This Month on The Feed Line - Joint Support

22 November 2022

For horses and humans alike, joint issues can worsen in the cooler weather. Whilst we may think a few extra 'duvet days' could help, this is not often the case. Horses with joint issues, such as arthritis, often benefit from moving around, so as much turn out as possible is recommended. This can prove difficult in the winter months - when our fields are more like wallows than pasture. Here's a few tips to keep your stabled horses a little more mobile...

• Place your forage and feed in different areas. Hang your�haynets at opposite ends of the stable or place buckets of HayCare�/ Simple System feed�in different corners. This will discourage your horse from standing still in one place for long periods of time and allow them to exhibit more natural grazing behaviours.

• Choose a forage balancer that will support the joints.�Joint Eclipse can be added to your horse�s complete diet, or their existing balancer can be swapped for FlexiBalance which is a convenient balancer and joint aid in one, providing natural vitamins, minerals and Omega 3.

• Exercise. Horses naturally move as they are grazing on pasture. For stabled horses you can help to replace this by walking them out in hand. Older or retired horses can really benefit from this gentle exercise and it can even be combined with some lawn-mowing duties or hedgerow trimming.

• Offer enrichment.�Companionship should never be under-rated. If your stable set up allows, then physical touch and grooming over the stable wall will help your horses' wellbeing. At the very least they should always have sight of another horse. For those with good teeth, try feeding our�Brix. Place a whole brick on the floor and allow your horse to move it around the stable, grazing as they go. Not only does this encourage movement, it helps relieve boredom too!�We offer our Brix in three key ingredients, lucerne, grass and sainfoin. Contact the Feed Line on 01728 604008 if you're unsure which to choose.