We’re flying our way through yet another month. I think we are all ready for a bit warm spring sunshine by now - horses and humans alike!

The prospect of lighter evenings will give us all more enthusiasm to get manes pulled, tails trimmed and start a work regime, maybe looking forward to some local events.

For those of us that don’t compete it will be a joy to hack out and watch the landscape spring back into life after a long winter.

With new grass coming through, laminitics need to be vigilant! A good indicator is when you see the grass in your garden growing - it is also doing the same in your field, but animals are eating it as quickly as it can grow! It is also very important not to starve those prone to laminitis as this can cause further problems.

There are plenty of products on the market which are suitable for providing fibre in the diet. Dengie Hi-Fi Lite is a suitable chaff which can extend mealtimes or be used for the forage ration. Top Spec have brought out Top Chop Lite,designed to do the same job - but very useful for those horses which cannot tolerate molasses as it has a light soya oil coating instead.

If a high fibre nut is required we stock several as follows:

Allen & Page Fast Fibre		Baileys Everyday High Fibre Cube		Dodson & Horrell High Fibre Nuts
Suitable for all horses and ponies. Takes just 30 – 60 seconds to soak. Very high fibre, low starch, low sugar. Fast Fibre is also barley and molasses free and is ideal for the good doer or for horses who tend to be hyper even on low energy feeds. Fast Fibre is also particularly useful for horses with dental problems as it can be used as a partial or complete hay replacer if necessary. Also suitable for horses and ponies prone to laminitis. Fast Fibre has a unique recipe which enables it to soak in under a minute, so you can be sure that your horse’s feed is always fresh.		Everyday High Fibre Cubes are high fibre and low energy and ideal for horses and ponies at rest or in light work. The appetising blend of natural ingredients includes digestible fibre sources, for non-heating energy, and contains no barley so should help avoid “fizzy” behaviour. Added oil helps promote a glossy coat and the cubes are fully balanced with vitamins and minerals for overall health and well-being.		High fibre, barley-free cube formulated as an ideal maintenance diet for horses and ponies at rest or in light work. - Low calorie, low starch/sugar cube, for horses and ponies prone to/at risk from laminitis. - 98% cereal free. - Good doer friendly, packed with vitamins and minerals for maintenance and light work. - High fibre cube providing slow release energy. - Suitable as a partial forage replacer for older horses with chewing difficulties. - Hoof friendly package including biotin and B vitamins, zinc, copper and sulphur.

Spillers High Fibre Cubes		Badminton Fibre Plus Nuggets		Pegasus Cubes
SPILLERS® High Fibre Cubes are a safe, low calorie feed suitable for all horses and ponies with maintenance or low energy requirements. Like SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF®, SPILLERS® High Fibre Cubes are fully approved by The Laminitis Trust as suitable for horses and ponies prone to laminitis.		- Low energy, high digestible fibre nugget. - Low in starch and sugar. - Can be used as a partial hay replacer. - No added vitamins and minerals. - Ideal for all horses and ponies at rest or in light work.		- Non-heating feed suitable for horses a ponies - For rest or light work - Spillers quality on a budget

Another useful feed type is balancers like Top Spec Lite or Baileys Lo-Cal which will provide a complete diet when used alongside the forage ration. Ring us for more details on these!

At the other end of the spectrum are those still struggling with weight gain. The end of the winter can be a difficult time when there is no grass around, the weather is damp and cold and horses are fed-up with ploughing through mountains of hay and hard feed. Remember to make sure things like worming, teeth and sufficient weather protection have been dealt with.

Baileys No.4 Topline Cubes and D & H Build Up Cubes are good sources of highly digestable calories. For those fussy horses, Baileys No.17 Topline Conditioning Mix is palatable and doesn’t have to be fed in huge quantities to make a difference.

For those with dental problems Allen & Page Calm & Condition is very good as it makes down into a mash and keeps a lid on fizzy temperaments. Carrots and Apples can also be added to provide interest.

We are very busy at the moment with feed flying of the shelf. It is becoming more difficult to find hay and straw which means that prices are becoming very steep for these products. Make sure you've got your forage requirements sorted out in good time. Give us a ring if you want some advice.

News from the tack room!

Bill is back from his trip “Down Under” and had a wonderful time. He visited a feed store over there like us and saw what differences there are from keeping horses here. For a start they don’t have huge bedding bills we do!

It’s congratulations to Nicole who is preparing for her special wedding day this summer ( fingers crossed for the weather! )

I shall be having some time off this year to have my first child, so the horse is having to take a back seat and I’m having to be sensible ( not my forte! )

Well I’ll wish you all some nicer weather to go out and enjoy your horses in. Bye for now!

Best Wishes from Nicky and all at B & J Dance.