Show hacks and dressage horses are traditionally well cared for in terms of general health, feed and grooming standards. Show horses must not only be highly trained to exhibit faultless manners and movement, but be presented in a robust, well conditioned appearance with a shiny hair coat.

Whilst performance demand in terms of speed is not required, adequate nutrition must be provided to allow daily training sessions of up to sixty minutes or more, and to maintain optimum body and coat condition. A careful balance is required in order for the horse to be “energised” whilst in the arena, yet sensible and not “fizzy”. This requires a delicate balance between several key nutrients: Energy, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Where horses are also travelled extensively to compete, they must maintain their appetite, and avoid risk of dehydration during travelling.

Energy

Show horses are often required to be in “fleshy” robust body condition. These horses may also be in quite heavy work and are trained consistently during the show season. Energy-providing feeds must be carefully selected to avoid making the horse "fizzy" and "above the bit". Adjustment to the type of energy feed used must be considered on an individual basis.

Feeding of Grain

Generally dressage horses are taller and heavier than show hacks, and are exercised from 30-60 minutes per day. They require a higher energy ration to maintain condition and exercise willingness, and in most cases, benefit from extra grain or oil to meet their increased workload demand.

Some horses have a reputation of reacting to grain with increased "fizziness" and difficulty in handling. In some cases, this is due to excessive grain in comparison with the amount of work given to the horse. If a horse is not being worked regularly, then the very little grain is needed in the ration. Many owners feed pollard as a conditioning food in place of grain, but this can have a "heating" effect as well. Often horses maintain better appetite when a small amount of grain is added to their diet. When grain is completely withdrawn from the ration to avoid the horse becoming "fizzy", the appetite may decline. Therefore, it is considered that in most horses working daily for 30-60mins up to 1-2kg of grain mixed into the hard feed is beneficial in helping to encourage the appetite.

The Common Grains

• Oats: Oats is the traditional grain fed to horses, and most horses find it palatable. It is a "safe" grain that is unlikely to cause digestive upset even when "gorged". However oats can have an effect of making some horses "fizzy" and nervy when fed more than 1½-2kg daily.



• Barley: Barley is often the preferred choice of grain for the performance horse. While it has an energy content between oats and corn, it is regarded as a “cooler” and “conditioning” feed most likely due to its comparatively lower glycaemic index. Steam rolling or crimping aids its palatability and opens up the grain to facilitate chewing. Barley is now also available in roasted (micronised) and extruded form, which increases the starch digestion in the small intestine from 23-25% in raw form to 80-90% and improves its palatability. Boiled barley mixed into the ration is ideal for horses "off their feed" after a hard workout when a palatable, easily digested feed is beneficial.



• Sunflower Seeds: Whole black sunflower seeds contain 26% oil, which gives them a higher energy content than other grains, but with low "heating" or "fizz". Up to 4 cups daily are suitable as an energy and coat gloss supplement.



• Pollard: Pollard is a widely used energy source to put on condition in preparation for competition. It should however be limit fed as it contains very low amounts of poorly absorbed calcium (and other trace minerals) which can lead to an induced calcium deficiency.

Fat

Oil is often added to show horse diets. The main reasons for inclusion of oil in the equine diet is improvement of body condition and coat, increasing the energy component of the diet without increasing bulk and decreasing heat produced from digestion of grains. The performance related benefits include lower lactic acid accumulation in muscles and blood by sparing glycogen use, reduced severity of tying up, reduced muscle damage and calmer behaviour in horses on typically high grain diets.

The typical rate of oil in the diet is approximately 15ml/100kg bodyweight. One cupful of oil has the same amount of energy as 1.5L (700g) of whole oats or 1L (660g) of rolled barley. Fats take more time to digest and release their energy as compared with carbohydrates.

Each oil or fat has a blend of different fatty acids (Omega-3, Omega-6) in its triglyceride content and a correct ratio of these is essential. Sunflower oil is palatable and contains high levels of Omega-6 for coat conditioning but very little Omega-3. Oils that contain higher amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids are considered to provide natural anti-inflammatory compounds and hormone action to improve the function and strength of blood vessels and body cells. Canola oil is generally suitable in its pure form or blended 50:50 with soyabean or corn oil. Oils should be introduced slowly into the diet (suggest 40 ml increments at 3-4 day intervals) and should be stored in a cool place.

Protein

Protein requirements in hacks and dressage horses are generally less than performance horses, but adequate protein must be provided for work and body development. Protein quality is always more important than quantity and supplying high quality protein in the diet (such as full fat extruded soyabean meal or cracked/micronized/extruded lupins) will help to maintain muscle condition especially during extended training.

The table below describes the major protein meals commonly used in horse feeds.

Table 1. Common protein sources in horse feeds

From: Kohnke et al. (1999) Feeding Horses in Australia RIRDC Publication No 99/49)

Hays and Chaff

Roughage is an important part of the horse’s diet. It opens up the digestive mass and traps water to aid soluble nutrient uptake, facilitates controlled fermentation to provide volatile fatty acids for energy synthesis of B Group vitamins, generates heat during fermentation to maintain body warmth and stores a reserve of fluid in the hindgut that can be absorbed as a horse dehydrates due to sweat, respiratory and urinary loss.

Lucerne hay and chaff are good sources of protein, calcium, Vitamin D and fibre for all horses. A mixture of 50:50 lucerne (green chaff) and cereal (white chaff) is a good basis for "bulk" in a hard feed. Lucerne chaff generally is more nutritious than cereal chaff, although cereal chaff helps to improve the general "sweetness", and acceptance of the ration. Lucerne chaff can be very dusty, which can lead to "snorting" when feeding, and respiratory problems. Dampening feeds can reduce the amount of dust inhalation during feeding time.

It is recommended that horses in work receive 1% of their body weight as roughage to ensure efficient digestive processes and to assist in preventing dehydration. This equates to approximately 5kg roughage for a 500kg horse.

Minerals and Vitamins

Dietarily, minerals and vitamins should be regarded as a group rather than individually. As the intake of a mineral increases above that needed, the amount absorbed and/or excreted in the urine and/or faeces also increases. An excess amount absorbed may be harmful. That not absorbed may bind other minerals, decreasing their absorption and possibly resulting in a deficiency of these minerals. It is the balanced amount of all minerals in the diet that is important. Indiscriminately adding one or even several minerals to the diet is likely to be more harmful than beneficial. Therefore, minerals should not be added to the diet unless it is known which ones and how much are needed.

Table 2a. Brief description of the role and importance of some of the minerals and vitamins in equine performance.

Table 2b. Brief description of the roles and importance of some of the vitamins in equine performance.

Most feeds contain some minerals and vitamins but whether these feeds contain enough will be determined by the level of activity of the horse. Under most circumstances additional supplementation will be required to meet recommended dietary requirements and to promote optimal health, well-being and performance.

Essential nutrients for optimal health and performance are outlined in the Tables 2a and 2b above. It is often best to add these nutrients separately on a continual basis using high quality supplements. This gives horse owners the flexibility of being able to alter the level of grain in the diet (as the energy requirement changes) while ensuring their horses receive continued adequate levels of minerals and vitamins.

Calcium

In heavily sweating horses, and those receiving cereal based rations (chaff or grain) or grazing on predominantly grass pastures, additional calcium should be added to the ration.

A supplement on Cal-Plus with Biotin daily will help to balance the ration and maintain an adequate intake of calcium and other essential bone forming minerals.

Trace minerals and vitamins

Feramo Every Horse, containing an oil seed meal base, will promote a glossy, well-conditioned, richly coloured coat essential in the show ring. Feramo Every Horse also supplies:

• Cobalt, which is integral in synthesis of the Vitamin B12 and is involved in the formation of the oxygen carrying component of red blood cells. A deficiency can result in anaemia;
• Copper, which is required for the development of bone, joint cartilage, elastic connective tissue, uptake and utilization of iron and copper containing metabolic and tissue anti-inflammatory enzymes;
• Iodine, which is incorporated into the hormone thyroxin in the thyroid gland and regulates the metabolic rate;
• Manganese, which contributes to carbohydrate and fat metabolism and formation of chondroitin sulphate in cartilage of joints;
• Selenium and iron, to help improve performance and immunity;
• Zinc, which is essential in bone, cartilage and hoof formation;
• Vitamin A to help maintain tendon strength in hard working horses;
• Vitamin D which is critically concerned with the absorption, regulation, metabolism and excretion of calcium and phosphorus;
• B Group vitamins which play a role in the release of energy, and are needed for numerous essential body functions.
• Biotin, for improving the hardness, growth rate and quality of the hooves and laminae strength.
• Amino acids, to help replace tissue degradation and losses in sweat in working horses.

Note: The trace mineral chromium has been shown to improve muscle development and bulk in human athletes. Feramo with Chromium containing 5mg of chromium in each daily dose is also available for hacks and dressage horses.

