muscle related problems, digestive problems and bone and soft tissue developmental problems in horses and not protein.

What is protein?

Protein is a long chain molecule made up of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. The types of amino acids incorporated into a protein chain as well as the length of the protein chain differentiate one protein from another. In total there are 22 different amino acids needed for protein synthesis in the body. Ten of these are considered ‘essential’ and must be provided in the diet. These are arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Non-essential amino acids do not have to be supplied by the diet as they can be synthesized by microorganisms in the horse’s caecum and anterior portion of the large colon and by metabolic processes in the body.

All the necessary amino acids required to make a particular protein must be present at the same time. One that is present in less than adequate quantities is referred to as a limiting amino acid because it will limit protein synthesis. The challenge in feeding horses is to provide adequate quantities of protein that will allow for sufficient concentrations of circulating amino acids in the blood that the body can draw on to synthesise tissues, enzymes and hormones as well as repair tissues. Sources of feed protein which contain an assortment of amino acids which approximate the needs of the animal are considered of high quality (high biological value), while those which do not are considered low quality.

Protein quality

Protein quality is a function of the amino acid profile and the digestibility of the protein source. The higher the digestibility (especially the foregut digestibility) of the protein source, the higher the absorption of amino acids to contribute to the amino acid pool for tissue synthesis and repair. Unfortunately the digestibility of the protein in many ingredients commonly used in horse feeds has not been adequately determined.
Protein sources
The quality of the dietary protein should be considered when selecting a protein source for the horse’s diet. Not all dietary protein sources supply the proper balance of amino acids to the horse.

Soyabean meal has the highest biological value and has a 48% protein content on an as-fed basis. The quality (biological value) of a protein supplement is based on a comparison of the amino acids that make up soybean protein to the amino acids required by the horse to make up his proteins. Not only do they need to have the same amino acids, but they should be present in the same relative percentages. Soybean meal is especially high in lysine, which is commonly low in most grains. Soybeans should not be fed to horses in their raw form. In the raw form they contain an inhibitor of protein digestion in the horse. Raw soybeans are especially detrimental in foal rations.

Similarly to soya alfalfa is also a member of the legume family and possesses the ability to ‘fix’ nitrogen from the atmosphere and incorporate it into the plant. Alfalfa is becoming a more common source of protein in horse’s diets in the form of alfalfa chaff, alfalfa hay and alfalfa meal. Other protein sources such as sunflower and canola meals can be used in horse feeds. Brewer’s grains, distiller’s grains, and gluten are commonly used in horse feeds as protein sources but would be considered low in essential amino acids.

* All cereals are particularly low in essential amino acids.

Feedstuffs

When a decision is to be made on which feedstuff to use, consideration for the amount of protein in the feed, the amount of feed that will need to be fed to provide adequate protein and the quality of the protein sources used in that feed should be considered. Take the two following diets as an example. Which diet would be more beneficial to a horse in full work in terms of meeting the horse’s protein requirements and promoting good digestive health, a diet consisting of 10 pounds of a 20% ration or a diet consisting of 20 pounds of a 10% ration? Both diets provide the horse with equal quantities of protein however the diet consisting of 20 pounds of the lower protein feed is more likely to create digestive related problems such as tying up, excitability, ulcers, colic, etc. Another example would involve two diets of similar crude protein content. One diet was deficient in the amino acid lysine. Youngstock on the lysine deficient diet grow more slowly than horses fed a diet high in lysine even though the crude protein percentages (14%) of the diets were identical.

Protein requirements

Protein is required by all ages of horses, but the amount and quality required depends on the horse’s age and physiological status. Young growing horses and broodmares need the most and best protein while performance horses require less protein. Some young horses can tolerate more protein and can use it to grow muscle but many breeds of easy-keeping horses do poorly on excess amounts of protein when young. For mature horses protein quality is less important. For horses in work, protein needs do not increase very much. An increase in the total amount of feed would increase the total amount of protein given and be sufficient to meet extra protein needs caused by work. An evaluation of protein supplied from the forage should be accounted for when considering protein supplementation.

