February is the month for love and Valentine’s Day is coming right up. Rainbow has wonderful gifts for all of your sweeties! Don’t miss the Valentine’s Day Sale, February 9 through 15th, where you save $10 on every $50 purchase of Hydro Flasks, Purses, Jewelry, Home Décor and Toys. There is something sure to delight your loved-ones, be they human or equine (or canine or feline!)
You look at your horse and wonder if he is losing weight? Or maybe his coat is dull? And, oh no! Is he limping slightly? Another abscess? Any or all of these concerns can make us also wonder, should we be feeding a supplement?
Equine nutritionists agree that the basis for horses’ diets should be quality forage. This includes pasture grazing and hay, both grass and legume. But feeding the same type of forage all the time – the same pasture, or the same type of hay – can leave out essential nutrients. While there are situations where a horse’s nutritional needs are met with available forage, they are not common situations for modern horses. New Zealand Veterinarian Dr Erin Roddy, DVM, in her blog article Do Horses Actually Need Supplements? offers her description of the ideal situation:
“I certainly agree that there are a group of horses for whom supplementing the diet is unnecessary: these horses include healthy animals living in a natural (i.e. herd) setting, grazing continuously on a wide variety of forage, and being asked only to “survive”. Compared to most of our modern horses the horse I have just described is as close to “natural” as possible. Horses living in a herd environment, grazing continuously on a variety of forage sources and not performing more exercise than grazing and “horse play” are unlikely to need much supplementation.” Dr. Roddy also points out, “Wild horses would graze a vast array of land (thousands and thousands of acres) and in the process consume many different varieties of grasses, weeds, herbs, tree bark, roots, and soil types. It was this significant variation in forage types in their diet which ensured that wild horses consumed everything they needed for a balanced diet.”
If you are noticing changes in your horse, and wondering about adding or changing a supplement, your veterinarian is the place to start. There are many excellent supplements available, some designed for specific situations such as weight gain, coat and hoof support, or Mineral deficiencies. Young growing horses have different needs than adults, and as horses age they often have trouble chewing, and less gut biomes that help with digestion. Targeting the supplementation both saves you money and addresses your horse’s individual needs. Look at this article from University of Minnesota Extension, that breaks down the types of supplements and what they do – Providing your horse vitamins and minerals – Author: Marcia Hathaway, professor emeritus of Animal Science, College of Food Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences
Then download this month’s Subscriber Coupon and head in to your local Rainbow store to check out the selection of quality vitamin and mineral supplements. 20% Off Equine Supplements.
Learn more about choosing the right supplement for your horse in this article, courtesy of Farnam.
The Chicks are in the Building! The first batches of baby chicks are arriving at Rainbow stores now. The Ukiah store is already sounding like spring, and chicks will be in the Middletown and Lakeport stores before Valentine’s Day. Check out the Chicks and restock your flock. Don’t forget the Chick Starter and heat lamps, too.
Trivia! Enter to win a $15.00 Rainbow coupon!
Last month’s question was, What Winter weather challenge is common here in northern California? If you said, well, DUH – It’s Mud! You were right. Our winner is Gene Dowdy.
This month’s question is, according to Dr Roddy, which type of horse is least likely to need supplements?