How to change food

Does your horse eat everything or is it a bit picky?

For some it is a breeze, for others more challenging when parts or the entire feeding plan is changed. You know your horse best.

In theory, the feed change can be made from day to day without any problems for the horse's health, intestinal flora and intestinal function. This means that if your horse has been used to getting water-soaked feed such as fiber pellets, beet pellets, mash or similar and has the Labrador gene "I-love-food", then you can simply switch to Regulator Complete feed from one day to the next.

Start by introducing the new feed with a taste sample that you hand feed to the horse. Either he is curious or not picky and eats it with pleasure, or he turns his head away. This doesn't mean it has to be difficult, you just have to act on your first impression.

A good starting point may be not to change all feed elements at once. If your horse is used to water-soaked fibres then continue with that, if not then start by giving the new fibres dry as usual. Both Regulator Complete fibre mash are popular and it is usually easy to switch to them.

When switching to either Every Day Happy or Peak Performance vitamin and mineral supplements, start by feeding your horse half new, half original feed for the first few days. If everything goes well, switch to the full dosage of the new feed over the following days.

The horse that is slightly sensitive to feed changes

If you have a horse that is cautious about new feed, you can mix a little of the new Regulator Complete into the feed it is used to eating and then gradually, over 7-14 days, accustom it to the change. If you want to change several feed elements at the same time, introduce them to the horse one at a time.

Switching to Regulator Complete is easy for the vast majority of horses.

The horse that is very sensitive to feed changes

Is your horse very sensitive to new smells and tastes, and getting used to new feed requires slow changes in small steps?

If your horse is very sensitive to changing feed, or is a horse that is not used to having softened feed, we suggest that you slowly get it used to both the new smell/taste and the new consistency, so that switching will be a successful experience for the horse:

Day 1

You feed your horse the manger feed it is used to, but today you mix in a handful of either Every Day Happy or Peak Performance.

Remember, you know your horse best. Consider whether it is only a very small handful of the new flavor that the horse will be able to handle being introduced to?

It's best to give it in the evening when the horse is in the box, so that it has time to get to know the new thing in peace and quiet.

2nd day

If the horse had no problems eating on the first day, do exactly the same for the next 4-5 days. If there were problems, for example, only give the equivalent of a teaspoon of new feed on top of the usual feed.

7th day

If all goes well, in addition to the handful of Every Day Happy or Peak Performance, mix a handful of either +Energy Fiber Mash or +Fiber Mash into the current food. Repeat the process for the next 4-5 days.

12th day

When the horse no longer seems to respond to the taste, it is time to accustom the horse to a softened feed consistency.

You soak one handful of Regulator Complete +Energy fiber Mash or +Fiber Mash together with a handful of either Every Day Happy or Peak Performance in water, and serve it to the horse - still mixed in the crib feed that it was given before Regulator Complete.

You repeat the procedure for the next 4-5 days.

17th day

When you have the feeling that the horse thinks everything is fine with both the smell/taste and consistency, you slowly begin, over the next 2 weeks, to phase out your previous crib feed and at the same time increase Regulator Complete to the full dosage corresponding to what your horse needs.

You will find the dosage schedules here.

Introduction of salt

Now is the time to introduce salt to your horse if it is not already part of its feeding plan.

To start, sprinkle a small ½ teaspoon of salt into the food. Then slowly increase the dosage over the next 14 days until you reach 1-2 tablespoons per day.

Your horse has no salt deposits.

Your horse has no salt reserves to draw on, so it is necessary to provide it daily in the feed.

Salts are important components of the horse's body fluids. The function of salts is, among other things, to maintain normal muscle and nerve function and to maintain a normal fluid balance.

Research shows that a 500 kg horse needs 50 g of salt per day before play, work and sweat. Salt rocks are necessary, but they are not enough to ensure that your horse gets the salt it needs.

FAQ about feeding

Yes, it is good for the horse to mix Regulator Complete products in water.

This applies to both Balancer Peak Performance and Every Day Happy/vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as to both fiber mash, salt and electrolytes.

The information in our dosage charts is always in dry weight.

Fiber mash soaked in water with vitamin/mineral blend and salt/electrolytes acts as a storage depot that travels through the horse's intestinal system.

The transfer of nutrients from the intestine to the bloodstream is optimized, as the horse is thus given the opportunity to absorb them at the pace it needs.

Studies show that when vitamins and minerals are fed without fiber, they are transported too quickly through the horse's intestines, which means that the horse does not get optimal benefit from them.

Use 1 part +Fiber Mash to 5 parts water.

For example, 250 gr. +Fiber Mash to 1.25 liters of water.

  • The water can be cold or lukewarm depending on what your horse needs.
  • Let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes.
  • If your horse prefers a thinner mash, add more water as needed.
  • If you add Every Day Happy or Peak Performance vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements to fiber mash, do not increase the amount of water.

Yes, if your horse doesn't like wet food, you can feed it dry, but we recommend that you soak it.

If your horse is prone to esophageal constipation, we recommend that you always soak the fiber mash.

Use 1 part +Energy Fiber Mash to 4 parts water.

For example, 250 g +Fiber Mash and 1 liter of water.

  • The water can be cold or lukewarm depending on what your horse needs. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.
  • If your horse prefers a thinner mash, add more water as needed.
  • If you add Every Day Happy or Peak Performance vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements to the fiber mash, do not increase the amount of water.

This increases the horse's water intake and thus benefits fluid balance.

Reduces the risk of dehydration and electrolyte depletion, thereby optimizing the horse's well-being and performance.

Benefits the horse during hard training/riding, fluid loss due to sweat, long-term transport or other stressful situations.

Very hungry horses and ponies

They achieve more peace of mind as the food is filling and allows for longer slurping/eating time.

Dustbinds the crib feed.

Make the mash slurp-thin with a lot of water. Many horses really like to eat mash when it is thin like soup, rather than thick like porridge.

Helps with digestion

Soaked feed stabilizes the horse's digestion.

Mash helps the horse's digestion, both because it contains liquid-filled fibers and because they

answer

It can be easy to get confused when it comes to the different feed terms. There are several types of feed that are essentially the same and there are no rules for when to use which term. Below you will find an overview describing the individual types.

Roughage

Roughage is grass, hay or wrap.

Roughage is also called straw fodder.

Straw feed

Straw feed is grass, hay or wrap.

Straw feed is also called roughage.

Crib food

Manger feed is a collective term for the feed your horses receive in the manger, for example concentrate feed, complete feed or supplementary feed.

Concentrated feed

Concentrated feed is a mixed feed with many feed units/is high in calories.

The composition of concentrates often consists of vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates/grains such as oats, barley, fiber, muesli, etc.

Concentrated feed is also called complete feed.

Complete feed

Complete feed is a mixed feed with many feed units/is high in calories.

The content often consists of vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates/grains such as oats, barley, fiber, muesli, etc.

Complete feed is also called concentrate feed.

Supplementary feed

Complementary feed is a concentrated feed with few feed units/is low in calories and often consists of vitamins, minerals and protein.

Complementary food does not contain carbohydrates/grains such as oats, barley, fiber, muesli, etc.

Every Day Happy and Peak Performance are both supplementary foods.

Complementary feed is also called concentrate feed.