Too much protein

When the body utilizes excess protein in the diet and converts it to energy, it snips off the nitrogen end of the protein strand and breaks up the remaining amino acids for participation in several energy-producing metabolic pathways. The excess nitrogen goes through several chemical reactions to form urea, a waste product. As a result, blood urea nitrogen content increases and the extra urea is excreted in the urine. Water intake increases, which results in greater urine volume and a noticeable ammonia smell, especially in poorly ventilated stables. If a strong ammonia smell exists in a barn, it could indicate that too much protein is being fed. Wetter stalls and ammonia odour add to management problems by increasing bedding and labour needs and costs. Ammonia, close to the stall floor, can be a problem with young foals, as they have an immature respiratory system, making them more susceptible to respiratory diseases. High ammonia levels have been associated with respiratory problems in foals, as well as other animals.

Excess protein, besides being expensive, could be detrimental to the overall health of the mature horse. Too much protein throws the intestinal tract digestive process out of balance. Poor digestion and an altered pH are often the result. High urea and ammonia in the blood can affect the nervous system, causing irritable behaviour and restlessness, and can disturb energy production during exercise. If the horse already has a kidney or liver weakness and is unable to handle the excess urea or ammonia there will be a build up of lactic acid with the resulting loss of performance or even ‘tying-up’ or ‘bursting’ or simply fading at the end of a race.

High blood urea and ammonia levels on a blood test can indicate that the horse is getting too much protein in the diet. However, if horses are getting insufficient dietary energy and are breaking down body tissues for energy, this will also elevate blood urea and ammonia levels. In the pasture areas of scorched grass and accelerated grass growth where a horse has urinated and defecated are indicators that the horse is receiving a high dietary protein intake.

Too Little Protein

Since protein is needed for many body functions and growth, a deficiency of protein can result in serious problems. A common sign of protein deficiency is lower feed intake. However a number of other factors can also cause a drop in feed intake. Other commonly observed signs of protein deficiency are a rough coat, reduced hoof growth, and abnormal skeletal development in young, growing foals. In lactating broodmares, milk production will be reduced, which results in slower foal growth. Reduced growth would also be evident in weanlings and yearlings fed a protein deficient ration. However these conditions have also been observed when the ration’s protein content was apparently adequate, but the protein-to-calorie ratio was low.

Protein-to-Calorie Ratio

The relationship of protein to energy (calories) is important, especially when feeding young horses. Some of the problems associated with creep feeding young foals, as well as feeding weanlings and yearlings may stem from an improper protein-to-calorie ratio. When feeds with a lower protein-to-calorie ratio were fed, weanlings ate less feed, grew slower both in daily gain and wither height, and had less body condition. But, reduced growth can also happen when too much protein exists in a ration compared to its amount of energy. This situation often occurs when horse owners add too much supplemental protein to a commercial feed already formulated for young growing horses. The same can be said of farmers applying fertilizer (nitrogen) too early in the Spring. Without the energy provided from the sun the grass cannot utilise the applied nitrogen. Dietary protein provides the building blocks but it is the calories that fuel the construction and enable the body to utilise the protein.

Broodmares and protein

Research indicates that the first 40 days of gestation may be a critical time for the pregnant mare. During this time period, early embryonic death has been shown to be high when mares were on poor-quality feeding programs. However, generally for the first 8 months of gestation the protein requirements for a broodmare are similar to the maintenance requirements for an adult horse. Protein requirements increase greatly in the 9th, 10th, and 11th months of pregnancy, with protein needs during these months increasing more than that of energy. Protein quality is very important in early lactating mares, especially for those which are being re-bred.

Non-lactating broodmares are often placed on a higher plane of nutrition 30 to 45 days before being bred. Such a program includes adding grain to the ration to increase energy and protein intake. It seems advisable to continue such a feeding program until broodmares are pronounced in foal at 40 days of pregnancy. It has been shown that broodmares can be conditioned to store body fat for energy use during late pregnancy and in early lactation. In contrast, horses cannot store any appreciable amount of protein in their bodies. As noted previously, protein fed above the body’s requirement is converted into energy and/or stored as body fat and/or excreted. Consequently, feeding an adequate amount of protein in late pregnancy and early lactation is very important, since mares do not have body stores of protein to draw upon.

