Worming and feeding

Worming is one of the key parts of keeping a horse healthy. Internal parasites such as roundworms, pinworms and tapeworms do not only reduce comfort; they also affect health and performance in a serious way. In the gut they lead to loss of bodyweight, diarrhoea, colic and, in extreme cases, even damage to the intestine. No wonder regular worming is fundamental to welfare. It is worth remembering, though, that how well it works, and how the body recovers, also depend to a large extent on the right feeding.

Overweight after winter? Checking body condition

For many horses, winter is a time of less activity. Shorter days, less schooling, and often larger rations meant to hold bodyweight through the cold months. When spring comes, some horses have put on more kilograms than we would have liked. Excess weight is not only a matter of looks. Too much fat loads the joints, disturbs metabolism and can lead to diseases such as insulin resistance or laminitis. So how do you tell whether your horse is carrying a few unwanted kilograms after the winter?

How to match a Grassland feed to your horse

Owners face all sorts of challenges in feeding their horses, because every horse has its own needs. One needs more energy for hard work, another does very well on a low-energy feed, and another struggles with a sensitive digestion or with holding muscle. That is exactly why Grassland has a varied range of feeds, so you can match the feeding to a particular horse in a straightforward way.

Too much energy – preparing a horse for outdoor work

With spring comes the moment many riders have been longing for: the first schooling sessions outdoors. Longer days, warmer weather, more space and fresh grass put a spring in the horses' step. Too sudden a surge of energy can, however, quickly become a problem – in the saddle and for the digestive system. That is why the diet needs to be prepared properly before the outdoor season begins.

Feeding horses not in work, and horses in recovery

Horses that are not in work, and horses recovering from illness or injury, are often fed too sparingly or, on the contrary, exactly like horses in regular training. Both a lack of work and a return to health call for a considered diet. Properly balanced feeding supports recovery, helps prevent metabolic problems and keeps body condition right without loading the digestive system unnecessarily.

Feeding horses well – 5 common mistakes

Feeding a horse properly is a good deal more involved than picking a decent feed and offering hay with no limit. Despite growing awareness, everyday practice still produces mistakes that can lead to digestive trouble, a drop in form, metabolic disorders or problems in the limbs. They often come not from bad intentions, but from habit, shortcuts and incomplete knowledge. In this post we look at the most common mistakes in feeding horses.

Pasza dla konia rekreacyjnego vs sportowego?

Choosing the right ready-made hard feed is not an easy task at all. Every horse needs hay and fibre as the base of the diet, but differences appear once you look at the work they do. A leisure horse that works for longer, but more quietly, should not be fed like a sport horse whose sessions are shorter but harder. It is the level of effort that decides which ready-made compound feeds will suit your horse best.

Mineral balance – how to choose supplements

Minerals are the foundation of a horse's health. They affect the muscles, the nervous system, immunity, hoof quality, the skeleton and overall condition. Every owner knows they are essential, yet in practice most feeding problems come from the balance between them being wrong. Unlike energy or protein, whose effects show relatively quickly, a poor mineral supply builds up slowly and often stays unnoticed until clear signs appear. So how do you choose feed and supplements so that they support the horse, rather than harm it?

Protein in the diet – too little and too much

Protein is one of the key nutrients in a horse's diet. It builds and repairs muscle, produces hormones and enzymes, and keeps the immune system working properly. Many owners know it matters, but in practice both a shortage and an excess are more common than you might think. So how do you tell when a horse needs more protein, and when it is getting too much?

Knowledge zone

Hello, my name is Anna Porożyńska and I am Grassland's equine nutrition specialist.