Mares are in season for around 6 days every 3 weeks from spring until autumn. Some mares will cycle all year. When they are cycling, their hormones are fluctuating and, in many mares, will trigger changes in behaviour. This is perfectly natural and something we should try to understand, not criticise her for. Mares are as entire as stallions, the difference being that their drive is periodic, not constant.
Autumn is with us, even if it is a bit uncertain! Horses are now well into their winter coats, the grass is going off and whilst this is a good time to let the weather take weight off our fatties, some horses are not fatties and need extra feed now to ensure they are able to go through winter without getting positively poor. Older horses, thin skinned ones and growing youngsters can all come into this category.
When old hay is running low, or is not very good quality, we will want to start on the new hay as soon as possible. But when can we start using new hay? Newly made hay continues to under-go changes even after it is baled. Traditionally, new hay was never fed to horses until Michaelmas at the end of September - when it was termed old hay! In practice and under pressure of supplies, do not feed new hay until it has been baled at least 6 weeks and even then, keep a close eye out for any signs your horse is not happy with it. This could be loose droppings, bloated and gassy or even colicky. Not all horses are affected by new hay, but it is not worth risking a gassy colic.
We have renamed our conditioning top up feed, TopNosh, to 'TopGain'. The name change reflects the use of TopGain - it is a high calorie feed, designed for horses that need to gain weight and condition. The product, price and ingredients remain the same. TopGain comes in a new bag which is 100% recyclable. Like our entire range, TopGain is 100% natural and cereal-free.
With better diagnostic tools and techniques, ulcers are being more widely diagnosed. There are basically three types of stomach ulcers and horses can also get hind gut ulcers which are much harder to diagnose as they are out of reach of any endoscope.
Gastric ulcers can be caused by a variety of issues relating to feed, management and workload. They are being increasingly diagnosed across all horse populations, including leisure horses, likely due to greater awareness of the signs and symptoms. There have also been developments in technology allowing vets to make earlier and more conclusive diagnoses.
There are three main types of gastric ulcers in horses:
Treating a horse with ulcers is a four-fold approach:
Horses evolved on grassy, treeless plains. They are nomadic trickle feeders that would spend and average of 12.5 hours a day grazing upon forage - which would have been the leaves, stalks, flowers and seed heads that grew on these plains.
Relatively recent studies show that horses generally graze in 10 to 15 feeding bouts per day and so constant availability of forage is deemed essential for our horses health and well-being.
Whilst we cannot provide a grassy, treeless plain it is possible to recreate some of the factors that constitute species-appropriate feeding for horses that spend time in a stable.
Did you know Simple System's entire range of feeds are all registered with The Vegan Society?
The horse is an obligate herbivore which means in human terms, it is Vegan. Sadly, not all the ingredients in many ranges of feed are all from plant sources but we have respect for the horse as an obligate herbivore and feel it is inappropriate to include animal remains of any sort in horse feeds.
The Vegan Society is very thorough in its processes to ensure that we adhere to their strict guidelines and we are inspected regularly to ensure compliance.
Stomach ulcers are sadly common place in horses. They are being increasingly diagnosed across all horse populations, including leisure horses, likely due to greater awareness of the signs and symptoms. There have also been developments in technology allowing vets to make earlier and more conclusive diagnoses.
Ulcers can be triggered, or exacerbated by stress, travelling, long periods without food, insufficient forage, cereals and straw. Some medications can also trigger them.
Our Director of Nutrition, Jane van Lennep BSc., MSc., BHSI (SM Cert)., NPSD., shares advice on how to feed your horse this winter.
Forage first. Make sure your horse always has forage available to eat. Horses generate their heat through fermenting forages in the hindgut. By ensuring your horse has enough hay to eat, you will keep him warm in the coldest weather. Split hay rations into two or three piles spread evenly apart. Encouraging movement will keep your horse exercised, healthier and will help keep joints in good condition.
Split feeding times. Instead of feeding your horse once a day, try to split feeding times to two or even three times a day (if possible!). Horses are used to eating almost constantly.
Check water levels. Monitor your horse's water daily to ensure they are drinking enough and staying hydrated. Break ice on frozen water troughs (use a colander to sift out chunks of ice) and add in a little hot water to tempt your horse to drink. If your horse needs further encouragement still, adding a handful of TopGain , MetaSlim or Simple Balance + can work incredibly well. Soaked forages, such as our Blue Bag Grass Pellets, are a great way to hydrate your horse as well as giving them a nutritious feed.