Preparing yearlings for sale

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.

How do I build my yearling’s topline?

Topline is a common term in all aspects of the equine industry, referring to the muscles along the horse’s back and neck. These muscles can be developed through specific exercises and while no shortcut can be used in place of exercise to enhance topline, providing the right nutrition is a vital component to support muscular development too.

Protein is essential when it comes to building topline. Protein is made up of amino acids, often referred to as the building blocks for muscles. Some of these amino acids are described as ‘essential’ as the horse cannot naturally produce them, and so they must be supplemented in the diet. Lysine is an example of an essential amino acid and plays a key role in muscle development.

One way to provide additional quality protein to your yearling’s diet is through supplementation with a product such as Muscle Prep. Muscle Prep is a daily liquid supplement that contains high-quality hydrolysed plant protein, specially formulated to support muscle development in horses. To further support muscle growth as your yearling endures training demands, Muscle Max provides Vitamin E, selenium, lysine, and B vitamins to optimise energy metabolism and antioxidant action, in a palatable liquid formulation. While Muscle Prep is focused on helping the body to support muscle development, Muscle Max helps to support recovery from exercise; they therefore have different roles but are both very useful during prep season.

Read more about developing topline and exercising your yearling.

How can I make my yearlings coat shine?

Grooming can help to improve appearance, but diet also plays a key role in coat health. A naturally glossy coat requires a high-quality balanced diet, rich in essential fatty acids including omega-3 and 6, in the correct ratio. Adding Kentucky Karron Oil to the diet is a great way to provide your yearling with a high quality source of these key fatty acids.

Kentucky Karron Oil contains emulsified flaxseed oil (also known as linseed oil), which is naturally high in omega-3 and 6. Emulsification of the flaxseed oil ensures a highly digestible oil, improving the bio-availability to the horse, and therefore increases the benefits of these essential nutrients.

Which nutrients are important for yearlings?

B vitamin supplementation is especially important for yearlings. The husbandry and daily routine changes that occur during sales prep can cause stress for these young horses. Increased levels of stress reduces the production of B vitamins in the digestive system, which can lead to digestive problems such as diarrhoea, weight loss, and decreased efficiency of nutrient absorption.

Reduced production of B vitamins and the subsequent potential disturbance of the normal bacteria in the gut can become a vicious cycle that continues to perpetuate stress behaviours. B-Complete provides all the essential B vitamins for optimal metabolism and digestive function, with a sweet vanilla flavour to entice horses with poor appetite.

Read more about B vitamins in horses.

How do I keep my yearling calm and focused in the sale ring?

Undesirable behaviour can impact the selling success of your yearlings. Nutri-Calm, can help to support calm behaviour and better focus in horses with ingredients such as L-tryptophan, B vitamins and magnesium. L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid and is also the pre-cursor to serotonin, the hormone responsible for the inhibition of fear and stress. The addition of B vitamins and magnesium also helps support nervous function and work synergistically to optimise focus and concentrated performance when most needed Available as a liquid or an easily administered gel.

Read more about behaviour & temperament.

If you need further advice regarding your sales yearlings or have any other queries please contact the team.