A note on biotin for hoof health

Horses with thin, brittle hoof walls, cracks, and open white lines prone to infection have been reported to display marked improvement in hoof health within six months of giving 15mg biotin/day to average 500kg horses. Heavier breeds should be given twice this amount. As feed sources do not provide sufficient biotin, an additional supplement is required to meet this recommendation. In order to promote optimal hoof health, each 56g dose of Feramo Every Horse supplies 20mg of biotin, while a 60g dose of Cal-Plus with Biotin also supplies a 15mg dose of biotin.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E as in pure White-E helps general stamina and muscle strength in all performance horses.

Electrolytes

Although 2-3 tablespoons of salt will help palatability of the ration, it is not a complete electrolyte replacer in hard working horses that are worked for more than 30 minutes each day. Supplementation with a range of essential body salts is required during hot weather, when horses are travelling over long distances, or in "nervy" horses that "compete before their time". In cooler weather, or when horses are not sweating heavily, one scoopful of Stressalyte morning and evening will help to meet daily needs. During the warmer months, when horses are travelling regularly, in horses that sweat up when worked, or those with a "nervous" temperament, one scoopful of Humidimix is recommended morning and evening.

Electrolytes are best added to the feed, giving half daily dose morning and evening. On the morning of long distance travel, on arrival at the competition and after hard workouts on a hot day, offering 60ml of Recharge concentrate over the tongue by syringe and providing access to cool fresh water will help to maintain hydration. Alternatively once a horse gets used to it, 80ml of Recharge in 2 – 3 litres of water may be offered as a drink after hard work.

Thoroughbred racehorses require an adequate and balanced diet, providing the energy and full range of essential nutrients to meet the high demands imposed by training and racing. In young, growing 2-3 year old horses, additional energy, protein, calcium and trace minerals must be provided for performance and growth, as well as enable bone modelling and development of muscle. The ration must provide all the essential requirements, whilst catering for a horse’s individual needs according to its weight and stage of training, age, exercise demand and temperament. Adjustments to the feed mix, type of additives, and reduction in bulk of feed may need to be made during a horse’s preparation to maintain vitality and ensure the horse can consume the volume of feed as its appetite decreases under the stress of regular fast exercise.

A well formulated hand-mixed ration provides the flexibility required to match an individual horse’s changing demands, likes and dislikes and appetite level throughout its full training and racing campaign.

Energy

Once a horse comes into training, the energy requirement to fuel muscle activity and body functions increases in proportion to the intensity and duration of exercise. By the time the horse is fit and ready to race, its energy intake is double that required to maintain it when at rest and grazing, although the horse may not be able to eat a larger volume of feed. In young, growing 2 year olds, adequate energy must be provided for growth, development and performance. An inadequate intake of energy will reduce growth and response to training, and will result in weight loss and less than optimal performance.

Sources of Energy

The traditional sources of energy are provided by whole oats, with varying amounts of cracked corn or rolled barley, whole sunflower seeds, and occasionally cracked lupins and beans, depending on availability. Whole oats are normally well tolerated by most racehorses and are normally provided at feeding rates of up to about 5kg daily. Rolled barley is more of a “conditioning” and “cooler” energy source and is often used in horses requiring extra body weight, those prone to tying up or young horses. Cracked corn is a very energy dense grain and as it is not as well digested compared to the other grains, is normally limited to about 1.5kg daily.

Vegetable oil is often used in racing rations as an extra energy source. There are several benefits to feeding oils/fats in the diet. During extended exercise, aerobic metabolism of fatty acids can delay blood glucose and glycogen depletion, resulting in higher muscle reserves being retained at the end of exercise and lower lactic acid accumulation. Studies also suggest that fat substituted for cereal grains can reduce gut fill and hindgut weight, which may increase speed and reduce fatigue in horses working over distances greater than 1600m. Each oil or fat has a blend of different fatty acids (Omega-3, Omega-6) in its triglyceride content and a correct ratio of these is essential. Canola oil is generally suitable in its pure form. Oil should be added fresh each day to the meal at feed time to prevent oxidation and Vitamin E should be supplemented to ensure best utilisation.

Protein

Proteins are composed of amino acids: essential amino acids (these must be provided in the diet) and non-essential amino acids (these can be produced in the body and do not need to be added). Protein sources composed of a high proportion of essential amino acids are referred to as high-quality proteins. These include extruded full fat soyabean meal, cracked/crushed tick beans and crushed/rolled lupins.

Studies indicate that the amount of protein needed increases with increasing physical activity. The estimated protein requirement, relative to energy intake for light, moderate and intense work is shown in Figure 1.

Fig 1. Crude protein requirement of a 500kg horse at varying levels of exercise (NRC, 2007).

This increased protein requirement is needed for increased muscle development and mass with increased physical condition; an increased muscle protein content and due to nitrogen lost in sweat.

When racing repeatedly, adequate protein must be available to help repair and maintain muscle mass, especially in the 24 hours following intense exercise. There is however no benefit in supplying too much protein in the diet. Excess protein leads to excretion of urea in the urine which increases urine volume and water requirements and can lead to higher heat waste from fermentation, elevated heart and respiratory rates and may have an adverse effect on athletic performance. It also increases the ammonia smell in the urine which can be noticed in poorly ventilated stables when horses are fed higher-protein-containing feeds.

Fibre (Roughage)

Adequate fibre as hay or chaff must be supplied to balance the high energy diet, ensure efficient hindgut digestive activity and function and help maintain an adequate reservoir of water to combat dehydration.

As a guideline, a balance of 60-70% by weight of grain mix to 30-40% by weight of chaff and hay is adequate to maintain digestive function. In nervy horses or those in hard work, access to pasture provides extra roughage, relief from stable routine and improves appetite and overall digestive function.

Minerals and Vitamins

An adequate intake of essential minerals and vitamins must be provided on a daily basis, and the rate of supplementation varied during the training period to meet increased requirements relative to the age of the horse, the stage of training, sweat loss and physical stress during training.

Major minerals

Calcium and phosphorus

A daily supplement of calcium is required to meet the increased demands of skeletal growth and remodelling that is stimulated by fast exercise. The front cannon bones of young horses, in particular, must thicken and strengthen to adapt to increased loading forces imposed by all-out galloping around corners on a race track. Equally important is an adequate supply of phosphorus as phosphorus deficiency can result in retarded bone formation and poor appetite. The diet must not only contain adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorus, these nutrients should be supplied in an appropriate ratio so the animal can absorb and utilize these nutrients (a sufficient excess of either mineral will decrease the absorption of the other). Grains are typically high in phosphorus and low in calcium. Lucerne hay on the other hand is higher in calcium than phosphorus. Selection of an appropriate supplement such as Virbac’s Cal-Plus with Biotin provides these key nutrients to meet the elevated demands for bone modelling in response to exercise and allows for an optimal ratio of these minerals in the final handfed ration.

Electrolytes

A routine daily supplement of a high potassium electrolyte replacer, such as Stressalyte (cool moderate weather) and Humidimix (hot weather, heavy sweaters, nervy horses) is recommended to replace sweat loss and maintain water intake. When travelling, 60-80mL Recharge over the tongue with cool water provided to drink before and after travelling will help to rapidly restore electrolyte and fluid levels, vitality and assist recovery.

Horses with symptoms of dehydration (tucked up in the belly, dry pinched up skin) in the 2-3 days prior to racing can be given 60mL Recharge over the tongue each morning and evening, with access to water, and in most cases, a saline drench will not be required.

Trace minerals and Vitamins

A “foundation” supplement such as Feramo Every Horse, or Feramo with Chromium will provide a broad range of essential vitamins and trace minerals to correct low or inadequate levels in the ration relative to exercise demands. Feramo provides a basic level of iron, copper and vitamins for blood production, vitamin A to help maintain tendon strength, and B complex, zinc, iodine and selenium for energy utilisation and muscle strength.

Specific supplement needs

Other specific supplements of iron, vitamin E, calcium and electrolytes can be added to meet specific needs during training. This can avoid the expense of over-supplementing and imbalancing the complete range of minerals and vitamins to horses, as often occurs when complete, prepared feeds are used as the major energy and protein source in the ration.

The table below outlines a suggested feeding program for a 500kg Thoroughbred in early training and full work (racing).

Please note the above feeding program is intended as a guide only. Please alter feeding rates according to individual horse bodyweight and workload. It is recommended that any new feed ingredient be added to the diet in a gradual and step-wise fashion to reduce the risk of digestive upset.

¹ The amount of barley may be increased, and oats reduced for excitable horses and for horses prone to tying up. Please note that barley is more energy dense and weighs heavier than oats. As a guideline, every 1kg (volume 2 litres) of oats removed may be replaced by 900g (volume 1.4 litres) of rolled barley.

Hint: Chronic overload with high carbohydrate grain can result in low grade laminitis from excess hindgut acid build-up. This can lead to symptoms of a scratchy gait, broken-away hoof edges and foot soreness when a horse is galloped hard. A daily supplement of Founderguard - starting on half the dose and half the grain level for 2-3 days, and then increased to full grain and daily dose over 2-3 days will help to control these symptoms.

