Why the fibre you feed matters
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It’s not only what’s in a feed that’s important, where it comes from matters too.
A great source of calcium
Alfalfa is an effective buffer to acidity in the gut due to its abundance in calcium and studies have shown it buffers acidity more effectively than grass-based forages. Just half a scoop of pure alfalfa chopped fibre in each feed will help counteract the acidity produced by feeding cereals.
A study has shown that omeprazole can negatively impact calcium absorption – this has already been shown in humans. Whether this is contributing to an increased risk of bone fractures is yet to be confirmed but it is certainly worth providing additional calcium in the ration as a risk reduction strategy. The calcium in alfalfa is highly bioavailable and so easier for the horse to absorb. Just 1 scoop of Dengie Alfa-A Original provides a 500kgs exercising horse with 1/5th of their daily calcium requirement*.
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) such as omeprazole have also been shown to significantly impact the bacterial populations in the digestive tract of humans making them more prone to digestive upsets and infections. This hasn’t been explored in the horse to date but if the same effect is seen it reiterates the importance of doing everything else possible to promote good gut health.
Consistently Clean
When the difference between winning and losing is marginal, doing everything you can to maximise respiratory health and function makes sense. Precision drying is a way of conserving forages that ensures they are as clean as possible and helps to lock-in nutrients as well. Every bag of Dengie fibre is dried by us and we can trace each one back to the field it was grown in.
Many people don’t realise that some so-called performance feeds contain straw. At Dengie we believe straw is a useful ingredient but not for the performance horse! It’s simply a case of using the right fibre for the right horse. Our feeds are regularly tested for mould with levels routinely below 100 CFUs and often below 10CFUS. To put that in context, sun-dried forages such as hay and straw often contain 1000CFUS or more.
Tempting the fussy racehorse
Findings from our Senior Nutritionist’s PhD research suggests that hospitalised Thoroughbreds are more likely to go off their feed than other breeds even when gastric ulcers have been ruled out. Interestingly, previous studies have also found that Thoroughbreds experience a higher rate of post-anaesthetic gastrointestinal complications such as colic, reduced faecal output and colitis compared to non-Thoroughbred horses. Dengie Performance Fibre has been developed to try to tempt even the fussiest horse and has proven to be particularly successful.
*Based on NRC guidance for a 500kgs horse in exercise and a calcium level of 1.5% in alfalfa
For further information please visit www.dengie.com or call +44 (0)1621 841188
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