🌟 Tuesday topic - It IS ok for your horse to puff! 🌟
The benefits of exercise for the overweight horse have long been recognised and documented to increase Insulin sensitivity however, more research continues to emerge regarding intensity of exercise and this is something I talk about on visits a lot.
A recent paper showed that higher intensity exercise resulted in greater, whole body insulin sensitivity (Pratt-Phillips 2024). In 2007 the NRC updated guidelines to include heart rate within their categorisation of workload to help people accurately determine their horses true workload. Rather than being purely based on number of times a week they are exercised, it focuses more on heart rate elevation and % of time spent in walk/trot/canter and or jumping efforts/gallop etc.
If your horse is physically able to exercise and provided it is built up gradually; I always encourage hill work and lots of changes of pace and duration to increase the intensity of workload which, alongside a managed and balanced diet, is the best method to reduced excess body fat horse 🐴
Note: the puffing in this video is after trotting up a very steep Devon hill!
Home for the next few days
🌟 Tuesday Topic - What’s in your kitchen cupboard 🌟 So not strictly nutrition related but a fun one for this week as I know I can’t be the only one managing a grey hippo! I cleaned her tail using ONLY 2 kitchen cupboard essentials. It’s not perfect but it has definitely lifted some of the yellow out and I will repeat the process a few more times. Give me a 👋🏻 in the comments below if you want me to share which 2 products I used…..
🌟 Tuesday Topic - Feeding for workload 🌟
An important factor to discuss when doing a consultation is the current workload your horse is in. Having an accurate description and understanding of your horses regular activity helps me to calculate their energy requirements more effectively.
Terms often used are ‘light/moderate/heavy’ workload but would you be able to tell which category your horse falls into?
It is often thought to relate to how many times a week your horse is worked/ridden but the intensity at which your horse works is also a factor ie heart rate and oxygen consumption rate as a reflection of metabolic rate.
According to the National Research Council 2007 a ‘moderate’ workload is classified as;
Average heart rate 90 beats/min (where an average resting heart rate is 30-40bpm)
3-5 hours work per/week with 30% walk, 50% trot, 10% canter and 10% low level jumping or other skill work.
This video is my mare having a canter on the beach at the weekend; she is ridden 5 or 6 times a week but all of my work/schooling is done on hacks unless I box up to a school therefore majority of my time is spent in walk/trot with short canters thrown in where ground allows. So although she is moderate in terms of number of hours ridden per week, she is definitely in the light category in terms of intensity of work therefore I would base her feed plan on ‘light workload’. Being realistic about her workload ensures I am not providing excess calories.
If you have a horse that needs to lose weight and they are physically able to work then frequent exercise and the INTENSITY of exercise will be your best friend! If like me you school on hacks, I plan my routes around the best hills for long trots, steep hills for lots of transitions and always hopefully for a grassy verge to canter! 🐴
Out of office until Monday to celebrate my best friend and partner in horse adventures getting married!
🌟 Tuesday topic - energy demands🌟
Summer holidays are in full swing here…how are yours going?! We are wishing the sun would make an appearance but we’ve still managed a busy week and a half with friends staying, beach trips, mountain biking and of course lots of pony riding!
If you find during the holidays your horse or ponies workload changes dramatically then it’s a good idea to review your fees accordingly. For some, the workload dramatically increases with lots more availability to ride, pony club activities, summer shows etc and for others it reduces massively (ie parents with a lot less time to ride🙋🏼♀️!!). Firstly look at body condition score, if they are carrying too much body fat then this increase in energy usage is ideal to help breakdown fat stores but if your horse is ideal BCS or is slightly under then you need to increase the energy to maintain/help gain extra weight.
The best way to increase energy is through highly digestible fibre - hay/haylage, good quality grass, beet pulp mashes etc. You can use other sources ie high fat feeds if extra support is needed but upping the fibre will be the most sympathetic to your horses digestive tract so is always my first port of call.