Please be advised that the suggested rations are intended as a guide only. The most reliable method of obtaining nutritional information about ingredients in the diet is by analysis of samples of individual batches of feeds. The values used in these analyses are based on Australian and overseas literature. There may be some variation in the nutrient composition of feeds depending on the quality of the feedstuffs and the feed source. The information provided in this document is based on the latest National Research Council Nutrient Requirements of Horses (2007) publication. The actual amount of feed offered may need to be altered depending on the horse’s individual metabolism, and the quality of available roughage. If the horse in question has any health concerns, consultation with your veterinarian is advised prior to changes in feeding programs.

There are many reasons why horses may fail to ‘clean-up’ their feed. Some
small framed horses have difficulty consuming large, bulky meals, while others are naturally picky eaters and may be “poor doers” as a result. Many horses
that are usually good eaters become picky or disinterested and start to leave
feed uneaten, particularly when fast work, racing or strenuous competition are commenced.

Additionally, performance horses are exposed to a variety of stress factors such as stabling, travelling, training and high grain/low roughage diets, which can also affect their appetites. When competed or raced on a regular basis, these horses lose condition, vitality, and the ability to perform to expectation and to recover quickly from exercise. A commonly observed consequence of these cumulative stress factors in horses in hard training, is the development of stress-induced appetite reduction, or a failure to ‘clean-up’ at meal times. This has become one of the major problems faced by trainers and owners of performance horses today.

A variety of measures can be taken to encourage horses to consume sufficient feed to maintain bodyweight, vitality, bloom and the ability to perform to expectation and recover quickly from exercise on a continuing, long term basis. An important aspect of these management tips is the emphasis on reducing the stress factors experienced by these horses, which will help reduce the occurrence of stomach ulcers.

• improve the palatability of the ration
• reduce the amount of grain and increasing the amount of fibre in the diet
• substitute vegetable oil for some of the grain in the diet
• provide access to an outside yard or paddock
• provide fresh green feed, or a green pick each day
• cut back on the amount of fast work to reduce overall stress
• minimise other external stress factors wherever possible
• feed additives to settle nervy behaviour or improve appetite

While these changes in feeding, environmental and exercise training practices are helpful in many cases, some horses with a progressively poor appetite will fail to respond to these measures, remaining “poor doers” and performing below expectation. Many will benefit from the addition of a nutritional supplement to help stimulate appetite and protect the gut lining from ulceration.

CLEAN-UP is a nutritional aid for horses under conditions of stress. The formulation is founded on a three-way, nutritionally-based concept to improve the appetite of all horses, and especially “poor doers” and “eat and rest” feeders:

1. Aroma - The combination of natural plant extracts has a distinct aroma which helps to initially attract a horse to eat. Field studies confirm that the majority of horses more readily accept feed containing CLEAN-UP.
2. Metabolic - The inclusion of pre-digested yeast extracts and selected B Complex vitamins in CLEAN-UP provides a nutritional basis for maintenance of metabolic activity, indirectly encouraging a horse to consume more feed. The vitamins are specially coated to ensure maintenance of maximum potency during digestion.
3. Protection - CLEAN-UP contains Slippery Elm Bark to help maintain a normal stomach and gut environment, protecting against irritation and erosion.

How to Use CLEAN-UP

The highly palatable CLEAN-UP formulation is readily accepted when mixed into normal feed. However, in order to achieve a faster response in very poor eaters, mix CLEAN-UP in water to form a slurry, and administer over the tongue just prior to feeding, for the first 2 or 3 doses.

The recommended dose rate for CLEAN-UP is two scoops in the morning and evening feeds for 14-21 days. Field trials indicate that appetite usually improves within 36-48 hours, with most horses licking their feed bin clean within 5-7 days of commencing supplementation, allowing an improvement in body condition, vitality and bloom.

CLEAN-UP supplementation can safely be continued for as long as required.

Field studies have indicated that in some horses an ongoing maintenance dose of one scoopful of CLEAN-UP in morning and night feeds is sufficient to maintain appetite and body condition throughout periods of stress.

The risk of dehydration and related problems is much higher during the summer months, particularly for performing horses that are regularly exercised and lose large amounts of body salts and fluid in sweat. About 75-80% of the energy used by the horse’s body is given off as heat. Even during gentle exercise, heat production by the horse is 10-20 times greater than at rest. During fast work, heat production can increase 40-60 times. Horses lose heat mainly by evaporation of sweat and by evaporative cooling from the respiratory tract. As humidity increases evaporative cooling reduces so great care must be taken to avoid heat stress in horses working in hot, humid weather.

Exercising horses can lose up to 10-15 litres of sweat per hour. As
well as fluid loss, sweating also depletes sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium salts from the body. Horses that are only ridden occasionally should be able to replace their body salt losses
from pasture and a salt “lick” in their paddock. However, horses which are exercised and sweat freely on a regular basis should receive a
daily electrolyte supplement in their feed.

HUMIDIMIX® is an electrolyte supplement that is designed specifically for horses working under Australian summer conditions. It is given at the rate of 2-3 scoops per day for a 500kg horse (45-67g daily). It is best to divide all electrolyte supplements between the morning and evening feeds in order to get a more constant intake of the important body salts.

Rehydration fluids and pastes designed specifically for horses are also available to replace salts and body fluids lost during exercise or travelling. RECHARGE® Liquid is a “sports drink” for horses. It is designed to quickly replace lost body salts without having to wait for the horse to consume a meal. It can be given undiluted over the tongue by dosing syringe or mixed into drinking water. It is ideal for replacing electrolytes after travelling, in between classes at shows or other competitions and prior to travelling home from race meetings or other events.

RECHARGE® will stimulate the thirst response and encourage horses to drink. This is particularly useful when away from home as many horses are reluctant to drink unfamiliar water. It is very important to always provide fresh drinking water after giving a horse any concentrated electrolyte replacer.

As well as sweat loss during work, horses can continue to sweat for long periods after work, if they are not adequately cooled down.

The following cool down process is recommended after work in hot conditions:

• Remove all gear, including work bandages and boots as soon as possible.
• Sponge or hose the horse down with cool water over the neck, body, limbs and under the belly.
• After hosing scrape the horse off immediately. If not scraped off, the water in the coat will retain heat and can actually slow down the cooling process. If the horse is panting or blowing it is a good idea to walk it for a few minutes and then repeat the hosing and scraping.
• A refreshing wash can be made by adding 4 tablespoons of RAPIGEL - a muscle and joint relieving liniment - to 8 litres of water. Sponge all over the body, particularly on the legs and under the belly. Wait for about a minute and then scrape off.

You should not give very hot horses free access to cold water. It is best to let them drink about 2-4 litres of water initially, then after 10-15 minutes of cooling down let them have free access to drinking water. Horses can be allowed to drink their fill during exercise e.g. endurance or trail riding horses if they continue to work afterwards.

Horses that are worked hard during hot weather, particularly if the humidity is high, can suffer from heat stress. Horses that are unconditioned, overweight or dehydrated are most susceptible.

Signs of heat stress include muscle weakness, rapid breathing and panting, an elevated heart rate and depression. The horse may sweat heavily, however if it is dehydrated it may be unable to sweat adequately to cool itself. Horses suffering from “anhidrosis” or “dry coat” are particularly susceptible to heat stress as they have difficulty cooling their bodies. Anhidrosis is discussed in more detail below. Severe cases of heat stress can lead to collapse, convulsions and death.

Heat stress is an emergency and immediate steps must be taken to reduce the internal body temperature of the horse.

• The horse should be unsaddled and led to a shady spot.
• If water is not available fan the horse with a shirt or saddle cloth for 1-2 minutes.
• Then walk the horse slowly for 1-2 minutes before repeating the fanning and walking cycle until the horse brightens up.
• If water is available sponge or hose the horse all over and scrape-off within 30 seconds as described above.
• Fan or walk the horse for 2-3 minutes and then repeat the sponging or hosing and scraping. Repeat until the horse improves.
• Let the horse drink 2-4 litres of water at a time and provide an electrolyte replacer such as RECHARGE® Liquid as soon as possible. A daily electrolyte supplement such as HUMIDIMIX® should also be added to the horse’s feed on an ongoing basis.
  

Anhidrosis, or the inability to sweat to cool the body, is a condition that can develop in horses kept in hot, humid environments. Although it is often seen in racing and other performance horses, anhidrosis can occur in any age, breed or sex of horse. It usually begins in the spring or summer, particularly during early unseasonally humid conditions, when horses have less time to adapt to the change of climate.

The underlying cause of dry coat is not known. Horses moved from cooler climates to tropical areas often develop anhidrosis within 1-3 months, but it can also occur in horses bred and reared under tropical conditions.

Affected horses may sweat heavily initially but over a 1-3 month period, sweating will reduce to limited patches under the mane and between the legs. Once the horse stops sweating freely they will “puff” and blow forcibly for up to 30 minutes after exercise, as they attempt to cool their bodies. The horses coat often becomes dry and may become thin over the head and upper neck. Affected horses have poor stamina and fatigue easily. In severe cases they can develop heat stress and collapse during exercise.

