Equine Nutrition at Sunglade Ranch
For
many years we did not add supplementation to our simple regimen of good
hay and a bit of fortified grain. But with the depletion of our soils,
more irrigated hay land and even more demands on our equine athletes to
meet the high standards of competition, we have changed our feeding
program to the following:
- The best alfalfa mix hay we can buy.
This is the cheapest source of protein available. Control protein by
having high and low mixes on hand. We accompany our hay with straw,
giving confined horses something to do all day. We do not feed
irrigated hay as we feel it can have unhealthy levels of certain
minerals.
- No added protein. We do not buy
supplements with any added protein. Good hay generally contains all the
protein a horse needs. Most bagged supplements have a lot of protein,
which is just processed hay. It's a very expensive way to add protein
to a horse's diet. BioEquine contains no added protein.
- No joint supplementation.
Although we have some of the top reining horses in the country and the
majority of other horses are on injections, we do not routinely
supplement ours. BioEquine contains the correct balance of cobalt,
zinc, and vitamin C to encourage the natural production of joint fluid.
We NEVER feed MSM, glucosamine, etc. because we believe those products
can suppress natural fluid production. If you are using them and want
to quit, you should gradually wean your horses off such products. One
exception to this is inflammatory disease or injury, which damages the
joint lining so that the horse cannot naturally produce its own joint
fluid. Such horses need supplementation.
- No performance enhancing drugs.
We believe drugs allow abuse in the form of over-training. Our horses
have excellent, calm minds. Much of it is breeding; some of it is
BioEquine.
- Balanced vitamins and minerals.
Due to the depletion of natural vitamins and minerals in our soil, we
now need to supplement vitamins and minerals in our horses. But these
must be in the CORRECT balance, such as in BioEquine.
- Keeping the gut clean.
Because of the structure of the equine gut, horses that are fed only a
few times a day and have long periods of standing empty are prone to
having food waste stick to the gut lining. This can build up over time
and cause two problems: lack of nutrient absorbtion, and a tendency
towards colic. This can actually be made worse by feeding concentrated
processed hay (added protein, cubes, etc.). BioEquine has a base of
specially mined, high mineral content diatomaceous earth from an
ancient seabed in Nevada. The microsocpic skeletons of the long dead
sea microbes act as an intestinal scrub, keeping the gut clean,
receptive to nutrients, and resistant to parasites.
- Minimal chemical worming. Because of the scrubbing action of BioEquine, we only worm with ivermectin three or four times yearly.
- Intestinal bacteria supplementation.
Many horses that have been on medications such as antibiotics, chemical
wormers, anti-inflammatories, etc. have a depleted population of "good
bugs" that are essential for a horse's survival. BioEquine adds a high
concentration of yeast to the daily diet.
- Fat supplementation.
In the old days when horses were worked hard on a daily basis, farmers
fed large amounts of oats, corn, beet pulp, etc.. Oats have some fat
but are high in sugar. We no longer feed those products. Because
BioEquine is a top-dressing, we feed a small amount of barley (more
fat, less sugar) and a straight fat supplement such as Equine Power
2000 which basically is ground up peas and flax. That way, we can
easily regulate the amount of fat each horse receives. They need it. It
gives them that cover over the ribs and that deep gloss to the coat.
Keep it simple and cost effective!
- Regular show horses: hay, fat, barley, and BioEquine.
- Horses on grass: barley and BioEquine
- Thin: Increase hay and fat
- Fat: Decrease hay and fat
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