Category: Welfare

By Pryde’s EasiFeed, written by Bethanie Clark BAnVetBioSc (Hons I)

When the seasons change, it is important that as horse owners we monitor changes in pasture quality and quantity and manage our horses feed appropriately.  As pasture availability increases in spring and summer, generally an automatic response of owners is to decrease the amount of hay and supplementary feed being fed. While this is the right response to manage a horse’s weight and body condition, ensuring horses are obtaining all the nutrients they require through the changes of season is not as simple as increasing or decreasing the amount of hay or feed in their diet. This article will cover how you can correctly adjust your horse’s diet through the changes of season without compromising on any nutrients they require.

Energy:

Dietary carbohydrates are the major source of energy within horse’s diets, providing majority of the fuel for everyday maintenance and functioning of the body, as well as the fuel required for exercise. When the amount and quality of pasture increases in seasons of high rainfall, the amount of energy that horses are able obtain from pasture alone increases drastically and can be enough to sustain a lactating mare, a growing horse, or a high-level performance horse; let alone a horse at maintenance or in light work. Due to this, it is not uncommon to see horses begin to put on excess weight or exhibit hot and fizzy behaviour when ridden. If this is the case for your horse, reducing and managing digestible energy intake will be necessary. While decreasing energy intake can be as simple as reducing or removing supplementary feed when more pasture is available, it is not as simple as this when it comes to ensuring the correct essential amino acid (through protein), mineral and vitamin intake.

Protein:

Protein is a major component of most tissues within the body, second only to water. A horse at maintenance on good quality pasture will likely obtain enough protein in their diet from pasture alone. While a lactating mare or high-performance horse with higher requirements of protein, specifically essential amino acids such as lysine, are likely to not obtain this from good quality pasture alone. While pasture may provide enough energy to maintain weight, lactation, and energy for performance without the provision of supplementary feed, essential amino acid intake may be lacking.

Vitamins and Minerals:

While vitamins and minerals comprise only a minor part of the diet by weight, they play a major role in the overall health of horses. When pasture is abundant and supplementary feed is reduced or removed, in almost every case a deficiency of minerals will appear. In Australia the most common minerals lacking in pasture are copper, zinc and iodine and these deficiencies will arise even for horses at maintenance. For horses with higher requirements of minerals and vitamins such as lactating mares, growing horses and horses in work often calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin B1 will also be deficient.

Balancing energy intake while ensuring adequate nutrient intake

Quality supplementary ‘full’ feeds are fortified with essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins and when fed at the recommended feeding rates, each of these requirements are often met. In dry periods when horses are on poor pasture often supplementary feed needs to be fed to meet digestible energy requirements. For example, here is a diet of a horse in moderate work, who through a dry period was on low quality pasture, supplemented with lucerne hay and 3.2kg of EasiResponse. The 3.2kg of EasiResponse is required to meet the energy requirements for performance, that is not being provided by pasture and is also working to meet vitamin and mineral requirements.

When pasture quality improves, if the same amount of hay and supplementary feed is provided this will result in excessive weight gain and likely too much energy when ridden. In response to an increased amount of pasture hay can be removed and the amount of EasiResponse decreased to 1kg. While this effectively reduces digestible energy intake, it leaves the diet deficient in copper, selenium, and iodine.

While the amount of EasiResponse could be increased to meet these requirements, the use of Pryde’s Sliding Scale is an ideal option. The Pryde’s Balancer Range is designed specifically to meet horses’ requirements through the changing of seasons. For the horse in moderate work, as the amount of a full feed such as the EasiResponse is reduced due to increased pasture availability, a balancer pellet can be introduced to fill the nutrient gaps that this creates. Here’s the same diet, with 500g of the Essentials 150 introduced.