Anhidrosis is a very difficult condition to treat. Full recoveries are rare if the horse remains in a hot, humid climate. Some horses will regain the ability to sweat if they are moved to a cooler climate. This is often not practicable and the following management measures may be of use.

• Try to get the horse fit before the hotter months of the year.
• House in a cool environment such as an air conditioned stable, or a high gabled stable with a ceiling fan or ridgetop roof vents; provide shade for paddocked horses.
• Exercise the horse during the cooler times of the day or evening.
• Feed an electrolyte supplement designed for horses in hot, humid conditions such as HUMIDIMIX® (1 scoop in the morning and 2 in the evening feed). Feed all year round if the horse is being exercised. Supplement with 1000-5000 IU of Vitamin E (eg. WHITE-E® powder or liquid) daily.
• Provide extra attention to cooling the horse down after work with cold hosing, scraping and walking as described above.
• Feed low roughage, extruded or fat-supplemented diet to help reduce the heat produced during fermentation of fibrous foods in the large intestine.
  

Insects which can worry and bite horses abound during the warmer months, particularly in the humid, coastal regions of Australia. Insects can lead to ongoing annoyance, weight loss, and localised or wide spread skin disease.

Insect bite dermatitis is a very common cause of skin disease in horses. Mosquitoes, gnats, biting midges, sandflies, horse flies, stable flies, wasps and bees can all bite or sting horses. The bites or stings of these insects can cause a wound large enough to ooze serum and can predispose the horse to a secondary bacterial infection. Some insects can cause painful wheals or nodules in the skin that can be very irritating to the horse. Insects such as bot flies, bees and wasps can also frighten the horse and lead to injuries when galloping off in fright.

In regions with high insect numbers light body and neck rugs and fly hoods can be used to help protect the horse from insects. An insecticidal spray such as FLYAWAY® can be used on the horse itself to provide sustained protection, and in stables and areas where insects settle to help to reduce the number of insects in the horse’s environment.

Bites and stings on the head and neck can occasionally interfere with breathing, vision or eating. In these cases contact your vet immediately.

If the skin is broken and there is an open wound apply an antiseptic cream such as SEPTICIDE® (which also contains a fly repellent).

Queensland Itch (Summer Itch, Sweet Itch) - some horses develop an allergic reaction to insect bites, particularly sandfly and midge bites. Instead of simply suffering from individual insect bites these horses become intensely itchy, particularly along their withers, mane, tail butt, ears and backline. They rub excessively on posts, trees and railings, traumatising the skin, leading to open sores that can become infected and loss of hair. They often also lose body condition as they spend so much time itching and rubbing.

Severe cases of Queensland Itch should be treated by your vet who may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and/or antibiotics. Soothing skin preparations such as SEPTICIDE Cream are also available to help control itching and aid in the healing of the sores.

As Queensland Itch is very difficult to treat it is best to attempt to prevent the disorder in susceptible horses. Sandflies are seasonally active from December to May. Susceptible horses are most at risk in the late afternoon and dusk, and in the early morning when the flies swarm to feed.

Horses can be partially protected from insect bites by the use of light rugs and hoods, particularly between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. when insects are most active. If possible, stable susceptible horses in an insect proof environment during these times. Insect repellents such as FLYAWAY® Insecticidal Spray are very helpful if applied each day prior to the insect attack time. Heavy applications of FLYAWAY® can provide insect repellent effects for up to one week, however in very sensitive horses daily application is recommended. FLYAWAY® can also be used to treat stables and horse yards. Try to reduce the breeding areas for flies around your stables by cleaning manure away regularly and placing manure heaps away from stable areas. Manure heaps can also be sprayed with an insecticide such as FLYAWAY®.

Summer sores are skin lesions that develop in open wounds, or around the conjunctiva of the eye, or on the lining of the sheath or on the tip of the penis. These sores are caused by the larvae of a worm known as Habronema, which are deposited in wounds and moist areas by flies. The worm larvae cause hard nodules of red brown tissue, which enlarge and spread. The nodules can bleed, ulcerate and weep yellowish to clear tissue fluid. This attracts more flies and if they are also carrying Habronema larvae the size of the lesion and degree of irritation worsens.

Larvae in summer sore lesions and adult Habronema worms which live in the horse’s stomach lining can be controlled by worming products such as EQUIMAX® /EQUIMAX® LV or EQUIMAX® ELEVATION or ERAQUELL worming pellets. The worming products should be administered every 6-8 weeks during the high risk period.

Control of flies on fresh wounds is important to avoid the wounds becoming infected with Habronema larvae. Keep wounds clean and dry to promote healing and make them less attractive to flies. Apply an antiseptic wound product, which contains a fly repellent, such as SEPTICIDE® Antiseptic Cream or CETRIGEN® Spray to healing wounds during the summer months. If lesions do appear consult your vet for advice.

Hot weather and regular sweating can lead to a dull, dried-out coat during the summer months. A daily dose of FERAMO® EVERY HORSE added to the feed daily will help to maintain general health and coat condition during the summer months. FERAMO® range contains vitamin A, iron, copper and cobalt, which are important nutrients for skin health and will help to maintain and darken the coat colour, which often fades during the summer months. Light rugs and hoods will also protect the coat from bleaching, but care should be taken to avoid heavy rugs or materials that cause sweating as prolonged sweat loss under rugs can lead to electrolyte losses and dehydration.

The daily addition of about 60mL (3 tablespoons) of sunflower, safflower or blended polyunsaturated cooking oil to the feed may help to improve coat condition. Alternatively add 1-2 cups of sunflower seeds to the ration.

Inspect the hooves regularly for signs of drying out. If the horse has very dry hooves, which commonly occurs when horses are worked regularly on sand tracks or arenas, wash and dampen the hoof wall and sole with water (when hosing down after work) and then apply a moisturising hoof dressing.

For horses with brittle, shelly or “broken away” hooves add a combined calcium and biotin supplement such as CAL-PLUS with BIOTIN to the feed each day. This will help to harden and strengthen the hoof wall and the junction between the hoof wall and the sole. Biotin supplements take time to work as healthy new hoof grows down very slowly from the coronary band. It can take at least 6-12 months for healthy hoof horn to reach the ground surface and the biotin supplement must be continued daily during this time.

Dampen all feed, particularly the evening feed to increase the fluid intake during hot weather. Horses must have access to fresh, clean, cool drinking water at all times. Locate feeders and water buckets and troughs in a shady place.

Horses should be wormed every 6-8 weeks throughout the year. During the summer months use a product that also controls bot larvae such as EQUIMAX®/EQUIMAX® LV or ERAQUELL® pellets. Adult bot flies lay eggs on the legs and belly and can cause horses to panic leading to injuries. Young horses should be wormed with EQUIMAX® ELEVATION Oral Paste for Horses from six weeks of age until they are two years old.

Hot dry spells are a good time to rest horse paddocks to reduce the number of worm eggs and larvae surviving on heavily infected pastures. High temperatures and dryness are fatal to most worm eggs and larvae and 2-3 weeks of spelling during this time will dramatically reduce the level of pasture contamination.

Mares are highly seasonal when it comes to breeding, with their most fertile period, being from the end of winter (August) to start of autumn (March). For this reason, mares are termed “long day breeders” as the breeding season occurs during summer when daylight hours are longest.

Mares are termed “seasonally polyoestrus” which means that they have a well-defined breeding season with multiple heat (oestrus) cycles, as well as a non-breeding season, or anoestrus, during winter when daylight hours are shortest.

Each cycle, or oestrus, lasts an average of 21 days; though in the height of summer the cycle can shorten to 18 days. During each oestrus cycle, the mare will be unreceptive for 16 days (known as dioestrus), and then accept the stallion for the last 4-5 days. This is when she is “on heat”.

Ovulation occurs approximately 24 hours before the end of the oestrus cycle. This is the best time to breed the mare either by natural cover or artificial insemination techniques. Veterinarians can check the mare’s ovaries with an ultrasound scan to determine when she is likely to ovulate, and therefore improve the chance of pregnancy.

If the mare conceives, her pregnancy will then last 11 months (length of pregnancy can be anywhere from 310 to 365 days). If she does not conceive, then she will have another oestrus cycle. Veterinarians can perform ultrasound scans to confirm pregnancy at 15 days and 45 days after either natural cover or artificial insemination.

Travelling in cool weather or early morning reduces the
heat stress on horses generally, particularly in “nervy”
travellers. Whilst this may be practical if you are hauling
horses in a trailer or truck yourself, it may not be easily
arranged with a commercial transport operator, and can
be more expensive. Some owners like to transport a
nervy horse over distances greater than 200km a few
days before the event. However, the benefit of this has to
be weighed against the upset of new surroundings in some
nervy horses. If a single nervy horse is travelling, it may
be worthwhile loading an extra horse on board as a
quieter companion to help settle it down.

