Horse Feed Supplements and Supplies – An Overview

Depending on size, body weight and type of work undertaken a horse will eat about 1.5% to 3.5% of their body weight daily. In addition, depending on size, work and ambient temperature a horse will ingest 20 - 90+ litres of water daily. Some of this water is derived from the natural water in feed, some from metabolic processes, most from supplied water sources.

Feeding a horse is not an easy task. A horse needs something in its stomach all day and the stomach functions best if it is never quite full. If your horse is a picky eater you might find it difficult to maintain its diet.  Some horses eat too quickly or due to dental problems do now grind their feed into small enough particles which leads to improper digestion and the horse loses condition. Race horses frequently eat “sweet “ food too quickly without proper chewing and salivating which again leads to improper digestion and as a result perform poorly in races. In such cases it is important to modify the diet. Sometimes horse appetite stimulants need to be administered to help them start on the correct feed which will keep them healthy and nourished.  Horse appetite stimulants are also required for horses recovering after illness or if they are under stress or in training.

If consuming dry feeds a horse will usually drink a little whilst it eats, and the best approach is be to offer water free choice at all times.  It is the constant need to drink that is the clue to overcoming the problem of a horse that has gone “off feed”. How can you stimulate appetite if the animal is not eating? The clue is to use an appetite stimulant that can be added to the drinking water, or put into milk or sprinkled over a feed ingredient known to be relished by the horse.

Regular feeding with the correct ingredients and horse feed supplements is also necessary due to intensive training programmes.  Finding the correct feed or supplement is not a problem in Australia.

Because it can be used in liquids or on feed and is highly palatable Collovet is the one to beat when it comes to an animal appetite stimulant.

COLLOVET is an extremely palatable water soluble liquid. It is especially helpful during intensive training programmes to maintain progressive conditioning or to assist in overcoming post-competitive fatigue or to promote "bloom" in show animals. 

Just one word of warning any changes in feed needs to be done slowly and gradually as incorrect feeding can lead to veterinary and behavioral problems.  If you are unsure seek professional advice from your veterinarian.