Youngstock and protein

Young, growing horses have the highest protein requirement. High-quality protein promotes not only proper weight gain, but also skeletal and muscular growth in weanlings. Protein quality is critical as a specific amount of the dietary amino acid lysine is required. New research has shown that a lower protein ration (9%) supplemented with adequate lysine (0.6%) and threonine (0.4%) resulted in equal or greater growth in young, growing horses from birth to yearling age compared to feeding a higher protein ration (14%). This shows the importance of protein quality in diets for young horses. It is possible that future research will show other amino acids to be limiting in the rations of young, growing horses. Feeding rations that incorporate high-quality protein sources, such as milk by-products, soybean meal, and alfalfa meal, should ensure an adequate intake of amino acids.

Performance horse and protein

Horse owners and trainers often feed more protein to performance horses compared to amounts fed to mature, maintenance horses. This practice is not necessary. While there is an increased protein need for performance, considering the nitrogen loss in sweat and exhaling, this increase is not great. The major nutritional concern with performance horses is an increased energy need. Consequently, performance horses are usually fed more concentrate. Since more concentrate is fed, the performance horse actually has a greater intake of protein, which readily satisfies its need for more protein.

It is not always necessary to increase the protein percent of a concentrate feed to 14%-16% for mature, performance horses. A 10%-12% protein feed fed at the recommended feeding rates can be more than adequate when fed with good quality hay, as the amount of concentrate fed is increased to meet the energy need. The extra concentrate fed provides the amount of additional protein needed due to increased performance. Most commercial racing feeds are formulated with 14% protein content. This can allow for the dilution effect should the feed be mixed with oats or beet pulp. However mixing a fully balanced concentrate with unbalanced straights is not ideal and although not recommended is common practice. Many race horses in training receive below the recommended daily intake of forage. Feeding a higher protein feed will ensure protein requirements are met. Also younger race horses still growing will benefit from a higher protein percentage racing diet.

In order to excrete large amounts of excess nitrogen and urea, the horse must drink more water and produce more urine, which in turn has a higher ammonia content. This places an added demand on body water and electrolyte reserves and the increased ammonia fumes can irritate the upper respiratory tissues and reduce the efficiency with which the horse copes with other respiratory allergens such as fungal spores. A certain amount of the excess nitrogen will also be excreted in the sweat. Horses on a high-protein diet will often have thick, patchy, lathery sweat which is less effective in cooling than a thin, clear, watery sweat.

Another detriment of excess protein in the diet is that it produces more body heat in breaking the proteins into energy as compared to using carbohydrates or fats for energy. This is not ideal in the performance horse.

Conclusion

All horses require protein, it is absolutely necessary for the body to survive, but the amount and quality of protein needed vary considerably among the different life stages of horses and the use of the horse. A surplus is equally as dangerous as a deficiency, such that a delicate balance is required between feeding enough to ensure best results and overfeeding enough to cause disorders and inhibit performance.

There are several important factors concerning protein which should be evaluated when selecting a feed for the horse: the digestibility of the protein, the amino acid content of the protein and the protein to energy ratio (PER) of the ration. These factors are especially important when considering the requirements of the growing horse.

While protein is vital for the proper daily functioning of the body, this does not make it “superior” to any of the other nutrients, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, or vitamins. Other than water, no one nutrient is more or less important than the other. A balanced diet is key in feeding horses regardless of age, work load and breeding status.

Protein is absolutely necessary for body building and tissue repair and in the formation of muscles, bones, blood cells, enzymes, hormones, tendons, hooves, skin, the internal organs such as heart and liver, and indeed almost all body tissues in all classes of horses. Dietary protein is both a greatly overemphasized and misunderstood nutrient and possibly should be considered more friend than foe.

References
Protein in Horse Diets: The Balancing Act. Frederick Harper. University of Tennessee
Protein Requirements and Digestibility: A Review. Joe D. Pagan. Kentucky Equine Research Inc
The Effects of Feeding Excess Dietary Protein. Ellen Collinson

Written by Nia O’Malley, Equine Nutritionist

Connolly’s Red Mills

Feed balancers are a relatively new concept in feeding horses. A balancer is a low-intake, concentrated source of essential protein, vitamins, and minerals, which is designed for all classes of horses when additional calories are not required. A balancer will not contribute a significant amount of calories to the horse’s diet because of the low feeding rate, but it will provide the essential nutrients to “balance” a diet based on forage and straights. They are usually in pelleted form but are also available as a textured mix. Balancers can be used in three ways: fed alone as a low-calorie source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, combined with straights and beet pulp to balance out deficiencies or fed as a ‘top-dress’ for a concentrate to enhance nutrient density of the overall feed. When used in this way it is advisable to feed the balancer at less than the recommended feeding rate.