Generally, travelling in two horse trailers is more stressful to some horses, and they travel better in a large truck float in the company of other horses. Recent research has shown that horses travel with less stress when facing backwards, rather than to the front or sides. These studies indicated that peak heart rates were lower and horses did not move around as when facing backwards.

It is helpful to ensure that horses are given adequate electrolytes and fluids in hot weather. It is a good idea to check the skin by the “pinch test” to estimate the relative degree of dehydration at least two to three days before travelling. This allows sufficient time for absorption of the electrolytes, as well as the restoration of fluid balance. With the development of specially formulated rehydration fluids for horses, such as Recharge®, topping up with fluids and electrolytes is made more convenient and generally more effective. Some horses will learn to accept Recharge in water as a drink, particularly if they are heavy sweaters in hot weather, and are thirsty on return from competition. However, to ensure they take in the full dose, administer over the tongue, up to twice a day if a horse is a little tucked up.

Ideally, horses should be offered water to drink every two to three hours during long trips in hot weather, and off-loaded every four to six hours for a walk and “green pick”, provided they are quiet and can be held safely on the lead. Alternatively, horses can be given half a biscuit of dampened good quality lucerne hay in a hay net, or slightly wilted green feed to pick at on the trip, then this will relieve boredom, settle the horse and provide some additional moisture. Lucerne hay can be dampened by wrapping in a wet (saturated) chaff bag for 2-3 hours and hung in a hay net at chest height, not higher.

If the horse is hot and sweating, sponge over and scrape off to aid cooling during the rest stop. Travelling at night is usually much cooler and longer spaces between rest stops can be made, whilst still providing relief from travelling and allow the animal to ‘stretch’ its legs.

During hot weather, open the front vents in an enclosed trailer to improve air flow and reduce inhaling of dusty, contaminated air. Intake of dust must be avoided during the trip, as this can increase the risk of respiratory problems, and “travel sickness” on long journeys, particularly after competition.

It is useful to provide shavings, sawdust or absorbent material on the floor, even between the holes in a rubber web mat, to soak up sweat dripped onto the floor and urine and moisture from droppings at the rear end. It will make it less slippery and reduce scrambling on the floor during cornering and stopping.

In horses that are nervous travellers, many owners have found that a dose of 1000IU natural vitamin E, such as White-E® or White-E with Selenium®, each day for at least 7-10 days, helps fidgety horses to be less concerned about travelling.

A dose of Megavite-B® paste (B-Complex vitamins) may be worthwhile in horses travelling over long distances to keep them on their feed and reduce the metabolic stress of travelling.

If a horse is a particularly nervy traveller, or under hot conditions, it sweats and dehydrates during the trip, then 60mL of Recharge can be given over the tongue in the float before unloading. Once settled in the stall, a drink of cool water can be offered to provide the fluid base for the Recharge dose. After trips of two hours or more, it is a good idea to take horses for a walk on a lead for five minutes or so to help them loosen up before stalling them.

Management after competing prior to the return journey is also an important consideration. Replenishing fluid levels lost in sweat is crucial to a horse’s recovery after an event and adding an electrolyte such as Recharge will help replace major body salt losses before travelling. Where the trip is over six to eight hours duration, then ideally the horse should be rested and given a light, damp feed, preferably overnight, before setting off for the trip.

Dusty dry feed offered during transport increases air contamination. Horses with underlying respiratory infection often have low grade lung damage and can develop a severe infection when dust or bacterial germs are inhaled deep into the lungs during hard exercise. Consult your vet about an immune stimulating preparation, in the three to five days prior to long distance travel.

Did You Know…that severe chest cavity infection or pleuropneumonia, can develop when horses are travelled over long distances in poorly ventilated trailers or enclosed truck floats. It is a very serious disease, with high risk of fatality or a prolonged recovery time requiring expensive veterinary care and medication.

Horses carrying the respiratory viruses may infect other horses during a long trip as they spread aerosol droplets carrying the virus under confined, poorly ventilated humid transport conditions. The highest risk occurs in horses travelling at the rear of the transport due to inhalation of heavily contaminated air. Other stress factors include excessive noise, cramped spaces, high speed driving, swaying trailers and lack of adequate rest stops.

The risk of lung and chest complications is increased if horses are unable to put their heads down to drain respiratory cleansing secretions during or after long distance transport.

For a few days after a long trip, particularly in a horse with a history of recent respiratory infection, observe the animal for signs of depression, loss of appetite, sweating due to fever (take its temperature morning and evening), panting in shallow, rapid breaths and symptoms of chest cavity pain – resisting movement, standing with elbows out and front legs wide apart, looking around at chest, coughing, pawing the ground and weight loss.

1. Ensure horses are cooled-out after exercise before travelling.
2. Ensure the trailer or truck is well ventilated with an adequate air change rate but not too cold.
3. Ensure trailer is level on tow bar. Drive steadily and smoothly.
4. Keep back flap down – avoid dust.
5. Do not tie the head too short. Provide dampened feed below chest height.
6. Stop every three to four hours.
7. Prevention is better than cure. Consult your vet about an immune stimulating preparation, in the three to five days prior to long distance travel.
8. Implement measures to avoid Travel Sickness.

All horses must be provided with an adequate supply of energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals, and have access to clean fresh water. Generally, mature adult horses can maintain themselves and perform moderate exercise for up to two hours daily on good quality pasture. For these horses, supplementary feed, usually as good quality hay may only be required when pasture is sparse, short or of poor nutritional quality.

Once horses are worked hard or in training for equestrian or athletic activity, or require body and coat condition to show ring standard, then more control over the diet and feed intake is required.

There are certain "do's" and "don'ts" that should be observed when feeding horses. A degree of common sense applies to the art of feeding horses. However, certain rules for feeding should be strictly followed. Proper feeding management ensures that a horse will maintain vitality and health and receive maximum benefit from its ration.

Hint: As a guideline, for an equivalent amount of energy and to reduce the bulk of the ration, every 1kg (volume 2 litres) of oats removed can be replaced by either 900g (volume 1.4 litres) of rolled barley, 850g (volume 1.1 litres) of cracked corn or lupins (each maximum 1½ kg daily), or alternatively 350mL (volume 1½ cups) of vegetable oil.

There are certain precautions that should be observed when feeding horses, especially those on supplementary hard feeds.

TAKE CARE TO:	PRACTICAL GUIDELINES
1. Do not make sudden changes in ration proportions or ingredients.	Introduce new feeds over 4-5 days, or major changes over 7-10 days or longer. Do not change feeds within a few days of an important competition or show.
2. Avoid sudden increases in grain content, or too rapid introduction to highly concentrated rations.	Always keep the work level ahead of the feed. Increase grain gradually in proportion to the amount of work performed, rather than planned for each day. A daily dose of Founderguard will protect against digestive upsets, sore feet and founder on high grain diets.
3. Do not feed dusty, mouldy or contaminated ingredients.	Dusty feeds can cause respiratory problems - dampen pollard before feeding. Dampen brittle or dusty hay by wrapping in a wet chaff bag for 8 hours - no longer. Do not feed mouldy feeds, feed containing mice or rat droppings, or hard feed mixes made for other animals with growth regulators (eg Monensin)
4. Do not feed spoiled "left over" feed.	Clean out any damp feed a horse does not eat each day. Always empty and overturn paddock feeders when shifting horses to other pastures.
5. Do not feed poor quality feeds.	Poor quality roughage (hay) will be wasted, and lead to digestive bulking (hay belly) or upset. Do not disguise poor feed with sweeteners, such as molasses etc.
6. Do not feed the full grain ration on planned rest or other idle days.	Reduce grain or concentrate feeds to one-third on the night before planned rest days - replace with hay or extra chaff. If a horse is not worked on a day due to lameness, sickness or wet weather etc - reduce grain in the next feed. Re-introduce grain gradually - one day off work - take two days to return to full grain intake so as to avoid "tying up" in working horses.
7. Do not allow horses to gorge concentrate feeds.	Greedy horses are likely to choke or develop digestive upsets. Carefully mix extra grains in chaff, base pellets or stud mix. Avoid free access to concentrates during cold weather. Protect against laminitis, sore feet, or founder in spring pastured ponies and grain fed horses with a daily supplement of Founderguard.
8. Do not feed lawn cuttings.	Although green feed sharpens the appetite, relieves boredom and aids digestion - avoid chopped green food that requires little chewing. Lawn clippings heat up and may contain spray residues, leaves from poisonous plants (eg Oleander, Poinsettia etc.) glass or stones.
9. Do not feed from dirty feeders or waterers.	Regularly clean out feeders to avoid caking of residues - separate water troughs and feed bins to reduce grain build up in troughs and eat-drink feeding habits.
10. Do not feed concentrates or hay on the ground.	Feed on the ground is wasted, and often contaminated with sand, parasite eggs and larvae. Provide an adequate sized feed bin with safe edges.
11. Do not feed large amounts of hay just prior to working the horse, and avoid working a horse on a full stomach.	A large feed just prior to working can cause discomfort due to an extended gut. A small feed containing 60% grain and 40% chaff or hay, or a stud mix is less bulky. Feed most of the hay overnight. A dampened feed after work helps encourage appetite and provides moisture - alternatively turn out to graze on pasture.
12. Do not allow access to large volumes of cold water after work.	It is unwise to allow hot, sweaty horses to drink large quantities of cold water immediately after exercise. Allow a few swallows of water initially, then more water in 10 minutes. Take the chill off very cold water by mixing in hot water before offering it to a hot horse
13. Do not mix calcium supplements into wet bran mashes	Wet bran binds calcium and reduces its absorption from the small bowel. Feed calcium in another part of the feed. Small amounts of bran and calcium added dry and mixed well into the feed prior to dampening are not affected. Feed extra calcium to young horses (eg Calatron Co-feed) or Cal-Plus to working horses grazing lush, fertilised Kikuyu grass as oxalate chemicals in Kikuyu can bind up calcium.