The introduction of the Essentials 150, ensures that the minerals that were deficient are now being met, notice also that the use of this doesn’t increase digestible energy intake. In the case where pasture quality improves further, the EasiResponse could be completely removed, and the Essentials 150 used alone. Below is an example of how the two can work together to moderate energy intake with changing pasture quality, while meeting all nutrient requirements, for a 500kg horse in moderate work:

Pasture Quality	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
EasiResponse	3.5kg	2.5kg	1kg	0kg
Essentials 150	0kg	0kg	0.5kg	0.8kg

To take the guess work of balancing energy intake with vitamin and mineral intake, each of the Pryde’s full feeds have a ‘Keep it Balanced’ section, which can be found on the back of the bags or on the website. This provides you with the recommended amount of a balancer pellet to add into your horse’s diet for every 1kg under the recommended feeding rate being fed. There are a range of balancer pellets available, depending on your horse’s individual requirements.

While it may seem overwhelming at first to ensure your horse is obtaining all their nutrient requirements while moderating their energy intake especially when there is abundant pasture; the range of Pryde’s products are carefully formulated to ensure these requirements are met to give you peace of mind and to take the guess work out of feeding. If you would like to know more about how the Pryde’s products work together to promote optimal health and performance in your horse, please get in contact or use our free feed selector.

By Pryde’s EasiFeed, written by Bethanie Clark BAnVetBioSc (Hons I)

Thoroughbreds transitioning from racing to other disciplines including eventing, show jumping, dressage, showing, and pony club is becoming more common, providing these young horses a change of career and home. Rehoming and retraining an off the track thoroughbred is certainly not without its challenges but has the opportunity for great reward with patience and time. Transitioning from racing to performance, pleasure or being a paddock mate involves several major changes, one of those being their diet. In this article we hope to give you some tips on transitioning and feeding your off the track Thoroughbred.

While feeding an off the track thoroughbred is similar to feeding any other horse, they do have some specific requirements, considering the diet that they have come from, which will be outlined below.

Base their diet on plenty of forage: While this is the number one requirement of any horse, it is particularly important for the off the track thoroughbred. When they arrive at their new home, having access to plenty of pasture is ideal, if this is not the case providing at least 2% of their body weight per day in forage sources such as a combination of pasture, lucerne and grassy hay is recommended.  It is important to remember that in vast majority of cases these horses have come from a high grain (average of 7kg/day), low forage/fibre diet. As is becoming more well known, high grain, high volume diets with low amounts of forage/fibre have negative effects on hindgut health, likely resulting in poor fibre fermentation and digestion of forage sources, lack of production of B vitamins and biotin and a poor appetite. So, ensuring a high forage and fibre intake of a variety of sources will assist in restoring a healthy balance of the microbial population of their hindgut.  It is important to note that this will be a gradual process and will require patience and the implementation of other management strategies to promote hindgut health. This high grain, low forage diet in combination with exercise also puts racehorses at higher risk of Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD), so it is possible that your off the track does have some degree of ulceration. Feeding a high forage diet, particularly of long-stem forage, promotes chewing, saliva production and buffering of gastric acid, which will help to minimise the worsening of ulcers. However, studies have shown that ulcers are unlikely to completely resolve on their own, so if deemed necessary, getting a gastroscope conducted and putting them on appropriate omeprazole treatment is recommended. Treatment of ulcers is likely to also assist with improving appetite and overall wellbeing.

Supplement their diet appropriately: with so many options it is often difficult to decide what to feed an off the track thoroughbred. While there are many variables to consider, one of utmost importance is choosing a feed that will promote hindgut health. While it can be tempting, particularly if the horse is underweight, to feed high amounts of grain-based products, in an attempt to put condition on quickly, this is not going to be beneficial for re-establishing the microbial population of their hindgut. Instead, basing their diet on fibre and forage, as discussed above, and providing supplementary feed around this is going to be more beneficial long term. If they are an adequate weight upon arrival or have been maintaining their weight on forage, a vitamin and mineral balancer pellet can be added to their diet to ensure their vitamin and mineral requirements are met without increasing their digestible energy intake. If they are needing to gain weight or are not maintaining weight well on forage alone, a low starch and sugar, high fibre, full feed can be added into their diet. This will provide a higher amount of digestible energy in their diet and help to promote weight gain without compromising the re-establishment of fibre fermenting bacteria in their hindgut. The provision of a fortified or full feed, that contains vitamins and minerals will ensure that their vitamin and mineral requirements are also met, if the feed is fed at the recommended feeding rate.

