Nutrition

LOCATED IN NEWMARKET BUT WORKING BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY DONNA CASE BSC (HONS) IS THE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED EQUINE NUTRITIONIST WHO RUNS ‘THE HORSE FEED GURU’, AN EQUINE NUTRITION CONSULTANCY. FORMERLY A COMMERCIAL NUTRITIONIST ACROSS THREE BRANDS, NOW COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT, HER AIM IS TO DEMYSTIFY FEEDING FOR THE GOOD OF THE HORSE AND RIDER.

As a nutritionist who has worked away at various equestrian events, the best advice I can give, is to plan ahead of time. Always take supplies for longer than you think you need. For example if it is a one hour trip for a lesson, take a full day supply of forage, feed and water. These short trips are more likely to catch people out; for example when you think you will be back home and actually something goes wrong, like a severe delay in traffic. Having plenty of supplies to offer your horse in these situations will at least ease some concerns. Do take plenty of forage with you, but don’t suddenly switch forage type. I often see owners switch their forage supply for journeys e.g. they may be on hay at home and suddenly decide to switch to haylage to travel. This is not ideal, remember we want to make changes gradually, this is not the time to switch a big part of your horse’s daily feed ration to something different. Some horses simply do not eat well whilst travelling, whilst others will happily tuck in. Make sure you take plenty of rest breaks on long journeys to offer a relief for all horses but also to give those who struggle to eat whilst on the move a chance to tuck in. Always allow much longer to reach your destination. On long journeys it is also worth during these breaks to offer forage from the floor. Have as much of your own water with you as possible and offer it regularly to help your horse stay hydrated. Just like when we travel and find the taste of the water unusual this can be off putting to some horses. This is the last thing you want in order to help them stay hydrated. Another tip for those who drink less whilst away is give very wet feeds or mashes (introduced ahead of time) to increase fluid intake. Do ensure you have a suitable electrolyte strategy in place for all horses.