Hint: Monitor the horse’s condition and vitality on a regular weekly basis, its acceptance of the diet and relative appetite during its training or exercising program. Be prepared to make adjustment in feed bulk and blend of ingredients as needs change.

Tying-up and muscle cramps during or after exercise are a relatively common problem in performance horses. Although the signs of swelling, stiffness and soreness in the affected muscles are well known, the exact underlying causes of tying-up are not fully understood. However, management practices and nutritional deficiencies are strongly suspected of causing the disorder. Horses that are dehydrated, suffering sodium, potassium, magnesium or selenium loss from heavy sweat output, or those grazing pastures low in selenium, are reported to be more likely to tie-up during exercise. Normally horses tie-up along the back and hind leg muscles, although in some severe cases, horses will cramp in all muscles, including the shoulder.

It is not uncommon for horses to tie-up after a couple of days of rest on a full grain ration, or to tie-up in early training when pushed too hard, too quickly. It is most common in poorly conditioned horses that are given high energy rations in excess of their exercise needs, particularly those given irregular exercise due to minor lameness, bouts of wet weather, or when travelling.

Young nervy or flighty fillies, on grain diets, particularly oats, seem especially prone to tying-up. Many of these nervy horses "compete before their race", and are likely to tie-up during training and competition particularly if they have been transported over long distances.

"Tying-up" can occur during work, or within the rest period immediately following exercise. If a horse ties-up during work, stop further exercise, unsaddle and cool the horse down slowly by walking it for 2-3 minutes to lose heat and work the muscles gently without a load. The muscle groups affected, usually the croup or rump muscles, can be massaged for 1-2 minutes or so, interspaced with walking the horse for 2-3 minutes. Repeat this process until the stiffness or cramps are relieved.

HINT: The horse should be rugged to keep it warm, and possibly walked on the lead for a green pick until it recovers. The horse should not be exercised hard for at least a week as it is more likely to suffer muscle damage if insufficient time is given for recovery.

If a horse ties-up severely your vet should be consulted immediately. Where a horse ties-up severely and is obviously very uncomfortable and in a state of shock, it is important not to force the horse to walk or move, as severe and permanent muscle damage may result. If this occurs during training or competition, keep the horse warm and seek veterinary advice as soon as possible. If a horse cannot be walked, it should be transported on a trailer to the clinic if a vet cannot attend to the horse where it stands.

After a serious bout of tying-up the horse should be kept as comfortable as possible, adequate fluids should be provided to drink, and electrolytes, such as a scoopful of Humidimix morning and evening should be added to feed and the horse monitored under veterinary supervision. The horse should be given at least 4-6 weeks rest and light work, depending on its recovery, and all effort should be made to find out the reasons for the "tying-up" in the first place, particularly as it is often a management related problem. The grain ration should be reduced and the horse exercised lightly each day until it is able to move freely again and ready to recommence training.

As mentioned earlier, tying-up is thought to be largely a management and nutrition related disease. Because the exact underlying metabolic causes are not fully understood, all possible avenues of treatment and preventative measures should be taken, with general management guidelines as follows:

• Always match the level of exercise to the grain intake. Ensure the horse is fit enough for the level of exercise proposed, and do not work an unfit horse too hard, too early in training.
• Nervy horses with a history of tying-up should be worked each day without a rest day, and if possible measures should be taken to reduce their nervous disposition. Although it is common practice to give the horse one rest day a week, horses prone to tying-up particularly if stabled, should be lunged or lightly worked under saddle EVERY DAY, even the day after racing.
• If the horse is to be given a light work day, the grain ration should be cut back to one-third on the night before the rest day, to match the energy level to the workload. Always take two days to restore full grain to horses prone to tying-up once regular exercise is continued.
• If the horse is not worked due to sickness, lameness or trainer ill health, the grain must be cut out on that particular day, and not reintroduced until the horse is able to recommence its exercise program.
• Where horses are travelling long distances to compete, provide dampened lucerne hay as a snack during the trip (reduces dust). During hot weather give a rehydration fluid such as 60-80 mL Recharge over the tongue or mixed in water as a drink, before and after travelling. If Recharge is given neat over the tongue fresh drinking water must be available.
• Always warm up at the trot for at least 10 minutes prior to fast work.
  

Reduce Oats

If a horse has a tendency to tie-up when fed oats, it is best to reduce the oats by at least half, and replace with either steam rolled barley or polyunsaturated cooking oil. One cup of oil contains the same amount of energy as six cups of oats and is particularly useful in very nervy fillies, as they tend to quieten down on oil based rations.

HINT: Clinical experience suggests that adding up to a cupful of polyunsaturated oil tends to reduce the incidence of "tying-up" in some horses, and it may be worthwhile incorporating this into the feeding program of a horse that has a history of "tying-up" on a regular basis.

When introducing oil do so in a gradual manner over 7-10 days to allow time for the horse's digestive system to adjust to the higher fat diet. When oil is added to the ration as a source of energy, a dose of 1,000IU vitamin E and 500 ug of selenium per day (eg 1 scoop of WHITE-E with SELENIUM) should be fed to ensure proper metabolism and protection of the polyunsaturated oil in the diet.

Replace Electrolytes

Another important dietary factor is the daily provision of an electrolyte replacer, such as 1 scoop of STRESSALTYE, morning and night. In particularly heavily sweating horses this can be replaced with HUMIDIMIX. The addition of 1 tablespoon of Epsom Salts, morning and night, increasing in a stepwise manner over 4-7 days up to a maximum 2 tablespoonfuls morning and night, appears to be of use in some horses that sweat heavily, and tend to reduce their stride length and impulsion in the hind leg and back muscles as if "tying-up" during exercise.

Vitamin E, Selenium and Chromium

Supplementation with the trace minerals Selenium and Chromium (eg. 56 g of Feramo with Chromium) and Vitamin E (1 scoop of WHITE-E daily) may also reduce the incidence of tying-up in problem horses. In addition to tying-up, deficiencies of these nutrients can lead to loss of muscle strength and stamina.

Muscle Buffers

In practice, administration of 50mL of NEUTRADEX in the feed daily, is helpful in preventing "tying-up" in some horses. Neutradex contains an acid buffer which neutralises the lactic acid produced in muscles during hard or fast exercise. Lactic acid is the major factor which causes muscle soreness after exercise and in horses prone to tying-up lactic acid accumulation may trigger a cramping attack.

Tying-up is a common disorder that can range in severity from mild cramping to complete muscle "lock-up" which causes severe pain and a total inability to walk for several hours. In severe cases veterinary advice is essential to prevent serious muscle and kidney damage. Because the exact cause of tying-up is not fully understood, no single treatment is available. However, by following the management and feeding program detailed above, the problem can be prevented in about 90% of susceptible horses.

Laminitis does not only occur in overweight ponies grazing on lush pasture! Although obese ponies are certainly likely candidates for this crippling disease, racing horses and performance horses are also at risk of developing the condition due to the high-energy rations they need to consume to achieve optimum performance. Performance horses may suffer a sudden, severe attack of laminitis that may end their athletic career or more commonly, a low grade or “sub-clinical” form of the disease that may significantly impair performance without causing obvious or severe lameness.

Research has proven that the subtle signs of laminitis may be missed unless x-rays of the pedal bones (the hoof bones) are performed.

Up to 46% of apparently sound thoroughbreds in full race training may show one or more radiographic signs of laminitis¹, including slight rotation of the pedal bone, resorption of bone from the bottom of the pedal bone, new bone formation along the front of the pedal bone and a slightly dished appearance to the hoof wall.

Furthermore, racing thoroughbreds with radiographic evidence of low-grade laminitis though no lameness on veterinary examination, earn 66% less prize money per race than horses without radiographic changes associated with laminitis when measured over a six-month period¹.

These results strongly suggest that low grade laminitis is affecting racing performance without the horses showing any obvious symptoms of the disease. It has been suggested that this may be a reason why some horses have difficulty performing on hard tracks, but perform better on softer ground, although this is unproven.