Consider the addition of biotin: Often off the track thoroughbreds have weak and brittle hooves, likely the result of poor hindgut health and subsequent lack of production and absorption of B vitamins. As the microbial population of their hindgut re-establishes, the production and absorption of B vitamins will improve. While this process occurs, they may benefit from supplementation with biotin to help improve hoof quality. An effective dose of biotin is 20mg per day for a 500kg horse, so it is important to look for a product that will provide this amount. Ensuring a balanced diet, with all vitamin and mineral requirements met, will also help to promote hoof quality and growth.

Monitor their feed intake: It is important to continue to monitor their feed intake and ensure they are consuming their feed and are given the opportunity to consume their feed. Off the track thoroughbreds can be fussy eaters, so it is important to check that they are eating what you are providing to them. If they are fussy with their feed or stop eating it, the first step is to remove any additional supplements or salt from their feed, if they have been added, until they start eating again and they can be slowly re-introduced. Allowing them access to pasture, restoring hindgut function and treatment of gastric ulcers will also assist with re-gaining appetite over time. If they are in a paddock with other horses, it is also important to note where they are in the pecking order and if they have the opportunity to eat all of their feed. Having lived the last couple of years probably housed on their own, they tend to get used to being able to leave feed and come back to it as they please, so it may take them some time to adjust to feeding behaviours when housed with other horses, so it is important to give them time to adjust. If they are struggling with maintaining weight and not able to eat their feed, it would be worth separating them at mealtimes.

Feeding for beginning work and re-training: Often the concern with feeding off the track thoroughbreds is their feed providing them with too much energy when they begin ridden work again. This can be experienced if high amounts of feed are being provided to help with weight gain or even maintenance. Having their diets predominantly based on forage and appropriate supplementary feed that is fibre based, as recommended above, is also a helpful way to promote calm behaviour as they begin ridden work and re-training. As they get further along in their training and education, their diets can be adjusted to accommodate changes in their requirements.

Example diets for off the track thoroughbreds suitable for paddock rest and the introduction of light work:

Weight Maintenance for a 500kg horse:

• Constant access to pasture or ad lib access to good quality grass hay
• 2-4kg good quality lucerne hay
• 500g EasiKeeper
  • Which provides 20.3mg of biotin
• Constant access to salt lick and clean, fresh water

Weight Gain for a 500kg horse:

• Constant access to pasture or ad lib access to good quality grass hay
• 3-5kg good quality lucerne hay
• 2kg Easi Off-The-Track
  • Which provides 20.8mg of biotin and a yeast prebiotic
• Constant access to salt lick and clean, fresh water

By Julieanne Horsman

At just 21 years of age, Matilda “Tilly” McCarroll has an equestrian CV that would turn someone twice her age green with envy. She has represented her state in eventing, was named NSW Young Eventer of the Year in 2019, helps manage Phisher Park Equestrian with her mother, trains horses for clients and rides trackwork for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. But her greatest achievement of all so far has four legs, a long tail and can clear jumps the size of a small car.

Tilly was thrown on a horse’s back before she could walk. Her mother, Sheridan, was a hunt rider in her native England and bought Tilly a miniature pony when she was a baby. She did all the usual things a young equestrian would do and had taken up eventing by 11, the youngest age permitted to participate in the sport. She competed on a Paint Horse named Jimmy before moving onto a Thoroughbred x Warmblood named Tom, picking up loads of ribbons along the way, but as she got older her desire to have a go at retraining an off the track Thoroughbred grew.  As fate would have it, opportunity came knocking and Tilly was ready.

