Summer is a great time to be outdoors, especially if you are a horse lover. It is the perfect time of year for riding, whether at the farm or on the trail. However, spring pastures, summer heat, and stress can play a role in a horse’s nutrition and may compromise a horse’s ability to carry a rider or fight off disease and infection. Keeping your horse healthy is key during this active time of the year.
Demands of a Working Horse
It is no surprise that during the nicer weather, horses are worked and trained more than the colder winter months. Work for horses can range from draft horses dotting the countryside performing a variety of plowing, planting, and hauling tasks, to weekend riders who take to trails, to animals involved in high levels of competition. Each of these animal athletes need a well-balanced diet and nutritional support. As an owner, there is certainly no worse feeling in the world, than to watch your equine friend not feel or perform their best.
Keeping horses consuming enough and the right nutrition can sometimes be challenging as they burn more calories. As training and work increases, so does the demand for energy. However, we are able to help supplement their diet and support their needs with lots of clean, fresh water, high-quality feedstuffs, and microbial supplements.
As a horse chariot racer from Utah explains, a microbial supplement can support animals during this time. “The horses have more ‘get up and go’ and recovery time is quicker. After two weeks, I could see such a difference in their energy level with Equine Generator™, the horses eat well, and they respond well. I’m really impressed with it so I started feeding Equine Generator™ to all five horses.”
Spring Pastures Can Lead to Nutritional Issues
While it is always exciting when the snow melts away and the green pastures start to pop up around the countryside, it is easy to forget that young pastures are high in carbohydrates. The lush spring grass is a natural source of nutrition for horses. It provides them with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber as part of a healthy diet. However, spring grass is also high in carbohydrates called fructans. Combine this with changing weather conditions, increased training schedules, foaling, or already sick horses it may become difficult to manage the diet. Supplements can be key in supporting animals by providing yeast, vitamins, minerals, and interstitial bacteria.
Beat the Horse Heat
Chances are, if you are hot under the summer sun, so is your horse! While dealing with heat and flies is nothing new for horse owners, it still remains a challenge to keep horses hydrated. Since horses cool down fastest through sweating, their water consumption naturally increases by up to 50%! However, just as important as water, are the essential electrolytes to maintain blood balance. Once an animal starts to experience dehydration, their health can quickly dwindle and it can become challenging to re-establish proper hydration. Water is simply not enough.
Let Bio-Vet be your partner in your horse’s nutritional needs to achieve better health and growth. These products can help support your existing nutritional program and can provide your horse the opportunity to stay healthy during these times.
- Equine Generator™ is a direct fed microbial specifically designed for working horses with B-vitamins, intestinal bacteria, and live yeast.
- Equine GoldLyte™ is an electrolyte powder that provides a combination of salts, vitamins, and minerals that can be mixed into water.
- Equine CPR™ powder is a top dressed microbial containing live yeast and viable microorganisms. It helps boost the immune system with vitamins (including A, C, D, E and 7 B vitamins), and other nutritional ingredients.
To learn more about products and solutions at bio-vet.com.