Happy holidays!!🐴
One of the many things I love about my job is all the places/yards/people I get to visit and meet. On Monday I went to see a horse at ESP Equine and got to see one of the horses working in a hydrotherapy session. Such a beneficial rehabilitation and fitness tool we have on our doorstep in the South West. It was refreshing to chat with Emma and discuss her well rounded approach to rehabilitation, looking at the whole approach and encouraging all professionals to work together on each case #equinenutrition #equine #rehab #I #equinerehabilitation #equinefitness #equinefitnessandrehabilitation
🌟 Tuesday Topic - Exercise 🌟
If you have a good doer it can be frustrating when you are doing all you can dietary wise to support weight loss and nothing is happening.
Where it is physically possible, exercise is usually the answer! Sometimes this means getting creative and if you can’t ride, then even purposeful in-hand walking can be beneficial. Studies have shown that the Heart Rate needs to be up 100-140bpm to start burning fat stores which generally is prolonged trot work and canter work however if the horse/pony is overweight and unfit then these heart rates could be reached while hill walking etc.
Video of me leading my daughters pony out earlier in the year while she is at school to make sure the pony stays fit and healthy weight…thank goodness for the lighter evenings meaning she can now ride after school! 🐴
🌟 Tuesday Topic - ‘magic’ supplements🌟
Unfortunately there are no magic supplements or any feed that will make your horse lose weight - wouldn’t it be easier for those good doers if there were!! Some people have reported success with particular herbs and spices but there is no scientific evidence to support and it’s it difficult to attribute any weight loss to one feed additive alone as often other environmental measure come into consideration as well.
The only tried and tested way to aid weight loss is a balanced, calorie controlled diet ie; the calorie expenditure (what they are using) is greater than the calorie intake (what they are getting from their diet). Remember energy (Megajoules) = calories.
The best way to increase energy expenditure is exercise and movement (if possible for the horse). If your horse is not ridden, in-hand walking or long reigning is a great way to keep everyone fit. Even 10 minute in-hand walking is a good starting point.
For those with good doers or those who need to lose weight, we are on the countdown to spring grass so use these next 6 weeks or so to your advantage! 🐴
(Video footage from warmer/sunnier days!)
🌟 Tuesday Topic - Energy Requirements🌟
The energy (calories) your horse needs on a daily basis is calculated on a maintenance level (the basic needed for daily physiological functions to survive) of their body weight and then additions made depending on factors such as current body condition, workload and growth stage.
Be realistic and honest with yourself about your horses workload as this can have a big impact on your horse getting over or under their energy requirement. Many of us determine workload by how many times a week we ride but you also need to factor in intensity of work (heart rate), elevation and duration. Most horses being hacked 2-3 times a week for 45mins - 1 hour at a time with a mix of walk, trot and the occasional burst of canter, would fall into the light work category but often they are suggested to be in medium work.
As per the 2007 NRC Recommendations, a moderate workload to defined as follows:
Mean heart rate: 90 beats/min
3-5 hours per week with 30% walk, 50% trot, 10% canter and 5% jumping or other skill work
The best indicator for assessing wether your horses is getting too much or too little energy is regular body condition scoring.
Food for thought 💭 #equinenutrition #equineexercise #foodforthought #equinemobileweighing #horseweightgain #horseweightmanagement #horseweightloss
I got asked an interesting question last week…how do I calibrate my weighbridge, so thought I’d show you! Once every 4 weeks I set it up and put a front tractor weight on it (which is a set, confirmed weight) and check that we have accuracy down to 0.5kg 😃 #horseweigh #equinenutrition #equinenutritionist #horsefeed #horsefeeding #tractorparts
When you are a superstar pony with veteran teeth, you deserve to have your carrot grated into your feed 🤩🐴 #poppitthesuperpony #veteranpony #wonderpony #weloveyoupoppit #equinenutrition
Was a bit windy this morning and Dave was less than impressed!💨 #tiswindy #battendownthehatches #sittight
We had an extra 4 legs joining us for our morning hill work session today 🐶 #terriervshorse #endlessenergy #horsesofinstagram #terriersofinstagram #horsenutrition #equinenutrition #feedforenergy