A balancer is a lot like a vitamin/mineral supplement for your horse but differs in the amount of protein and macrominerals that it adds to your horse’s diet. The balancer pellet supplies essential amino acids and adequate amounts of the macrominerals calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Providing adequate amounts of these minerals is not possible when feeding a 50-100 g of a vitamin and mineral supplement. These supplements generally supply microminerals and vitamins but not protein or macro minerals.

Balancers are available with a range of protein levels. Deciding on which balancer to use depends on the quality and protein level in the forage and the requirements of the horse. The protein levels may appear to be quite high, 25% and 30% in some cases, but the quantities fed are relatively small in comparison to feeding concentrates. Feeding rates of 100g/100kg BW/d would be typical for most balancers. So for example: 500 g of a 30% stud balancer will provide 150 g of protein (0.5 x 300). Whereas 3 kg of a 10% cool feed will provide 300g of protein (3 x 100). The 3kg of a cool feed provides twice as much protein.

Balancers are formulated with high levels of vitamins and minerals in comparison to concentrate feeds. A typical feed might have 40-60 mg/kg copper while a balancer pellet would have 160-200 mg/kg, approximately four times the amount. The same holds true for all of the minerals and vitamins. Calcium and phosphorus concentration in a balancer pellet may be double that which is normally found in a typical concentrate. When feeding the minimum requirement of a balancer, no other type of vitamin or mineral supplement should be required as the horse should be able to get all of its required daily vitamins and minerals from the balancer. However this will depend on the forage that is available to the horse. It is strongly recommended to carry out a forage and soil analysis in order to highlight any nutrient excesses, deficiencies or imbalances in the horses diet.

In the case where a horse already on a concentrate diet may benefit from additional high-quality protein and minerals and vitamins, top dressing the existing feed with a balancer will enhance the nutrient density of the feed. This would be typical for a horse returning to work after a long rest period, a horse that needs to build extra muscle, a horse recovering from injury or illness, older horses, younger horses, etc. Recommended supplementation would be 50g/100kg BW/d on top of the horse’s regular daily feed depending on the individual’s requirements.

Horse feeds are formulated to be fed at a certain feeding rate. Some horses do not receive the recommended feeding rate because it provides too many calories for the metabolism of that horse, often leading to obesity. When fed below the recommended feeding rate, the horse does not receive the appropriate levels of protein, vitamins, and minerals. For example if 2 kg of feed is supplying 100 mg of copper, then 0.5 kg of feed would supply only 25 mg of copper, which is well below the horse’s copper requirement.

If supplementing some of the concentrate diet with a balancer the recommended guideline for supplementation would be for every kilogram under the recommended feeding rate, top-dress with 250 g of balancer pellet. For example, if a feed has a recommended feeding rate of 5 kg per day, but the horse is only getting 4 kg per day and maintaining weight well, then adding 250 g of a balancer pellet to the diet will raise the vitamin, mineral, and protein concentration to meet the horse’s requirements.

Many people like to make up their own feed and incorporate straights such as oats, barley, maize, beet pulp, alfalfa chaff, rice bran and oil. These are all great ingredients, but unfortunately they are not nutritionally balanced by themselves. Balancers can be used to supplement this type of a feeding programme. The main components of the feed provide the calories and the balancer is added to ‘fill in the nutritional gaps’ of these ingredients, supplying essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. The beauty of using a balancer pellet is the flexibility it provides in customizing the nutritional management of individual horses. If fed properly, a balancer pellet can ensure that all of the horses on a farm receive the nutrients needed to grow, perform, or reproduce.

Several of the modern horse breeds were developed to maintain weight on limited calories, even when they were asked to perform hard work. Many horses are easy keepers, meaning that they can survive on fewer calories. Because of the concentrated nature and low feeding rate, a balancer pellet can meet all the protein, vitamin, and mineral needs of the horse without adding excessive calories or starch to the diet. The carrier for a balancer pellet may have a few calories but is not calorie-dense like most other feeds formulated for a higher feeding rate and designed to add calories to the diet.

