Thompson and Redwood

7 hours ago

#tiptuesday - one of our frequently asked questions is "how do you feed a horse to build topline?" So here are 5 things you need to know about building topline and condition in your horse...

1. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗟!
Topline building requires specific types of exercise. Think of it this way, if we sit on the couch watching TV we can't build strong biceps and a six-pack even if we eat the right food 🏋️

2. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲 (𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆) 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵:
Horses need energy to fuel their work, but if you're looking to build condition, there needs to be enough 'left over' to allow the body to repair and build. If they need to dip into energy stores to fuel their work, they can actually break down their topline.

3. 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁 - 𝗻𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱!
Feeding enough calories doesn't mean throwing heaps of any old feed at your horse. Think about it, a human athlete can't build healthy muscle and fitness on a diet of donuts, bread and sugar! 🍩🍞🍨 Make sure they are getting a nutritious, balanced feed with quality fibre and protein.

4. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀
Building topline is building muscle, and muscle is made up of 70% protein so protein is key! But not all protein is created equal. Your horse’s diet needs to include superior quality sources of protein and amino acids, not just vast quantities. Why? Feeds classed as better sources of protein (like lupins) contain higher amounts of essential amino acids like lysine which are needed for muscle building.

5. 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀
Their diet needs to meet all of their vit & min requirements, because deficiencies or imbalances (e.g. zinc deficiency) can impact topline building.

Remember that breed, genetics and age can impact how well your horse can build topline, and how muscly their topline can get - an Arabian will have a different topline capacity to a Quarter Horse!

#topline #toplinebuilding #performancehorse #showhorse #horsehealth #horsefeed #horsenutrition ... See MoreSee Less

Thompson and Redwood

1 week ago

#tiptuesday - Why do we need to take extra care when feeding senior horses?
Dental health plays a big part in feeding a senior horse, as their teeth change and decline as they age. Here are a few key reasons why this impacts our feed choices:

💡Did you know that your horse's teeth continue to erupt throughout their lifetime at a rate of 2-3mm a year? As the horse chews, it continuously wears its teeth down, so they have 'reserve' crown below the gum line that erupts. Their teeth are considered fully grown at around 8-10 years of age.

💡The reserve tooth narrows as it goes down below the gum line, so as it erupts, gaps form between the teeth making it easy for feed, especially grass and hay to get stuck.

💡The remaining teeth have less of an anchor under the gum and can become wobbly and sore and leave the horse susceptible to periodontal disease.

💡Chewing can become increasingly difficult and painful for them, which can lead to loss of appetite, inefficient eating, weight loss and choke.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱?
✔️EASY TO CHEW - it should be easy to chew and ideally soak into a soft mash so horses with poor dentition can still eat it comfortably and efficiently and it can reduce the risk of choke.

✔️FOCUS ON FIBRE - because their forage and hay intake can be impacted, look for built in fibre and consider adding a fibre supplement mash.

✔️EXTRA PALATABILITY - older horses can be fussy when it comes to eating, so the feed should be highly palatable (extra yummy).

✔️HIGHLY DIGESTIBLE - the digestive system can also become less efficient in senior horses, so the feed should be concentrated and nutritious, so they can digest it easily.

𝗪𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱:
𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 are formulated with the senior horse in mind. They are concentrated, high-calorie fibre-based cubes that soak easily into a palatable mash. They also support gut health with the addition of pre & probiotics.
Pair these with 𝗟𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗲𝘀, our super fibre mash, to provide easily digestible fibre that is high in prebiotics to support their gut function and health. ... See MoreSee Less