The cause of low grade laminitis has not been determined. However, as performance horses, usually receive high grain diets for long periods of time in order to meet their energy demands, the chances are high that the laminitis may be feed-related.

Performance horses may show no obvious signs of lameness, with poorer performance being the only difference from their healthy stable mates. However in slightly more severe cases there can be “tell-tale” warning signs that suggest a low grade laminitis. These signs include the following:

• “Jarred up” or “sore feet” in the front hooves, particularly when worked on hard tracks
• A short, scratchy gait which does not warm out, and worsens after fast or hard work – the horse may appear sore in the shoulders
• Prominent “growth rings” on the hoof wall
• A “dished” hoof wall with flared out toes (often with low compacted heels)
• Broken away hoof edges and flaky soles – soles may appear flat or “dropped”
• A crumbly white line or low grade “seedy toe”
• Pain when hoof testers are applied around the edges of the sole, particularly in the toe region.
• Sore footedness after hoof trimming or shoeing

Reference:
1. Linford R, O’Brien T & Trout D (1993) Qualitative and morphometric radiographic findings in the distal phalanx and digital soft tissues of sound thoroughbred racehorses. American J. Vet Research 54:1, 38-51.
2. Johnson KG, Tyrrell J, Rowe JB & Pethick DW. (1998) Behavioural changes in stabled horses given non-therapeutic levels of virginiamycin. Equine vet. J. 30:2, 139-143.

Of all the common lameness problems that affect horses and ponies, laminitis and founder are most feared by horse owners. In fact, laminitis is the second biggest killer of horses after colic.

Laminitis occurs when the sensitive soft tissues connecting the pedal bone to the hoof wall (‘laminae’) are damaged. This allows the pedal bone within the hoof to ‘sink’ downwards and ‘rotate’ backwards.

Laminitis most commonly affects the forefeet of the horse. Some of the most common clinical signs of laminitis include shifting weight from one foot to another, lameness and palpable heat in the feet with increased pulses in the digital arteries over the fetlock. Affected horses often have an increased heart rate and respiratory rate, and may tremble, sweat or be visibly distressed. The hooves are usually painful when pressure is applied over the toe region of the sole. Bruised or dropped soles, widened white line, dished hooves, squashed heels or flat feet are also common.

Laminitis is usually caused by overeating feeds rich in soluble carbohydrates (mainly found in cereal grains and lush spring or autumn pasture). Feeds rich in starches and sugars can cause a digestive upset in the large intestine. These energy rich nutrients are usually digested in the small bowel, however if eaten in excess they spill over into the large bowel, where they are fermented by certain species of ‘bad’ bacteria. This results in production of lactic acid in the bowel. As the acid builds up and the normal bacteria in the bowel die, toxic
substances known as ‘endotoxins’ are released and enter the bloodstream. It is
these endotoxins which are thought to damage the laminae.

Even if you have never experienced laminitis in your horse before, now is the time to make preventative changes in order to minimise your horse’s chances of succumbing to this potentially fatal disease. Correct feeding, in conjunction with reducing acid build up in the bowel, are the most effective ways to prevent laminitis.

The basis of feeding horses with laminitis involves formulating a balanced diet high in fat and fibre while avoiding sugars (ie grains and carbohydrate-rich pastures). This can be achieved by feeding mature lucerne hay that is typically lower in sugars and higher in protein than other hays. Always steer clear of giving cereal grain based feeds to laminitic horses.

Limiting the amount of pasture consumed by the horse will also help. Pasture sugar levels are lowest in the morning, so avoid grazing after about 11am. Limit access to pasture to 90 minutes only in spring and autumn. Don’t allow laminitic horses to graze stressed short grass, frosted or drought recovering pastures as these may contain high sugar levels.

Products such as Founderguard^® contain ‘Virginiamycin’ and can be added to the feed to help prevent laminitis from occurring. This works by suppressing the activity of the ‘bad’ bacteria which produce lactic acid, thus maintaining the gut microbes in the correct balance. Founderguard^® is a preventative rather than a treatment and cannot correct any physical damage that has already occurred in the feet. However, following an attack of laminitis, Founderguard^® can help prevent the ‘flare-ups’ that frequently occur in the recovery period.

If you think you have a case of laminitis, call your veterinarian for advice. The sooner you call, the more likely you will be able to successfully treat your horse’s laminitis. Prevention really is better than cure.

Sub-tropical pastures contain chemicals called oxalates, which bind to calcium during digestion in the small intestine. The calcium-oxalate compound renders the calcium insoluble in the horse's small intestine, where the majority of calcium absorption takes place. The calcium-oxalate compound passes from the small intestine to the large intestine, where it can be broken down during microbial digestion, however by this stage of the digestive tract very little calcium is actually absorbed.

Sub-tropical grasses that contain high levels of oxalates:

• Buffel Grass
• Green Panic Grass
• Kikuyu Grass
• Pangola Grass
• Para Grass
• Setaria Grass
• Signal Grass

Horses grazing on fast growing pasture high in oxalates, over a prolonged period, usually 2 months or more, without calcium supplementation, are at risk of suffering from Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism.

A complex system exists within the horse's body to monitor the blood calcium level. As the horse continues to graze pasture high in oxalates and consequently receive deficient levels of calcium in their diet, parathyroid hormone is released from the horse's pituitary gland. Parathyroid hormone stimulates the process of resorption of calcium stored in the horse's bones, particularly non weight bearing bones, predominantly the facial and skull bones.

As calcium is removed from the bones, they become weakened and are deformed by everyday activities such as grazing. The facial bones soften and begin to protrude and swell outwards, hence the term Big Head.

Signs of Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism or Big Head:

• Stiff jointed gait
• Joint tenderness
• Loss of condition
• Swollen jawbones
• Loosened teeth

In many pastures throughout Australia, horses are left with no option than to graze sub-tropical grasses. It is important to provide these horses with a calcium supplement, like Cal-Plus with Biotin, to prevent bone disorders from occurring.

Ideally, to ensure optimum absorption of calcium, the horse should be brought into a yard to consume a hard feed containing a suitable calcium supplement on a daily basis. This may help to reduce the interaction of calcium and oxalates during digestion and ensure the calcium is free of oxalates in the small intestine, where it is available for absorption and utilisation by the horse.

If you suspect your horse may be suffering from Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism, contact your veterinarian for advice.

The horse’s body is made up of more than 100,000 different proteins. There are proteins present in muscle, tendons, organs, glands, blood, hair and hooves. Proteins are also present in enzymes, antibodies, hormones and other aspects of the horse’s metabolic system so are therefore essential for proper body functioning.

Proteins are made up of smaller chemical units or “building blocks” called amino acids. Once the protein is eaten by the horse, it is broken down into amino acids. The amino acids then travel to the parts of the body where they are needed and reassembled into new proteins.

Amino acids are classified as either essential or non-essential. Non-essential amino acids can be manufactured by the body when needed. Essential amino acids cannot be made by the horse and must be obtained from the diet or synthesized by microorganisms in the horse’s intestine. If horses don’t get enough essential amino acids then they are unable to utilize their feed efficiently, growth rates slow down and muscle development becomes limited.

When horses are in work, muscles are constantly damaged and must be replaced as quickly as possible. This means that horses in training have a higher requirement for protein (and therefore amino acids) than other horses. Pregnant or lactating mares and growing horses also require increased amounts of protein in their diets.

Feramo® Every Horse contains six of the 10 essential amino acids that are most commonly lacking in a horse’s diet. Below are some examples of the important actions of these essential amino acids:

• Isoleucine and Leucine are important for protein synthesis, muscle repair, blood sugar regulation and energy production.
• Methionine is an antioxidant and also a source of sulphur which is necessary for healthy hair, skin and hooves. Methionine is used to make carnitine, a protein essential for muscle building and energy production.
• Lysine improves appetite, helps in the absorption of calcium, promotes growth in young horses and helps form collagen which is required for cartilage and connective tissue production.
• Phenylalanine is used in the production of hormones which transmit chemical signals in the brain.
• Valine is needed for muscle metabolism and coordination, tissue repair and as an energy source. It helps muscles remain strong during intensive exercise.

As well as these six amino acids, Feramo® Every Horse is optimally balanced for performance with 10 essential vitamins, seven essential minerals and biotin. By adding Feramo® Every Horse to your horse’s diet, you will ensure your horse can achieve optimum health and vitality.

It is very rare for a performance horse to be clinically anaemic – but many may be borderline or in the low normal range. Low normal readings may be normal for individual horses. Others may have a low normal reading because they do not have sufficient building blocks for red blood cells or because they have not been exposed to the right training stimuli to generate extra red blood cell production.

The following factors may contribute to low red cell measurements in performance horses:

1. Blood loss
2. Inadequate building blocks for red blood cell and haemoglobin production
3. Inadequate fast work to stimulate red blood cell formation

Horses may lose significant amounts of blood if they have a heavy internal or external parasite burden (worms or lice). When young horses first come into work or older horses return from the spelling paddocks it is a good idea to initially worm them out twice three weeks apart. This double worming helps to clean out “encysted” small strongyles (redworms) that will be hibernating in the walls of the large intestine. It is also good practice to give a course of a “blood boosting” supplement such as Blud^®/FBC Bloodfood^®, to provide the horse with the building blocks for red blood cell and haemoglobin production.

