Feeding for a calm horse
Whether you have a very fit competition horse that can prove challenging at times, or a light hack that has suddenly become quite fresh since the grass has come through, you may be wondering what you can do to effectively manage this behaviour.
It is always important to bear in mind that horses are very unpredictable animals, and while we always feel we know our own horses inside out, it often doesn’t take much to cause a change in their behaviour. In the case of the competition horse it is usually beneficial for the horse to be a little on his toes and it is often said that a ‘hot’ horse can be better suited to this career, however, only within reason! Nevertheless, when a horse becomes too sharp for the handler or rider, there’s an increased risk to safety and the ever-important fun factor to equestrianism can be lost.
So how can we reduce the risk of undesirable behaviour changes in our horses?
A horse’s behaviour can change for several reasons. Consider any change in the horse’s environment, such as restricted turnout, or could the horse be in pain? Something like a saddle pinching, or a sudden change in their daily routine can trigger a horse to be difficult to ride and handle. Here is an interesting article on recognising your horse may be in pain, with spooking and bucking listed as pain associated behaviours.
Compound Feeds
If you can rule out pain as a cause of the horse’s behaviour, and there hasn’t been a recent change to the horse’s routine or environment, consider the horse’s diet. Nutrition can play a big role in the horse’s behaviour, so it is important to be aware of what the horse’s diet comprises, and where changes can be made.
If you horse is prone to becoming ‘hot’, then choose fibre-based feeds rather than cereal-based that are high in carbohydrates. It is also important to ensure you are following the correct feeding rates for your horse’s bodyweight and workload. Feeding additional feed will mean additional, unnecessary energy which will often transpire to spooky behaviour as well as weight gain. As a side note, when choosing a compound feed if you feel your horse needs one, opt for a cube type feed rather than a mix as cubes typically contains less starch compared to a mix which provides energy from cereals.
Avoid quick release energy sources and opt for slow release energy feeds. A feed high in carbohydrates will be high in starch, which will cause fairly high peaks in the horse’s blood sugar levels, often resulting in the fizzy behaviour. A high fibre diet is much more favourable, as fibre is broken down slowly by bacteria in the hind gut and produces slow release energy when the fibre ferments to release volatile fatty acids. If additional calories are needed, then add oil to the diet. Fat molecules, provided from oil, get absorbed in the small intestine and provide energy without the sugar-high caused by quick absorption. Studies have found that by feeding fat to horses hyperexcitability is reduced when compared to feeding high sugar and starch diets.
It is impossible to provide the horse with a zero sugar and starch diet, and in fact, sugar is an important factor in a horse’s diet as it provides the only form of energy that can be used by the horse’s brain. Compound feeds often appear high in sugar, but when you take a step back and assess the horse’s overall diet, the sugar contributed by hard feeds is minimal. Grass, however, has a much higher content with up to 50% water soluble carbohydrate. This often explains why horses become more excitable around the springtime when the grass starts to come through. If this is proving a problem, look to reduce the horse’s grass intake and provide alternative forage. If the horse moves from paddocks throughout the year, be careful when introducing them to lush grass as this will cause a spike in blood sugar levels, resulting in excitability.
Hay or haylage?
The difference between hay or haylage comes down to the maturity of the grass when cut, and the duration of time it is left to dry. Hay is made when the grass is relatively mature and left to dry out completely before baling, and therefore has a low moisture content, but a high dry matter content of around 85%. Due to a loss of nutrients during the drying process, hay is a low-calorie forage and ideal for good doers. On the other hand, haylage is usually cut earlier and will only be left to wilt, rather than dry out completely. This means the dry matter content of haylage is lower, at approximately 50%, therefore horses should be fed at a rate of 1¼ times more haylage than hay to ensure they receive sufficient fibre for digestive health.
Although haylage is lower in sugar than hay, it has a higher level of digestible energy and therefore can make some horses ‘hot’. Owners with horse’s prone to the undesirable behaviour as a result of haylage can opt to feed hay, which can be soaked for at least an hour to reduce the sugar content.
Calming Supplements
Many horse owners turn to calmers to help settle their horse and promote sensible behaviour. Steady-Up by Feedmark has been extremely popular with owners for many years, but why is it so effective?
- The main ingredients in Steady-Up include two types of Magnesium. Research has found that a deficiency of magnesium can cause nervousness, tremors and excitability. So, by using a Magnesium based calming supplement this will be counteracted, and behaviour improved.
- When choosing a calmer, it is important to consider a supplement with prebiotics as these have been found to support behaviour. This is because undesirable behaviour is often triggered if the bacterial population within the horse’s gut is unbalanced, and a prebiotic can help to maintain a healthy bacterial balance therefore reducing any discomfort. Steady-Up contains Brewer’s Yeast as a powerful prebiotic.
- The soothing herbs Chamomile and Lemon balm have traditionally been used to aid calm behaviour in both humans and animals.
- B Vitamins (especially vitamin B-1- Thiamine) are necessary for the nervous system and carbohydrate metabolism.
Together, this formulation of helpful ingredients makes Steady-Up the ideal choice if you’re considering a calmer for your excitable or spooky horse. Information on how to manage a stressed horse with the help of Steady-Up can be found here.
Summary
- Understand why your horse is behaving this way and rule out any pain that could be attributing to spooky or excitable behaviour.
- Choose a high fibre feed over a high starch and sugar feed and add oil for slow release energy if additional calories are needed.
- Monitor grazing, and effectively manage the horse’s grass intake to prevent a sudden increase in grass consumption (such as moving paddocks to lush summer grazing).
- Choose hay over haylage if possible.
- Feed an effective calming supplement, such as Feedmark’s Steady-Up.