At Ross Dhu Equestrian Centre Ltd we understand that the summer season is very busy for people and their horses, what with shows, horse camps and lots of miles in between. All these events can be very stressful for both the owner and your horse, and can play havoc with your horse’s digestive system. Just like a human gut, the horse digestive system reacts when their nutritional composition changes, and they need time to adapt, so as to avoid increasing the risk of colic, ulcers and dehydration. Please see below the Ross Dhu Equestrian Centre Ltd top tips for your horse’s nutrition whilst travelling.
- Ideally take the feed you use at home with you when you travel, making sure you take enough (and some extra) for the entire length of your trip, so that you don’t run out early. It might not be possible to always take your horse’s feed with you. When this happens, try to substitute with feed as close as possible to what you were feeding at home.
- Think about how your horse likes to eat, is he a grazer or not and make sure you plan accordingly i.e. a haynet.
- Make sure you store all feed appropriately for the conditions you are travelling to avoid food being spoilt.
- If you use a salt block, remember to pack it! Salt helps to simulate thirst, so if your horse isn’t drinking much, it could be that they need to increase their salt intake.
- As with all living creatures, drinking water is vital to staying healthy and to help avoid dehydration when travelling. A horse that is dehydrated could result in colic and they will arrive tried, and restless.
- Remember the most important thing when travelling is to reduce any stress for your horse, which will in turn help with your own travelling stress. Making sure that you plan and prepare prior to your journey will help everyone involved.
Have a great trip!
For more information please feel free to call Morag on 01698 886 492 or email on contact@scottishhorsehelp.com.