Blood loss can also result from haemorrhage due to an injury or a surgical procedure such as castration. Many trainers and vets still like to “bleed” horses to freshen them up, which once again depletes red blood cells and iron stores from the body.
A course of Blud^®/FBC Bloodfood^® will provide the nutritional building blocks to replace the red blood cells and iron lost when the horse is bled.

Two other forms of blood loss may be less obvious to the observer but can also deplete red blood cell numbers. Many horses in training have stomach ulcers, which may cause poor appetite, loss of bodyweight, and sour behaviour. If severe, the ulcers may bleed and blood can be lost on an ongoing basis through the digestive tract. Other horses may lose significant amounts of blood due to internal lung bleeding during exercise. Theoretically the iron from the red cells destroyed during lung bleeding should be able to be recycled by the body and reused in the production of new red cells. Anecdotally however, it appears that it is not uncommon for an internal bleeder to have a lowered red cell count.

Iron, copper, cobalt and zinc are the important trace minerals required for red blood cell formation and metabolism. Vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid are essential vitamins in the process. Many trainers think that iron is the only nutrient required for blood cell production, however a deficiency of any of the other minerals and vitamins mentioned above can reduce red blood cell and haemoglobin formation regardless of how much iron is available to the horse.

It is general practice to supply horses with supplementation of some or all of the nutrients mentioned above. Iron is often given by injection, as is Vitamin B12 and folic acid. The use of iron injections is not recommended as it is not uncommon for a horse to suffer a fatal allergic reaction to the injections. Horses also do not have the ability to get rid of excess iron once it has been injected and there is a risk of iron overload that may affect liver function. It is preferable to administer iron in the form of feed supplements – the horse’s digestive tract can then regulate the iron uptake from the gut.

A short course of Blud^®/FBC Bloodfood^® is an excellent way to supplement blood-building nutrients. In addition to containing a highly concentrated form of iron (known as Iron carbonyl which is 98% iron) the supplement also contains copper and cobalt and a range of B-Complex vitamins including vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, eliminating the need to give any of these nutrients by injection. It is recommended that a 3-week course of Blud^®/FBC Bloodfood^® be given at key times during training to help boost red cell and haemoglobin production.

Suggested times when a horse may require extra nutrients is:

• At the start of a preparation after the horse has been wormed out
• At the start of fast work when the body is stimulated to produce extra red cells to carry the oxygen needed for sprint exercise
• Prior to first race or trial
• At times when the horse may be training off
• After blood loss whether it be a planned “bleed” or an injury or surgical procedure

Blud^®/FBC Bloodfood^® is supplied in individual sachets for addition to feed. It is also commonly added to pre-race saline drenches. Although it is unlikely to generate new red blood cells that quickly, administration of iron and B-Vitamins 48 hours pre-racing seems to improve performance in many horses.

Full speed exercise is needed to stimulate the bone marrow to produce optimum amounts of red blood cells. Horses doing a lot of long slow work will only produce sufficient red cell to fuel long slow work. It is recommended that both pacers and gallopers have short sprint workouts over at least 500-600 metres as least twice weekly to stimulate optimum red cell counts.

The stress of training and hard exercise can shorten the life of red cells due to damage from “free radicals” produced by working muscles during exercise. A daily supplement of antioxidant nutrients, particularly Vitamin E and selenium
(e.g. White-E^® with Selenium powder) will help to protect and maintain the lifespan of red cells in performance horses.

So in summary, low-normal range red cell readings may be normal for individual horses. One should be more concerned about a decrease in red cell readings for an individual horse, rather than a horse that always has low normal readings. Many horses may benefit from supplementation with a complete blood building supplement (not just iron!) and changes in training routines to stimulate greater red cell production.

Performance horses regularly lose large volumes of fluid and electrolytes in sweat. They can lose up to 10-15 L of sweat per hour when exercising. They often continue to sweat during the cool-down period. Resting horses may sweat freely in their yard or paddock during the summer months particularly if they are rugged or do not have access to shade.

Electrolyte powders such as Humidimix^® and Stressalyte^® are designed to provide a balanced daily intake of electrolytes to supplement dietary levels. They are added daily to the feed of horses in regular work. As excess electrolytes are rapidly excreted in the urine it is best to feed half the dose in the morning feed and half in the evening feed to get optimum benefit from
daily supplements.

Humidimix^®

Humidimix^® is a daily electrolyte supplement specifically formulated for
horses that lose large volumes of sweat i.e. heavy sweaters as a result of
working at moderate speeds for prolonged periods of time, particularly
during warm weather. Regular heavy sweating not only depletes electrolyte stores but also leads to blood “alkalosis”. This is due to a greater loss of
chloride in sweat compared to sodium. This disproportionate loss of chloride
leads to an increase in blood bicarbonate levels causing the blood to become
alkaline.

Alkalosis can result in poor performance, excessive “blowing” after fast work, uncharacteristic nervousness and an increased risk of tying-up. It is most common in pacers but can also occur in other hard-working performance horses. In order to correct alkalosis, Humidimix^® contains much higher levels of chloride, potassium and magnesium than many other electrolyte supplements. Humidimix^® is also an acidic mixture which helps neutralise the blood alkalosis. Humidimix^® is recommended for pacers, endurance horses, eventers, dressage horses, stockhorses, polocrosse horses and other horse that sweats heavily on a regular basis such as thoroughbred horses racing in tropical conditions.

Stressalyte^®

Stressalyte^® is a daily electrolyte supplement designed specifically for light sweaters such as thoroughbred racehorses. Gallopers do not sweat as heavily as many other types of horse as they usually work for short periods of time in the cool of the early morning. However they do work at high intensity which leads to the production of large amounts of lactic acid in their muscles during sprint exercise. Lactic acid released from muscles causes a drop in blood pH or “acidosis” which leads to muscle fatigue, soreness and stiffness. Lactic acidosis may also contribute to tying-up in some horses. In addition to replacing the major electrolytes lost in sweat, Stressalyte^® also contains two alkaline salts – citrate and bicarbonate – which help to buffer the acids produced by fast work. These buffers work both in the blood and within the muscle cells to neutralise acidity.

Liquid electrolytes such as Recharge^® are ideal for use after prolonged exercise or long distance transport. In addition to rapidly replacing lost body salts they also encourage drinking to replace lost body fluids and correct dehydration. This is very important as dehydrated horses often lose their thirst response and do not drink adequate amounts to replace their fluid losses. Dehydration also leads to a loss of appetite, which makes it even more difficult for horses to replace their electrolyte losses.

Electrolytes play a vital role in the horse’s body function and supplementing with a complete electrolyte which contains the right balance for the requirement of the horse is crucial.

1. Using both hands, part the horses lips to expose the upper gum.
2. Press gently on the gum just above the front teeth (incisors) for 3 seconds using your thumb or index finger. This will cause the blood to rush away from this area, blanching the gum.
3. Remove your finger. Watch and count how long it takes for the gum to return to its natural pink colour. Colour should return to the blanched area within 2 seconds, if it takes longer your horse may be dehydrated or have a circulatory problem.

1. Gently pinch and elevate the skin on the horses neck, in front of the shoulders using your thumb and forefinger.
2. Release the skin and watch to see if the skin snaps quickly (1 – 2 seconds) back into place. If the skin is slow to return and stays sticking up your horse may be dehydrated.

It is important to take both capillary refill and skin turgor measurements regularly so you get to know what is normal for your horse. The easiest way to remember to perform these tests is to include them in your regular grooming routine.

If you are concerned about your horses’ hydration status, seek veterinary assistance.

Helpful hint - Older horses may have less elastic skin that returns slowly to its normal position even if the horse is well hydrated.

Below is a short video, demonstrating both the capillary refill and skin turgor measurements. This horse displays a normal result to both hydration tests.

Feramo Every Horse: for horses in moderate training (Example ridden 3-5 hours per week, heart rate reaching 90 beats per minute)

Feramo Every Horse has been developed using the correct balance of nutrients to provide horses with a regular, readily useable supply of essential vitamins and minerals which are commonly deficient in the diets of domestic horses. Feeding Feramo Every Horse ensures your horse has the building blocks necessary to achieve optimum health and vitality.

Feramo with Chromium: for horses in heavy work (example ridden 4-5 hours per week, heart rate reaching 110 beats per minutes)

Feramo with Chromium promotes building and maintaining a better athletic horse, and safely improves health and performance. It contains 9 essential vitamins, 8 essential minerals and 4 amino acids nutrients to optimise available energy; maximise muscle development and strength; improve feed uptake; maintain and improve blood count; maintain joint health and function; reduce post exercise complications.

Did you know there is also a Feramo for your dog: Feramo - D?