Nutrition
Equine Nutrition Vital to Performance
The equine nutrition discussion can be a complicated one, but the general rule of the thumb is to provide adequate forage and water. Horses are meant to be grazing for almost all hours of the day. Stomach acid is secreted continuously in a horse's stomach and if the horse's stomach is empty that is when they are predisposed to ulcers and also colic. If your horse is unable to be out in a pasture setting, some great alternatives to help your horse always have something to nibble on is slow feed balls or hay nets or feeding smaller amounts more frequently throughout the day instead of the traditional "morning and night" feeding regimen. Research the quality of hay in your area because unfortunately a lot of hay is not providing the adequate nutrients needed. Each horse may have different forage needs, for example, the metabolic needs of one horse may differ from another, so researching your hay's minerals, nitrates, and starches will help you make the best decision for your horse when buying hay.
As mentioned above, the quality of hay produced, most of the time, will not have the full spectrum of minerals and nutrients that a horse needs in their feed regimen, this is when supplements come into play. An important aspect to note is that horses continuously eat to fill their mineral requirements, once those requirements have been met horses will not be so ravenous when eating. Supplements are a whole other level of research since there are so many on the market today. When researching supplements to give your horse always look for the one that has the most natural ingredients. The supplement line I personally recommend, is Dynamite Specialty Products. I have been using these supplements for years due to the purity of the ingredients and the lack of preservatives; Dynamite Specialty Products do not use chemicals, meat/bone meal, antibiotics, or pesticides in their supplements.
The specific "all around" product that I feed is Dynamite TNT, which supports overall health, including joints, digestion, immune system, and metabolic processes. The other product I use is, DynaPro, which is a prebiotic that supports ideal gut conditions for microbes to flourish. Both of these are my foundation products that I use daily, along with free choice minerals. When needed I may purchase other independent supplements from Dynamite Specialty Products such as, Miracle Clay or DynaHoof. Miracle Clay I have fed to help treat ulcers and DynaHoof I use in the winter to help a horse that does not grow much foot. There are many options when choosing supplements but a key aspect to remember is that without appropriate forage you will not be offering a balanced feed regimen. So start from the ground up, quality forage, giving adequate amounts of forage, water, and providing minerals will set up your supplement routine for more success.
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Dynamite Specialty Products have been manufacturing supplements for over 27 years and provides a complete supplement line for equine, canine, feline, and more. To view Dynamite Specialty Products click the "find out more" tab below.