Renowned equestrian Martha Brister and her talented son Charlie had recently acquired Cosmic Cube, an off the track Thoroughbred previously trained by Chris Waller. The then six-year-old gelding had enjoyed success on the track, highlighted by his win in the Listed National Sprint. Martha and Charlie enjoyed riding him and were impressed by his scope when free jumping, but with Charlie heading overseas, they had to find a new home for him.

“Cosmo was athletic and had a nice big stride, making him well-suited to eventing,” Charlie said. “Tilly was an ambitious young rider who I knew would put in the hard yards to get the best out of him. The first phone call I made was to her and the horse was gone.”

Aged 15 at the time, Tilly was a boarder at New England Girls School in Armidale which is known for its outstanding equestrian program and facilities. She was able to stable Cosmic Cube with her at the school which afforded her the time to work with him daily.

“Being able to finish my schoolwork then go straight out and ride made the process a lot easier,” Tilly said. “Having an onsite coach was a real benefit too. Cosmo was a lot of horse to start with though. I think I fell off twice a week in the beginning, but he taught me how to “stick” and I started jumping within a month.”

It wasn’t long before Tilly’s hard work began to pay off. She took Cosmic Cube to a local show where they entered the combined training class, but it didn’t quite go to plan.

“Cosmo went around the showjumping course beautifully, but he bucked in the dressage and we scored 43%,” Tilly said with a laugh. “We went to another show in Tamworth a few months later and that was much better.”

As the months passed, ribbons began to accumulate as Tilly and Cosmic Cube worked their way up the grades. By 2019 Tilly had been named the NSW Junior Eventer of the Year and Cosmic Cube was in the top five on the Junior Eventing Leader Board for the state. In 2020 they won the 1.10m Thoroughbred class at Waratah Showjumping at Sydney International Equestrian Centre. By 2021 they were competing at 3* level.

“Producing a horse from 60cm to 3* is very satisfying,” Tilly said. “It certainly wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. Even training Cosmo to do the dressage movements and master the technicality and height of the jumping was rewarding. At one stage I was considering selling him but he’s too good to let go!”

In September last year, Tilly welcomed a new Thoroughbred into her stable – All Too Royal, a seven-year-old All Too Hard gelding previously trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

“I went up to Vinery Stud for a test ride and he was absolutely wonderful,” Tilly said. “He was stunning to look at, he had a great brain and understood the questions I was asking him. He hadn’t been touched in two months, but I was able to get straight on and ride him with other horses running around in the next paddock and he didn’t bat an eyelid.”

She has begun producing “Roy” as an eventer and plans to compete him up to 1* before selling him to an appropriate home.

“He went to Tamworth Horse Trials recently and placed 5^th in the 60cm class,” Tilly said. “I bumped him up to 80cm at Qurindi and we came 4^th. You feel a great sense of accomplishment when you get a horse going so lovely. I’m proud of Roy and myself.

“Thoroughbreds really are so versatile and can do anything. They have been exposed to a lot in their racing career – crowds, photographers, noise, travelling, waiting. It sets them up well for life after racing and to see them succeeding in a new career makes me so happy.”

Tilly juggles her own horses with riding track work for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott at Randwick. It was something she wanted to do for a long time and when a friend mentioned there was an opening, she applied and was soon setting her alarm for 3am.

“I will never forget my first day,” Tilly said. “It was dark, cold and I certainly wasn’t accustomed to getting up that early!”

She gallops several horses and if they need it, gives them some dressage-style flat work. She also jumps some of them to mix up their training.

“One of the best things about working in the racing industry is riding the horses and then seeing them go on to be successful. I rode Never Been Kissed in work and she went on to win a Group 1. Track riding has helped my fitness and my rider strength as well. Waking up knowing I am getting stronger every day is good motivation.”