Barren mares and those out on grass that tend towards the heavier side benefit from being fed a balancer, which when fed at the recommended daily intake for a broodmare, approx 200g/100kg BW/d, provides a base nutrient package during all phases of the breeding cycle. However the mare’s feeding program should be adjusted to accommodate the differences in requirements during gestation and lactation. During this period feeding recommendations of a balancer generally increase to 300g/100kg BW/day. The additional energy required for late gestation and lactation if not provided by the forage may need to be provided by straights or a concentrate.

A balancer pellet is a useful yet little understood type of horse feed. Though the pellet might look no different than other pelleted feeds, it can be a dynamic addition to any feeding programme. Balancers are a very versatile feedstuff. Horse owners have the options to feed it on its own to horses that are maintained on all-forage diets, or add it to feeds when extra nutritional fortification is required and can also feed it with unfortified grains to provide the correct balance of nutrients. The true advantage of using a balancer pellet is that the horse owner can meet the individual horse’s requirement for protein, vitamins, and minerals and control the amount of energy supplied to each horse.

When a horse is receiving a fully balanced diet all the nutrients needed for general health and well being will be provided. A balanced diet will be reflected in your horse by a well developed top line, improved body and coat condition, strong healthy hooves, improved post exercise recovery times and staying power, improved fertility, milk production and easier foalings, a healthier gut and better feed utilisation and overall a much happier animal.

Feed balancers produced by Connolly’s RED MILLS include the following: GroCare Balancer – a stud balancer for young growing stock, broodmares and stallions; LamiCare Balancer – a balancer for the ‘good-doer’, the laminitis prone horse or for those with poor hoof condition; Formula Gold Balancer – a low protein textured mix balancer for the competition/leisure horse; Oat Balancer Mix and Oat Balancer Pellet – both formulated to be combined with straights.

Show horses’ waistlines are often a bone of contention but what is “show ring condition” and how can we best achieve it whilst maintaining the health and fitness of the horse.

What is Condition?
Horses carry different proportions of muscle and body fat according to their type and level of fitness or training. It is our aim, as horse owners, to ensure that these proportions are appropriate to the work we are expecting of the horse and adjust his diet and work load accordingly. Body condition scoring, using a numerical scale where 0 is “poor” and 5 is “obese”, can be a useful way of objectively assessing condition by looking at the horse’s neck, ribs and rump. Ideally you should be able to feel but not see the ribs and the horse should carry “top line” in the form of muscle not pads of fat, so correct work is imperative to encourage muscle development in the right places.

Whatever method of condition assessment you use, it should be both visual and “hands-on” – you need to feel through a thick coat in the winter, which can cover the true picture, and take a good step back from time to time to look at the whole horse. It is also useful to monitor your horse or pony’s bodyweight by using a weightape or, better still, a weighbridge. This will not only help you in your calculation of how much to feed but is particularly useful in assessing progress, especially when you are hoping to make considerable changes to your horse’s condition.

The Right Condition

Having established your horse’s current condition, the next step is to decide whether that is how you would like him to stay or whether you need to make changes in order to help change his condition. For this you will also need to consider the work the horse is expected to undertake and the level of fitness he needs to attain. A show horse, for example, needs stamina and muscle tone for physical effort but may carry more “condition” than a three day eventer who has to gallop and jump.

Show producers are continuously accused of presenting horses and ponies which are carrying too much body fat, in an attempt to ensure they have a “well rounded” appearance. It can be difficult balancing fitness and muscle tone with levels of body fat but it must be done; an overweight horse risks damage to joints and laminitis, as well as other health issues, and will often simply not exhibit the enthusiasm for work that a slimmer horse can. Those who seem to live on fresh air can be a nightmare to keep weight off but it is possible to maintain a balanced diet and control calorie intake, whilst those who struggle to keep the weight on must be fed with consideration to the limitations of the equine digestive system.

Putting it On
A common approach to promoting weight gain, is to feed more of the existing feed, or to add straights, such as barley or maize, and gradually the costs mount up but the condition we’re looking for may not. Not only is it unbalancing the ration by adding straight cereals to an already balanced compound feed, but we are also likely to be feeding ever increasing volumes which the horse’s stomach, with its limited capacity, simply cannot take.

