Morgan horse Stallion fed on Prime Original
Show producers and riders need their Show horses and ponies to be in ‘top’ condition throughout the show season to stand out in the ring and catch the judge’s eye. However, feeding show horses to optimize show condition can be labour intensive at the best of times, involving a lot of skill. In the past, some have been so well-conditioned to the point of being unhealthily overweight. In fact, overweight horses have often been placed above healthy horses in competitions by judges. Unfortunately, this has contributed to the problem of owners striving to attain the award-winning ‘bigger is better’ trait.
Of course, there’s a thin line between achieving good condition and being overweight. The attributes of these two different types of condition are different and can be fatal for an overweight horse.
Evolving Nutritional Trends for Show Horses
With companies constantly claiming their products are the ‘best on the market’, finding the optimum diet can be challenging. Equine nutrition is a constantly changing model with scientific developments and increasing knowledge of the equine digestive system. So products should include innovative ingredients that help horses stay healthy and cope with training, travelling and competing.
It’s a fact that equine diets have evolved dramatically in the past 20 years. This is mostly to keep pace with the type of work that we now ask horses to do. Originally, working horses were fed a basic fibre diet with oats or barley if they needed extra energy/condition,. Not forgetting a ‘bran mash’ on their day off. Today’s hard feeds have evolved into complex multi-ingredient processed products that place unwanted demands on the digestive system.. Added to this is the energy and stress demands the domestic horse now has to cope with. The end result is that modern health issues now plague horses and ponies. All too often we see metabolic problems, joint issues and gastric ulcer syndrome being common even from an early age.
Focusing on a more natural way of feeding for Show Horses.
Remember, horses evolved to mainly eat fibre for up to 18 hours per day. This constant passage of fibre through the digestive system helps to ensure a healthy gut. The current general trend of focussing on a healthy digestive system is not without value. This fundamental aspect is the basis of a horse’s health and overall well-being.
It’s therefore good practice to turn out show horses and ponies during the competition season. Many are left out over-night before a show as this helps to keep them calmer. So it makes sense to supplement the diet of all horses and ponies, but especially show horses and ponies. Ensuring they aren’t nutrient deficient will keep them in the best possible health and condition, both mentally and physically.
Nutrition’s key role for show horses
Naturally, this plays a huge part both from both an inner perspective as well as the condition you can see outside. Prime Original conditioning balancer supplement contains everything needed to provide your show horse with a balanced diet. Additionally, by promoting and maintaining fabulous condition with a sparkling coat, it’ll ensure he’s a stand-out in the show ring. Prime Original also provides quality protein for that much-needed topline, fibre and extras such as a hoof supplement. There’s also a superior digestive enhancer package and high oil content. These ingredients enable you to keep your show horse’s diet simple and effective without the expense of multiple supplements.
Avoid starch and sugars
All too often, show horses are crammed full of starch-based hard feeds to provide calories for condition. This is at the expense of the digestive system and often leads to digestive disturbances. These then manifest themselves in hot, fizzy behaviour and poor performance in the ring. Feeding a Fibregenix feed balancer enables you to reduce or even completely cut out high starch feedstuffs.
Digestive Aids for Show Horses
A high-shine coat is always reflective of how healthy your horse’s digestive system is. Healthy gut function is essential for not just nutrient absorption but also equates to good performance and temperament.
Prime Original contains a double-action digestive enhancer pack of an equine-approved live probiotic yeast and nucleotides. This highly effective combination of digestive supplements promotes a healthy gut and doubles fibre digestibility. This can enable your show horse to maximise the nutrients he gets from his fibre and helps improve/maintain body condition.
Modern nutritional technology always includes the highest quality ingredients in the most absorbable form, which provides the maximum benefit. Some supplement companies play the numbers game, claiming their product is best as it has more of ‘x’ vitamin/mineral than another. This isn’t strictly correct as it’s possible to increase the level of certain vitamins and minerals without any benefit. Horses can only absorb a certain level and any fed over this are just passed through the system and excreted. Therefore you can simply be ‘throwing money away. This is one reason why Fibregenix feed balancer supplements contain the most beneficial and superior forms of vitamins and minerals.
In summary
Feeding show horses a primarily fibre and Fibregenix balancer supplement diet will create a far happier and healthier horse. No matter whether he’s in or out of the show ring. Fibregenix balancer supplements make your life easy in the feed shed. They reduce time spent making up feeds and with no need for extra individual supplements they save you money too. Fibregenix contains everything your show horse or pony needs to look in amazing show condition. He’ll be healthy from the inside out with a mirror-shine glossy coat, great muscle tone, hooves and topline. This is how you impress the judges as soon as you and your show horse walk into the ring.
Reviewed and amended April 2021
