Informed by the latest science and written by our expert equine nutritionists and technicians, our nutritional articles aim to tackle a wide array of equine health challenges faced by horses in the Middle East. Explore our tips, advice, and the best horse supplements to complement equine feed while optimising your horse’s health and performance.
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While the foundation diet of every dressage horse should be a plentiful supply of high-quality forage and an appropriate concentrate, there are specific elements of performance and health that can be targeted to gain that extra margin.
Maintaining your horse with a proper off-season diet is a crucial part of optimising & maintaining performance throughout the season.
Everyone is talking about gut health and for good reason; it plays a key role in your horse’s overall health and wellbeing. We are all very familiar with the terms pre and probiotics, but have you heard about postbiotics and the enormous benefit they provide your horse?
In the world of equine care, wounds are a common occurrence, and it's almost inevitable that you'll encounter one at some point. Proper wound management is crucial in creating an optimal environment for healing and facilitating a speedy recovery.
A strong topline is essential for your horse's overall well-being and performance. It is the term used to describe the muscle cover over the top of your horse's neck, back, and rump.
Multivitamin and mineral supplements for horses can serve as valuable tools to boost a horse's intake of essential nutrients and provide peace of mind, especially when concerns arise about potential nutritional gaps.
Proper hoof care is essential for a horse's well-being, as a horse's hooves continuously grow at a rate of 6-10mm per month, reflecting their overall health.
In the run up to yearling sales, enhancing physical development is key to making sure that they stand out and look their very best in the sale ring. Protein is an important nutritional component for supporting optimal muscle development.
After ensuring top-notch care for your mare during pregnancy to safeguard her well-being and her foal's health, it's crucial to maintain this level of care post-birth. Sustaining your mare's optimal health is reflected in the quality and quantity of her colostrum and milk production, granting her foal the best possible start in life.
Equine Asthma, also known as Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO), previously known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or referred to as heaves in horses, is a common respiratory issue, often seen in older horses.
The pace often slows during the off-season, and when the season approaches, it's necessary to make significant adjustments as pre-season training intensifies in preparation for the upcoming competition season.
This is a serious condition where the horse loses its ability to sweat. It can cause severe inability to manage thermoregulation in the equine athlete.
Unwanted behaviour in horses can be attributed to various factors, including diet, management routines, environment, and breeding/genetics.
Understanding how to provide support for the mare and newborn both before and after her giving birth is crucial.
Newborn horses, entirely dependent on the mare's milk for their nutritional needs, may face challenges when the milk supply falls short.
Horses are exceptional athletes due to their ability to sweat at significantly higher rates than most other animals, up to three times more than humans. In some cases, they can produce up to 15 litres of sweat per hour.
A horse's respiratory system is a finely tuned mechanism, essential for peak athletic performance.
Common Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies' for horses in Middle East and how to tackle
Laminitis is a painful condition in horses and ponies that is both common and recurrent in susceptible animals due to underlying conditions.
Your horse's immune system is its first line of defence against a wide range of potential threats, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. A robust immune system is essential for maintaining your horse's overall health, performance, and well-being.
Protein constitutes a crucial component of the diet for performance and exercising horses. It plays a pivotal role in building and preserving muscle mass, which is paramount for athleticism.
Most horses will cough occasionally if they ingest foreign material into their airways while eating, drinking, or at the start of exercise. Coughing is their body's natural response to maintain clean airways. But why do horses cough persistently, and how can we tackle it?
Free radicals are suspected to play a role in inducing muscle fatigue during exercise. Antioxidants have the potential to counteract these unstable molecules, thereby promoting muscle health and facilitating recovery.
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a common concern for performance horses. In actively racing thoroughbreds, the prevalence can be as high as 100%. Gastric ulcers have a detrimental impact on both performance and the overall well-being of horses. However, there are proactive measures you can take to help minimize the risk.
Exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER), also known as "tying-up," is a condition that affects horses during or after exercise. It is a painful condition characterized by the breakdown of skeletal muscle fibres. It commonly affects racehorses and is more common fillies. Highly strung horses tend to be more predisposed to developing tying up.
Having put huge efforts into selecting horses for the sales, it is vital they are in optimum condition with great topline and coat shine to ensure they look their absolute best and stand out in the sales ring.
Proper nutrition is absolutely essential to maintain bone health in horses, especially during the critical phases of skeletal growth and development.
The initial days of a young horse's life have the potential to shape its future health and performance for a lifetime, making it essential to get things right from the start.
Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), commonly known as "bleeding," is a condition that affects horses during high-intensity exercise, like racing and endurance.
