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Horse Feed Year |
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Do's |
Dont's |
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Spring |
Decide what to feed for the active season ahead. |
In early season work don't increase the level of work too sharply. |
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If the horse is stabled make sure you have a good supply of forage. |
Don't cut the forage back too far as the hard feed increases. |
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Choose hard feeds plus added extras (supplements) according to
workload. |
Don't allow horses or ponies prone to laminitis too much spring
grass. |
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Summer |
Watch out for changes in temperament and adjust feed accordingly. |
Don't forget electrolytes when working and travelling. |
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Monitor the quality of the grazing. |
Don't automatically blame the feed when something goes wrong, check
other factors ; change in management even if only for one day may
cause an upset in the animal. |
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Choose winter forage, look for good quality. |
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Autumn |
Find an autumn flush of grass growth that may cause laminitis or a
change in behaviour. |
Don't make sudden changes in the diet, for example adding large
ammounts of a conditioning feel all at once to a horse that has lost
condition. |
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Grass growth slows down so its nutrients deteriorate, add extra hay
to the feed. |
Don't feed poor quality forages. |
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Winter |
DRemembe thath haylage is 40% water and a greater volume needs to be
fed to supply the same weight of nutrients as hay. |
Don't limit haylage intakes. |
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Don't forget electrolytes when working or travelling. |
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Feed according to work done. |
Don't forget micronutrient intakes in horses not in work. |
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