What we risk when feeding large volumes in each feed is that some will pass on out of the stomach and small intestine before it has been fully digested. This presents a couple of problems – firstly the risk of digestive or metabolic upsets, such as colic or even laminitis, as a result of undigested starch reaching parts of the hind gut that it shouldn’t. Secondly, the feed will not be fully utilised so some of its nutrients will be lost, resulting in a simple waste of money! It’s therefore much more efficient, more cost effective, and safer, to feed for the job in hand by selecting a compound feed formulated for weight gain and condition.

Feeding frequent smaller amounts of a high calorie concentrated feed allows for less starch to be fed in order to promote the desired weight gain. Most reputable feed manufacturers also use cooking techniques, like micronising, which significantly increase the digestibility of the starch granules, ensuring that they are broken down in the foregut, where they should be, rather than reaching the hindgut.

Oil is another useful concentrated source of calories which is non-heating and helps to increase the energy density of the ration without significantly increasing volume. Specially developed high oil supplements are now available, which are more palatable and less messy than straight oil, and contain the necessary additional antioxidants which are required by the body to help it utilise the oil more efficiently.

The art with promoting weight gain, particularly for the show ring, is knowing when to stop! Continue to monitor your horse’s progress and consider the changing contribution that forage makes as the s
pring grass comes through – be prepared to alter the diet again to one with a lower energy content once your horse is looking how you want him and finding it easier to maintain his condition during the spring and summer months.

Getting it Off
If your horse or pony is at the other end of the scale and you are always struggling to keep that tummy trim, then a different approach will be required. Feeding less than the recommended quantity of a low energy mix or cube will deprive your horse of essential nutrients needed for health and well-being whilst still providing some calories that he doesn’t need. The fact that your overweight horse is dull and lack lustre may not be so much to do with lack of energy in his diet but with a lack of vitamins and minerals. An ideal solution here is to choose a feed balancer.

These provide a very concentrated source of nutrients without extra calories and enable you to feed a balanced diet to ensure your horse is receiving all the nutrients for overall health and body maintenance. With correct work you should be able to encourage weight loss, whilst the protein content of the balancer will help promote muscle tone. So on a fully balanced diet, and losing some weight, your previously dull good doer should develop a brighter outlook on life!

Again, be prepared to change what you are feeding throughout the year to suit the changing weather conditions, routine and work load. For the exceptionally good doer, a balancer may be an excellent year round solution whilst for others, once the weight is lost, you may find that as work load increases and the nutrient content of the grass drops off in late summer, you need to reintroduce some calories by choosing a low or medium energy mix or cube. Remember that keeping things balanced is the key to optimising performance – feed your concentrate at the recommended rate and if it provides too many or too few calories, switch to something that gives you the energy levels you want when fed at the recommended rate.

The Role of Forage
We all know how important fibre is to maintain gut function and satisfy the horse’s natural requirement to chew, so forage, including hay, haylage and grass, will be the basis of a healthy diet but will also make a nutritional contribution which should not be forgotten. For example, feeding forage with a very low nutritional value may mean that, even when using the recommended quantities of a compound feed, the over all diet may not be balanced. Feeding a good quality hay or haylage that is soft and leafy, will ensure that your horse receives plenty of nutrients as well as essential fibre – this is especially important when feeding poor doers.

However, your fat pony or cob, for example, still has the same requirements for fibre and should be fed a clean, dust free forage that is stalkier and lower in nutrients to ensure that fibre intake is not restricted. Creativity is essential when feeding good-doers to ensure that even a limited amount of forage takes them plenty of time to eat; small-holed haynets and one net inside another will keep them occupied, whilst low calorie chaffs offer an alternative source of fibre which also takes up chewing time.

Keeping it Right
Having achieved the level of condition that suits your horse and the work you require of him, careful monitoring will help you make the adjustments necessary to keep him that way. Try to avoid the massive condition fluctuations which may result from any “down time”, whatever the time of the year, as it will take you longer to achieve your “ideal” again. Keep a watchful eye, or use a weightape, and above all, be prepared to alter your regime accordingly to ensure your horse remains on a balanced diet and is fit and healthy to perform.

For more information or advice contact Baileys Horse Feeds on + 44(0)1371 850247, +44 (0)7885 065531 or visit www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk.

Tying-up

Exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER), also known as azotoria, tying-up or set fast is a process whereby the striated muscles, which connect to the bone and allow movement, suffer breakdown following exercise. Incidences of tying-up can range from mild muscular stiffness to the muscles becoming locked and the horse unable to move.