Tilly also has her sights set on competing in Equimillion, the new $1million equestrian series recently announced by Racing NSW.

“I’m looking forward to hearing more about that and getting involved!”

By Julieanne Horsman

Maddie Plant was working at Foxground Training Stables and Stud while on a gap year after high school in 2013 when she was tasked with unloading a horse from a truck that had just pulled in. She looked up at the calm bay gelding as she was leading him down the ramp and immediately liked him.

“What do you think,” stable owner Simon Kale asked with a smile. “He’s cute,” Maddie replied. “Guess what, he’s all yours,” Simon said, catching Maddie by surprise.

Maddie’s parents had organised for Simon and his wife Olwyn to source a new horse for their daughter as a graduation present. Maddie was delighted and jumped on for a ride later that day.

“He was so easy going and showed potential straight away,” Maddie said. “I didn’t know anything about his racing history, but I googled him and found his Wikipedia page, so I knew he was pretty special.”

Maddie worked hard to establish the basics, initially focusing on dressage training to improve Grand Zulu’s flexibility and response to new aides which would also assist his jumping and turning.

“He was a very quick learner and picked everything up easily,” she said. “Being on a gap year and able to ride daily made the world of difference. His jumps became so clean and sharp.”

Less than two years later, Maddie and Grand Zulu were named Horse And Rider at the ACT Cup. In the same year, they finished 3^rd at the Australian Showjumping Championships. They also competed up to 1* in cross country.  

In early 2018 Grand Zulu sustained a knee injury so Maddie gave him 18 months off to heal. Once fully recovered, she brought him back into work but by that stage Grand Zulu was 19 and Maddie was juggling full time study to become a veterinarian with part-time employment as a swabber for Racing NSW so she made the tough decision to slow him down.

Around the same time, another one of Simon Kale’s talented young riding students, then 12-year-old William Hodgekiss, was looking for a new mount to replace his first Thoroughbred, Verity’s Boy. He had a riding lesson with Grand Zulu and the pair clicked straight away, prompting Maddie to agree to lease the horse to William.

It wasn’t long before they had their first outing to a training day at Wallaby Hill. William and Grand Zulu went clear in the 90cm class, stunning Mum Alyson.

“We were all starstruck,” she said. “They cleared the jumps with such ease. I was so proud of them.”

William’s confidence increased with every ride and in late 2020 he was crowned Champion Primary Show Jumper, Champion Overall Year 6 Rider, and Supreme Champion Primary School Rider at Berry Interschool Equestrian Championship.

“I couldn’t have wished for a better horse, and I am so thankful to Maddie for entrusting me with Grand Zulu,” William, now 14, said.

Maddie is equally pleased to see Grand Zulu continuing to excel. “He was the horse that took my riding to the next level and to see him doing the same thing for William fills me with joy. I was worried he wouldn’t compete again after he injured his knee, but he has bounced back perfectly. Since he’s at Foxground I still get to see him so it’s the ideal arrangement.”

William and Grand Zulu have their sights firmly set on Interschools in Sydney this September and are working towards being selected for the NSW team.

“Making the NSW team would be a dream come true,” William said. “I would like us to compete in more events and bigger events. It’s exciting travelling up to Sydney and riding on the best courses.”

Despite running in his final race more than 13 years ago, Grand Zulu still gets recognised wherever he goes.

“Every time we go to an event there is always someone who will come up to us and say they worked with him or remember him from his racing days,” William said.

“I often bump into his former trainer Gwenda Markwell when I am working at the races and she always asks how Zulu is,” Maddie said.

When the time eventually comes for Grand Zulu to retire from competitions, he will always have a forever home between William and his family at Coolangatta NSW and Maddie at Foxground Training Stables and Stud.

