Mash – what you should know

A horse's stomach is very small, which is why many horses do better on three or more feeds a day. A popular way to add an extra meal is mash, a source of easily digested nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals, and above all fibre. When you introduce mash, though, you need to be careful, because it can do a horse a great deal of good or a great deal of harm. It all depends on what is in it and how it is fed, which is why today's post sets out what you should know…

Why hay quality is worth your attention

Because of the way a horse's digestive system is built, forage should be the foundation of the diet. Unfortunately, in the Polish climate horses have access to grass – that is, fresh forage – for only part of the year. The same applies to yards with no grazing, or with too little of it. Hence the need for dry forages such as hay, to make up the essential daily intake of fibre. Since hay is such an important part of a horse's diet, its quality is worth your attention!

Horse will not eat – advice for a fussy eater

Horses are naturally adapted to taking in feed steadily, in small amounts, which is why they spend most of their time eating. A drop in appetite in your four-hooved companion is therefore worrying straight away. The first thing that comes to mind is a health problem, yet some horses really do like to be fussy… How do you deal with a “picky eater”?

Why oats, and how to feed them sensibly

Oats are by far the most widely used cereal in horse feeding. In their favour are their palatability, and the fact that they often come at no extra cost with the livery. In the past a horse's basic diet was hay and oats, but with today's intensive farming and the push for heavy yields, oats have lost quality. They can no longer meet the needs of breeding and sport horses, which is why we turn more and more often to ready-made feeds or balancers. Why do we still choose oats, and how do we feed them sensibly?

Molasses – “black gold” for horses?

Molasses is a by-product of making sugar from sugar cane or sugar beet. It contains the sucrose that is no longer worth recovering. It is a thick, sticky syrup of a dark colour, which is why it is called “black gold”. The darker it is, the less sweet it is, and so the less calorific. It is widely used in animal feeding, but its use for horses is controversial. Why?

Herbs – which to choose and how to use them

Herbs support the proper working of the equine body – they support immunity and the treatment of many complaints. Horses living free took herbs in with steppe plants, but domestication has limited that. To make up the gap it is worth bringing them into the diet, all the more so because they are inexpensive and act in many ways. You do have to wait a little for the effect, but herbs are a much safer form than chemical additives and supplements.

Blood tests – which, when, and who should read them

Blood results can tell you a great deal about a horse's body and health, but only if they are interpreted carefully. They should be read alongside outward clinical signs, and even alongside the diet. Regular tests also show whether the changes you have made have worked, and how a change of yard, of training or of weather affects your horse. It is worth keeping the results, so you can see which feeding and which management suit the horse best.

Why more horses suffer from gastric ulcers

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) affects around 87-90% of sport horses and 58% of leisure horses, and horses of a nervous disposition are more prone to ulcers than calm ones. Fighting the condition is long and hard. It can be treated with medication, but the best prevention is management and the right diet. It is worth asking what causes it, and why more and more horses suffer from gastric ulcers.

How it started – more about Grassland wooden chew toys

Not everyone knows it, but Grassland began by selling chew toys with floral and herbal toppings for horses. In short, they are natural toys to hang in the stable: they beat boredom and taste good to horses at the same time. The base of the chew is birch or willow wood – why those in particular, and what do you gain from using chew toys?

Knowledge zone

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