There’s an increasing variety of horse feeds available, but while choice is a good thing, selecting the right feed, or blend of feeds among the options available can be confusing.

This guide looks specifically at balancers to give you an insight into what they are, how to use them and their benefits, so that you can make an informed choice.

What are balancers?

Balancers are small, nutrient dense feeds (often pellets) formulated to provide a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and quality protein alongside a negligible level of energy (calories). Depending on the horse feed balancer you choose, they may also contain added functional ingredients such as probiotic live yeast or glucosamine.

Read more: Small but Mighty! See the Benefits of Feed Balancers

by Sally Flis, Ph.D., Feed and Crop Support Specialist, Dairy One

Chemical analysis of your hay or hay you are going to purchase is an important part of feeding it, but there is quite a bit you can get from a physical inspection of the hay that will give you an idea of the quality of the hay. There are 6 things to look at when doing a physical inspection of a hay lot: color, smell, maturity, moisture, leafiness, and weed presence. It is best to open up a bale and dig through it when doing the physical evaluation. If that is not possible then make sure to reach into the bale as far as you can for a sample. Roam around the bales in the lot to see how similar they all are.

Color – A bright green hay indicates that a hay was cut at a relatively early stage of maturity; rapidly and properly cured, with no damage from rain, molds, or overheating during storage. Light green or faded hay is often due to sun bleaching and is generally not a concern for quality. Colors in hay that should be avoided are: Yellow – stems and seed heads in over mature hay will be yellow; Brown – can be over mature hay or heat damage; Black – rain or heat damaged; and Grey or White – heat damage or mold growth.

Smell – Avoid hay with musty or moldy smells. This hay can be less palatable and can indicate other quality problems. This can come from poorly cured hay, rain damage, or poor storage. Hay should not be purchased or fed if you can see mold when you open the bale.

Read more: Is My Hay Green Enough?

by Patrick Sawer, Senior Reporter, Telegraph UK
Photo Credit: Justin Sutcliffe, Rare Suffolk Punch horses at the Hollesly Open Prison Stud Farm

For centuries they ploughed the fields of England, shaping much of the landscape of East Anglia, before being harnessed for battle during the First World War.

Yet the Suffolk Punch horse - Britain's oldest native breed - is now critically endangered, its numbers in sharp decline a victim of the rapid mechanisation of agriculture.

The plight of the breed – deemed to be rarer than the giant panda or even the Siberian tiger – has moved one landowner to appeal for an organised campaign to save them from oblivion.

If we lost the Suffolk Punch we couldn’t really say we are a nation of animal lovers.

Clare, Countess of Euston, whose estate in Suffolk was once worked by Suffolk Punch horses, said Britain should feel ashamed of itself if it stood by and did nothing to save the breed.

“If we lost the Suffolk Punch I think it would mean we couldn’t really say we are a nation of animal lovers. They are the most magnificent and beautiful of the breeds,” she said.

There are now just 300 Suffolk Punch horses left in the UK, threatening the health and viability of the breed which once formed the backbone of rural life.

Standing sixteen hands high and weighing over a tonne, yet graceful at full gallop, the Suffolk Punch has been described as having “the face of an angel and the backside of a farmer’s daughter”.

Read more: Britain's Oldest Horse Breed in Battle for Survival

Moriesians: A combination of Friesians (from the dark ages of Europe) and Morgans (from Colonial America).

The Moriesian Horse is the result of a breeding program initiated in the United States to produce horses that combine the elegance and charisma of the Friesian with the versatility of the Morgan. They display an up-headed stature, expressive face, compact body and long thick mane and tail. Their slope of shoulder and movement tends to be more Friesian-like which gives them a regal appearance. Their average size of 15.0 to 16.0 hands makes them comfortable for most riders.

Lighter boned than a Friesian, Moriesians have more of the qualities sought after in a sport horse. The balance and symmetry of this animal is truly art in motion. They make natural show animals that are magnificent to watch, ride and drive. Many have shown themselves to excel in combined driving competitions and have proven apt competitors in classical dressage.

Moriesians are adaptable and eager to perform. Coming from two breeds known for their heart, mild manners, and friendly dispositions Moriesians make wonderful family horses. The breed is honest and willing to please. Its versatility brings lasting value to the owner.

The Friesian horse reportedly dates back 3000 years though the horse we know today was developed in the twelfth century in northern Europe. Friesians were ridden by the Teutonic Knights and used as war horses for the crusades. They could carry large loads, exist on meager rations, and were agile enough to be effective in battle.