By Julieanne Horsman

Thrill Ofthe Skill was bred for a life on the racetrack. Instead, the now seven-year-old mare is showing her versatility off it. Since being adopted by lifelong equestrian Diane Hickey, Thrill Ofthe Skill has become an important part of the 7^th Light Horse Gundagai Troop and this month completed her greatest challenge so far.

Over the course of eight days, Thrill Ofthe Skill and Diane meandered their way from Narrandera to Wagga as part of the Riverina and Southwest Slopes Light Horse Association’s Memorial Trek to commemorate 130years since the Emu plume was first added to the slouch hat. The trek was meant to be held in 2021 but Covid restrictions forced it to be rescheduled.

“As soon as I saw it advertised, I knew we had to be part of it,” Diane, the Principal of Binda Public School, said. “I roped my husband into coming along with his horse and decked them out in all the gear.”

Dressed in replicas of traditional World War I uniforms, the group of 14 riders and horses as well as a support crew covered 130km of ground, stopping off at small communities along the way. After a service at Narrandera where the troopers presented a slouch hat to the local RSL, they set out for Grong Grong 18kms away. The next day it was on to Matong where they visited the local public school to the delight of the young students.

“Seeing the kids’ faces light up gave me such a buzz,” Diane said. “They were asking questions about the uniforms and the horses. It’s a great way for them to learn about the history of the Light Horse.”

Each night the troop would build yards to contain their horses while they slept in swags or floats next to them. They would be up before the sun each morning to continue their journey, calling in to Ganmain, Coolamon, Marrar and Downside before finishing at North Wagga Pony Club.

“Due to covid restrictions we weren’t allowed into any aged care facilities, but we did a “ride by” and formed a troop line outside Allawah Lodge at Coolamon and the residents came out onto the verandah and gave us a salute,” Diane said. 

The group also collected donations along the way to help fund the construction of a bronze statue in Wagga’s Victory Memorial Gardens as a permanent tribute to those who have served with Light Horse troops. The design will feature a Light Horseman and his mount rescuing another soldier and while some grants had already been secured for the project, the money raised by the trek went towards covering the shortfall.

Once the ride was complete there was no time to rest, with attention turning to preparations and rehearsals for ANZAC Day. Diane and Thrill Of the Skill performed with the 7^th Light Horse Gundagai Troop at Wagga’s ANZAC Day Eve race day and again on ANZAC Day at services in Gundagai, Tumblong and Jugiong. Most of the horses in the troop are also off the track Thoroughbreds including Zarlu, Badraan, Aussie James, Hovell Street, Urbane Valour and Bang Bang.

“Thoroughbreds are highly intelligent and trainable,” Diane said. “I’m very proud of what Thrill OftheSkill has achieved and how far she has come during her time with me.

“Being part of the 7^th Light Horse Gundagai Troop gives you a chance to do something wonderful with your horse, regardless of age. Our youngest member is 9 and the oldest is 74. I’d encourage anyone who wants to get involved to get in touch via our facebook page.”

Diane has long been passionate about the Thoroughbred breed with her family involved in racing. Her previous mount, Mistress Jaye, was bred by Gerry Harvey, part-owned by her brother-in-law and trained by Kris Lees then Bernie Kelly. They competed in dressage and showing together, rode part of the Bicentennial Trail and Diane’s daughter even took her to Pony Club State Show Riding where they picked up a blue ribbon. Mistress Jaye has recently been retired from competitions due to her age but still lives with Diane at her home near Gunning.

Diane adopted Thrill Of the Skill, now known as “Hillary,” directly from Albury trainer Rob Wellington after being drawn to her kind eye and laidback temperament. She immediately began schooling her as a dressage mount under the guidance of coach Helena Warren, before progressing into Light Horse training about 12 months ago.

“The horse is a testament to her trainer,” Diane said. “She’s a pleasure to handle and do anything with. My husband has two other ex-racing mares from the stable. We just love them!”