Diarrhoea is a common issue in very young horses, ranging from mild to life-threatening. Knowing when and how to respond can make a huge difference to outcomes.
Colic is a prevalent disease among horses, with research indicating that approximately 4-10% of equines suffer a case of colic annually. Regrettably, it stands as the leading cause of equine mortality. Although, the severity of colic can be highly variable according to type.
As time goes by, the needs of horses evolve, and more senior horses require additional attention. If looked after properly, older horses can continue to perform at the same level as their younger competitor counterparts.
B vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins, collectively known as the B vitamin complex.
Colostrum or “first milk” is the thick, yellow secretion from the mammary gland.
Having put significant efforts into selecting horses for the annual sales, it is crucial that they are in peak condition with an impressive topline and a glossy coat, ensuring they present their absolute best and stand out in the sales ring.
Hoof health in horses can be influenced by various factors. Genetic predisposition, breed, weight, diseases, exercise levels, ground conditions, and weather conditions can all have adverse effects on a horse's hooves.
On the day of an event for your Arabian Show horse, Showjumper or Racehorse, you hope the culmination of all your training and preparation manifest at the perfect moment.
Success in equine performance hinges on balance and precision. Every choice has its trade-offs, and the key to excellence lies in finding the right equilibrium. This principle applies to various facets of an equine athlete's life, including training routines, event selection, and nutrition.
Muscles form the foundation of equine performance, driving the competitive activities expected from equine athletes.
For years, scientists have strived to uncover the causes of tying up in horses. A leading researcher in this field is Dr. S Valberg. Dr. Valberg's work has proven invaluable in comprehending muscle myopathies in horses, and more recently.
The breeding stallion works hard throughout his reproductive life, starting early – some before they are even 3 years old – and, if successful, continuing well into his later years.
It is important to stay on top of changing nutritional requirements as young horses grow, develop, and become less reliant on their mother's milk.
The key to successful breeding starts long before mating and it has been shown that nutrition plays a big role in the reproductive health of a broodmare. From broader aspects such as body condition, all the way down to specific macro and micronutrients, fertility is influenced by what is fed
Copper is a vital component in the equine diet, especially for young horses. While forage like hay or haylage contains some copper, it typically falls short of the requirements necessary for breeding mares, stallions & young horses.
Supplements can be a controversial topic on a racing yard, some trainers use copious amounts of products, while others use none.
We've received a lot of positive feedback about our Pre-Fuel and Re-Fuel syringes, as well as some inquiries regarding their usage.
Copper needs for horses in hot climates, Why is Copper so important for horses, A guide to Copper supplements for horses. The Role of Copper for horses health.
The desert terrain can vary from hard and dry ground to deep, challenging sand, which can pose different risks to the bones and joints of horses in the Middle East.
Hydrolysed protein contains predigested proteins, making them more readily absorbed and utilized by horses.
Maintaining the well-being of your horse's joints is a top concern for most horse owners.
The broodmare can fulfil all the nutritional needs of her baby for growth, development, and immune protection during the initial three months of life.
As a horse owner, there is a common belief that incorporating oil into your horse's diet is beneficial, but it's essential to understand the reasons behind this practice beyond just improving their coat.
When it comes to selecting a joint supplement, horse owners can make the best choice by understanding their horse, conducting thorough research, and comparing supplement content and claims.
A recent article in a popular equestrian publication highlighted more than a 20% increase in the number of equine calmers available for horse owners to choose from
Vitamins and minerals are crucial components of a horse's diet, and while there's a wealth of information available, it can be overwhelming to navigate.
Sore shins, also known as bucked shins in horses in some regions, is a condition that frequently affects horses during their two-year-old year of training, especially in racehorses.
20% Difference needs to be implemented. Quality of Electrolytes for horses e.g. Salt versus more sophisticated electrolytes because they still focus on basic supplements in region. Role for recovery in horses, Endurance races and racing generally. Are there any 3 day racing events? Saudi Cup .
Undesirable behaviours or vices in horses are a common part of stable life in the Middle East, and it's crucial to comprehend and manage them for the well-being of your horse and its potential sale value.
Navigating the world of horse supplements can be daunting if you're not familiar with what to look for.
Linseed and flax seed are the exact same thing. Depending on what part of the world you are in, you might refer to the product as either linseed or flaxseed.
Group Commercial Manager GCC Region
Based in the UAE, Nicolas Gaumerais is the Commercial Manager of the Connolly's RED MILLS Group which includes Foran Equine supplements and Connolly's RED MILLS horse feed in the GCC region. Nicholas regularly travels across the Gulf.