Disclaimer: our blog, our thoughts:

 Possibly unwanted and unwarranted - feel free to stop reading now...

Please note, I am not a vet or animal nutritionist - these are just my thoughts based on my experiences.

Context

Recently, I was contacted by two people wanting to sell their horses - one was a client who had bought a horse via Performance Horse Sales. You would think that I would be excited - new listings and potential commission! But I wasn’t.

The reason why I wasn’t excited was that:

• I know how stressful it is to buy and sell horses. It’s a massive emotional, time and financial investment that people don’t take on lightly. The decision to sell is a heartbreaking one.

• I genuinely believe that most horses are sold honestly and to someone that the seller believes will suit the horse. Due to the level of rigor in our process - this is especially the case via PHS.

• I also genuinely believe that management and feeding has a huge amount to do with horse behaviour. It’s a massive change, being sold and sent to a new home/ owner and managed in a different way. This new management may or may not suit the horse. It could even cause health issues like ulcers.

Based on these reasons, I offered my thoughts and said ‘take it or leave it but it’s a pretty cheap experiment compared to selling this horse and buying another’. 

My thoughts were:

• If the horse is looky, too high energy, too forward or strong:  Take the horse of ALL feed for a month to six weeks. If there isn’t adequate access to grass - feed grassy or teff hay ONLY. This is a FREE experiment.

• If the horse is cranky, kicks out, spooky, tail swishy or any of the ‘typical symptoms’: Scope for ulcers or take a punt and treat the horse ‘prophylactically’ using Ulcersheild. Many horses show behaviours that are not ‘typical’ for ulcers but treating for ulcers, can often alleviate the negative behaviour. 

• If the horse is ‘off’ or ‘not doing well’: Perhaps add a gut health supplement - we aren’t sponsored by anyone but B Complete by Banana Feeds, seems to be the winner at our stables!

• If all of the above don’t completely alleviate your concerns, perhaps add a supplement such as BQuiet or the herb ‘Passion flower’ to take the edge off.

The good news!

The good news is that both horses' behaviour changed dramatically and positively - as a result of our advice and the owners' persistence. Both horses are now calm and the undesirable behaviors have ceased. Both horses are being happily and safely worked by the owners. Neither horse is for sale!

The basis *and scientitic links* behind my thoughts on feeding and behaviour: 

The following are my thoughts, based on my experience riding and owning horses. However, there is research that backs up these theories, it is linked below.

Concept 1: I'm putting my neck on the line but I believe that most horses - even performance horses - ridden by children or amateurs need nothing other than hay. Supplements can be fed in straight chaff OR with a small amount of speedibeet. 

Concept 2: Feed companies are incorrectly advertising feeds. These companies are describing their feeds as safe, cool, grain free or low risk for laminitis - which I don't think they are, for most horses.

Concept 3: Feed companies advise feeding kilos of the stuff which can send horses off their rockers. Even minimal - a cup/ handful size - amount of feed can make horses forward, ‘see ghosts’, become nervous to handle or girthy and develop ulcers.

Articles supporting these theories: 

• The correlation between Feeding and Behaviour by Allen and Page

Summary from Allen and Page - When a horse eats, the food is broken down in the intestines and absorbed,it then enters the blood stream and causes the blood sugar to rise. This happens after every meal, but diets high in sugar and starch bring on a much higher response than fibre. The sugar contained in the blood can cause excitable behaviour and the bigger the blood sugar peak, the more chance there is of your horse showing unwanted behaviour. This is the same effect as the “sugar rush” a child experiences after eating too many sweets!

• The correlation between the wrong diet or management and ulcers, which has a major impact on behaviour: Penn State University article ‘Using Nutrition to Manage and Prevent Stomach Ulcers in Horses’. 

Links to commonly used feeds that are described as either safe, cool, grain free, low GI or all of the above - and their ingredients:

The ingredients that can cause issues: 

• Soybean meal is in the majority of 'grain free, laminitis safe, cool energy feeds’. This is listed as bean on Mitavite Munga website but disclosed elsewhere.

  • • • Issues caused: Hormonal issues; Inflamation; Extra energy can affect behaviour

• Lupins and faba beans - High protein = high energy which can affect behaviour

• Molasses - High sugar which can affect behaviour.

• Millrun/ millmix - in Munga and Easiride as well as most pellet feeds.

  • • • This is ‘pollard’ - a grain by product that feed companies put in feeds and then claim they are ‘grain free’.

      • Extra carbohydrates which can affect behaviour.

• Copra - Coconut meal

  • • • inbalaced phospohorus/ calcium ration

      • high fat/ energy can affect behaviour

• Linseed, Canola, Rice Bran, CEN etc oil 

  • • • high fat/ energy can affect behaviour

      • inflammatory in terms of joint issues such as arthritis - pain equals behaviour issues

• Chaff  - I know, I know, I said to mix supplements in chaff - however, that would be the only reason that I would feed it and then, in minimal amounts because:

  • • • Chaff is more expensive that hay, kilo for kilo.

      • Chaff is short and sharp. It can cause damage to the stomach lining, especially if it is the only thing in there. This damage can lead to ulcers.

      • Choosing the right chaff is important as some are higher in sugar - which can also affect behaviour.

      • Hay is better for saliva production which helps prevent ulcers.

Summary:

• The goal of most horse owners is to have a safe, rideable horse. 

• There is no point having a fat and glossy horse if it is not fun, or is even dangerous, to ride.

• Give your bank balance and horse a couple of weeks break from feeding anything but hay and see if your horses behaviour settles. It’s a free experiment!

Response to our blog: 

• Hi PHS, I just read your blog and really thought it was - of course - so good! So many people feed so much it is just crazy. Our event horses are on very little, but good quality hay. They look magic and healthy and shiny – we add what additives they need due to our lacking pasture and some extra electrolytes. It was just nice to read such good info!! Kind regards, Ali Gee 

• Hi Sally, loved your December blog. xxxx contacted me to say xxxx wasn’t working out and I was devastated as I really thought they’d be a match. Fast forward a couple of weeks and she has treated him for ulcers with great success. Thank you for giving her such wonderful advice! Chloe