Read more: Moriesians: Friesians and Morgans

by Alessandra Deerinck

If we can look at behavior as the expression of an individual, we can also see that it is a dynamic entity that constantly changes. It has some components that are species specific like instincts, others coming from life experienced through memory, and some that are unconscious, like emotions. All of these are filtered through an individual’s personality.

Behavior can be influenced through the learning process, defined as the acquisition of information. In horsemanship a very important part of the information comes from the interaction between human and horse and we, horsemen, need to take responsibility for this. Aside from what can be openly perceived, learning produces a much hidden fact: the stimulation of neural cells, which causes the production of new molecules (proteins). These changes at cellular level determine the new way the cell and the whole individual will respond to a stimulus at a later time. This is true for humans and for horses or any other kind of animal.

In light of this, it is very important that in horsemanship we make so communication and understanding of each other really works both ways, from human to horse and from horse to human.

Read more: Horsemanship and Behavior

Breed Profile: The Akhal-Teke
Courtesy of The Akhal-Teke Association of America

A horse like a shimmering gold mirage, its head held high, almond eyes focused on you, poised to leap into action, yet held by the tether of its deep bond with the human beside it.

That is the quintessential Akhal-Teke, a race that has shared its history with humans for thousands of years and is among the oldest equine breeds.

ORIGINS

These horses are descendants of the steeds that enabled the Scythians to dominate Central Asia until the 4th century BC, described by the Greek historian Herodotus as controlling a vast empire from the Russian Steppes and India westward to the Baltic and the Caspian Sea, The Scythians were partly pastoral, partly nomadic raiders who supplied slaves to the Greeks. Fast horses were essential to their trade.

It is claimed the Ice Maiden of the Altai Mountains, discovered 11 years ago and widely publicized in America through the Nova special, was a Scythian. This woman, who lived over 24 centuries ago, according to radio-carbon dating, was buried with six horses in gilt harness. Her tribe has been called the Pazyryks. They occupied the mountain plateaus that now lie on the border between Russia and China. The Ice Maiden must have been a powerful figure to merit the sacrifice of so many horses, although in fact 5 were geldings and the sole mare was found to have crippling arthritis in her joints.

Read more: Akhal-Teke, a Horse Like Shimmering Gold

by Dr. J Kathleen Young

Much like human athletes, performance horses have special nutritional needs. And with all athletes, it’s important for diets to match activity and athletic level, to reach the highest level of achievement.

“These six tips may help you to supply your horse with adequate energy to support optimal performance,” says Katie Young, Ph.D., equine nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition.

1. Know if it’s anaerobic or aerobic exercise

   Physical activity is broken into two general categories, aerobic and anaerobic, and it can be helpful to understand the science.

   Anaerobic exercise, characterized by short bursts of maximum effort, is primarily fueled by glycogen, a polysaccharide which is composed of sugars and stored in muscle fibers. Soluble carbohydrates from the diet provide the building blocks for glycogen.

   Read more: Six Ways to Feed Performance Horses for Greater Achievement

Dr. Eleanor Kellon, Staff Veterinary Specialist for Uckele Health & Nutrition

Everyone looks forward to the warm weather as the ideal time to ride or work their horse. Most understand the dangers of working the horse under conditions of high heat and humidity. However, the horse can be compromised easily under less than sweltering conditions if you do not know how to correctly protect them.

Horses control their body temperature primarily by sweating. In warmer weather, it becomes crucial to support and maintain proper hydration, whether doing endurance training, events, trail rides, or standing in a field in hot weather.

Hydration isn’t just about water intake or loss

Sweating also causes significant losses of salt. Losing both can lead to devastating consequences. Horses can lose water volume up to 4 gallons per hour, and as much as 4 ounces of salt per hour. The Sodium in salt, which is Sodium Chloride, is absolutely essential for the horse's body to retain normal, healthy levels of water. Regardless of how much water the horse drinks, it will not be able to retain a normal amount of water in the body without adequate Sodium, or salt.

The brain reads Sodium levels in the blood to stimulate the horse to drink when it needs hydration. When water levels drop and Sodium concentration rises, the horse is signaled to drink. However, before any changes in water or Sodium levels in the blood can occur, the body will pull what it needs out of the tissues to maintain blood levels. This can, and does, result in inadequate hydration levels at the tissue level before it shows up in the blood.

Read more: Meeting Increased Summer Hydration Needs