ER can be divided into two categories, Acute Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (AER) and Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (RER). With AER the horse in question would have a history of previously satisfactory performance, and is most commonly caused by strenuous exercise above the horses’ current level of training. Whilst RER can be seen intermittently, sometimes after only mild exercise. Of these two conditions RER is the most frustrating for any trainer and is an area in which more research is still needed to determine the exact causes.

Factors leading to tying-up in performance horses

AER and RER have slightly different effects on the body. More work is needed to fully understand what happens at a muscular level, particularly with RER. At the moment the causes can be summarized for each as follows,

AER

The main cause is depletion of ATP ( adenosine tri phosphate), the muscle’s energy source. ATP levels drop when there is marked lactic acid production following speed work. Levels also can drop if glycogen, another muscle fuel, is also depleted following endurance work.

Depleted ATP sources and a low muscle pH cause changes at a cellular level in the muscle. These changes include damage to cell membrane / cell structure, and damage to the myofibrils which are small fibres that make up muscle tissue.

RER

Main cause is less clear and damage can be caused even with light work. It appears to be an abnormality in how the cells regulate calcium, resulting in excess levels of calcium being excreted from the cell body. This causes contractions and muscle spasms.

RER is linked with several triggers including genetics, high starch diets, management and stress. Research from the USA shows RER to be more prevalent in mares with up to 80% of 2 year old fillies being effected. Nervous temperaments will increase prevalence by five fold and a horse with an underlying lameness is four times as likely to suffer from RER.

Practical management of horses prone to tying-up

Dietary changes and specific training programs will help reduce episodes. There is no one magic cure, and best results are achieved when both dietary and management changes are used together.

Dietary changes

Low starch, high fibre and high fat diets are linked with lower incidences of RER. Lower starch diets provide the muscle with alternative sources of fuel and can also help from a stress point of view as such diets can lower excitability and nervousness.

On days of light work or rest, feed levels should be reduced, but not forage intake. This is to cater for possible carbohydrate storage issues in the muscle. Maintaining forage intake is important for stomach and gut health, and can also help reduce stress levels for stabled horses.

Vitamin E and selenium deficiency can cause AER, but most horses with RER do not show a deficiency. Vitamin E and selenium are natural antioxidants which are beneficial to muscle health and should be part of any good racing diet.

Daily electrolyte supplementation has been reported to lower incidences, although it is difficult to test for electrolyte imbalances and there is no concrete research available on this.

Supplementing with 30 – 45 grams sodium chloride (salt) has been successful in lowering incidences for some horses. Similar studies have shown that supplementing with 11 – 33grams of calcium daily may be of benefit.

Management changes

Some reports suggest lower incidence levels associated with daily work programs for horses with RER. A regular exercise program to steadily build fitness will be of benefit to any horse, particularly in avoiding AER. Turnout  to pasture will also be of benefit for stress reduction and increasing forage intake.

In Summary

Tying-up, whether AER or RER, is best managed by a combination of stress reduction, regular exercise, turnout and low starch high fibre diets.

Chiropractic is a drugless, holistic method of health care that can be applied to any animal with a spinal column. Chiropractic theory is based on the nervous system that is housed in the spinal column and how it relates to the proper functioning of the entire body. The spinal cord carries all the nerves that go to every muscle and organ in the body. These nerves exit the spinal column through areas between vertebrae, which are the individual spinal bones.

Chiropractors believe that adequate nerve supply is vital to the proper functioning of the entire body. When the vertebral bones are misaligned even very slightly, they affect the nerves and the flow of nerve impulses.

A chiropractic adjustment is aimed at correcting the misalignment and restoring the proper functioning of the nervous system. This in turn allows the musculoskeletal system to work properly.

So chiropractic is not only used to fix and correct injuries but regular check ups ensure that the horse is working at its optimal level. Its a bit like a racing car getting fine tuned before a big race.

Many riders also feel that if they are unbalanced that can also effect the way they ride their horse. Jayne Doherty has regular chiropractic treatment as well as her horses.

“After Keith started treating me I felt much more comfortable in the saddle and totally balanced”

Information on where Keith works can be found on www.avalonchiropractic.co.uk or www.horsechiropractic.co.uk

You can also reach him on his mobile +44 (0) 775 374 3777