Welcome to Part 2 of considerations on how to supplement horses diets.

We considered the following questions in Part 1:

• What is a horse supplement?

• Should you give your horse supplements?

• Do horse supplements really work?

• How long does it take horse supplements to work?

We will now look at these remaining questions under Part 2:

• What do different supplements do for horses?

• How should you start a horse on supplements?

• What to mix with horse supplements?

• What horse supplements should not be mixed?

• How many supplements is too much for a horse?

• Why are supplements important for horses?

WHAT DO DIFFERENT SUPPLEMENTS DO FOR HORSES?

According to the European Commission, ‘Feed intended for particular nutritional purposes’ means feed which can satisfy a particular nutritional purpose by virtue of its particular composition or method of manufacture, which clearly distinguishes it from ordinary feed. Feed intended for particular nutritional purposes does not include medicated feeding stuffs.

If a horse supplement, also known as equine supplement, states on its label that it has a particular nutritional purpose, then it needs to have satisfied the regulatory requirements for that purpose to legally make that claim.

So let’s assume you have selected a good way to supplement horse need in this instance. In which case, what that equine supplement will do will depend upon what the composition of ingredients in it is. The feed manufacturer will likely give you an indication as to what areas the horse supplement is intended for, for example you may see reference to the following popular options:

• Horse supplement for joints / horse joint supplement.

• Horse supplement for arthritis / equine arthritis supplement.

• Tendon supplement for horses / Horse supplement for tendons and ligaments.

• Veteran horse supplement / Horse supplements for older horses.

• Equine calmer / Calmer for horses.

• Collagen for horses / Horse collagen supplement.

• Horse hoof supplement.

• Horse coat supplement / Horse mane and tail supplement.

• Amino acids for horses.

• Silicon supplement for horses.

• Horse connective tissue supplement / Nutritional support for equine connective tissues.

• Equine electrolytes / Electrolytes for horses.

As we can see, these various descriptions tend to include the following elements:

an indication of the species (i.e., horse / pony / equine)

+

the term supplement (in most cases)

+

Either what is in the supplement as an ingredient of interest OR what part of the anatomy the supplement is formulated towards OR its function.

However, remember, a supplement is not a medicine so be wary where a non-medicinal product makes claims that it will “prevent, treat, or cure a disease”, as this is not in line with regulatory standards.

HOW SHOULD YOU START A HORSE ON SUPPLEMENTS?

The straightforward answer to this is: you should start a horse on supplements according to the label feeding guidelines.

In absence of any specific guidance on the equine supplement label, you may wish to err on the side of caution and follow the tried and tested rules of feeding horses, such as:

• Making changes to the horse’s diet gradually and therefore introduce a new supplement to your horse’s diet below the recommended feed rate and build up to it over the course of 7 to 10 days.

• Feeding little and often, so splitting across multiple feeds rather than in a single feed, depending upon the practicality of doing so (e.g., feed rate may be so small that splitting across multiple feeds would not make sense to do).

If you compete, then you also need to consider is the supplement competition legal and consulting the rules of your competition governing body (e.g., the FEI, British Horse Racing, Horse Racing Ireland etc.) is a good place to start to see what is allowed or not as the case may be. These rules may influence whether you even start using an equine supplement or not for your horse, or if you need to cease use of it a certain timeframe in advance of competition, or if it is suitable for use before and during competition time or not.

WHAT TO MIX WITH HORSE SUPPLEMENTS?

Let’s look at the answer to this question from a couple of angles:

1. The different forms that horse supplements come in and what each may mix best with.

This will likely depend upon the nature of the horse supplement and any directions the manufacturer may give:

• Say you have a syringe equine supplement then it may just be delivered directly via the horse’s mouth, or you may prefer to mix it through the horse’s hard feed.

• If it is a liquid equine supplement that is palatable then pouring it over some sliced carrots may be sufficient if no hard feed is given, or if a hard feed is given then you could mix it through it or pour it over the top.

• A granular equine supplement may be intended as a top dressing or could be mixed through the hard feed.

• If it is a powder equine supplement, then likelihood is it is intended to be mixed through the hard feed. If you don’t feed a hard feed, or if you just feed a dry cube or coarse mix, then using soaked sugar beet or dampened chaff might be a good option to help carry that supplement into your horse.

2. The scenario of palatability issues (i.e., the horse doesn’t want to eat what it is presented with).

• Is your horse usually keen for their feed but the introduction of a new equine supplement has changed that?

• If they are always a fussy feeder, then that scenario may need looked at in more detail (e.g., from the perspective of their teeth and gut health, as well as what is being offered to them and what it is being offered in).

• So think here about the feed container the horse is eating out of. You wouldn’t want to eat your dinner off a plate with old rotting food on it, so keeping horse feed pots nice and clean, as this can help not deter horses from eating their feed.

• If they are usually a good eater and the introduction of the supplement has changed that, then a few things you may wish to try on their own or in combination with one another are:

  • Reducing the amount of supplement and re-introducing to the diet gradually (if not already done so).

  • Adding a little linseed oil or micronized linseed meal.

  • Including some succulents (i.e., sliced carrots or apples)

  • Using some soaked sugar beet as a carrier.

  • Some horses reportedly like beetroot powder, but success with this can vary.

In other words, try and keep things simple by introducing into their usual feed but if needs be then you may need to try a bit of trial and error to see what your horse likes best.