When Did Feeding a Horse Get So Bloody Complicated?

There was a time when feeding a horse didn’t require a degree, seventeen plastic tubs and a Facebook group.

Walk into some feed rooms today and it looks like a chemistry experiment.

A scoop of this. Half a scoop of that. Something for the gut. Something for the feet. Something for the coat. Something to perk him up. Something to calm him down. Something else because somebody at the barn swears her horse has never looked better since she started feeding it.

Then the confused owner does what she believes will help. Yes, you guessed it... off we go to have a proper consult with the experts on Facebook. LOL 😂🤦♀️😂

Does my horse actually need all this stuff?

It’s a bloody good question.

Less is more!!!!

One of the things I’ve learned from decades around horses is that whether what we are feeding is working or not, we are always "looking for something better."

Horse looks dull? Add something.

Feet aren't great? Add something.

Droppings change? Add something.

Horse is a little hotter than usual? There's a tube for that.

Before long, we're feeding multiple products containing some of the same ingredients, changing several things at once with no measurable results.

Start with the horse, not the label.

I don't particularly care what brand of feed somebody uses.

I care about the horse.

What age is he?

What breed/height is he?

What is he eating?

What forage does he have?

What's his discipline & workload?

What, if any, medication is he on and why?

And what are we trying to accomplish?

Because the horse hasn't read the marketing on the bag.

He doesn't know he's supposed to be a “performance horse,” a “senior,” a “hard keeper” or whatever other category we've decided to put him into.

Sometimes we need to simplify before we add.

That's actually a big part of the thinking behind Parkmore.

Reset. Reboot. Rebuild. Restore. Clean and rebuild from the inside out and then let him be a horse.

Not:

Buy every bloody thing Fleur sells and dump it in the bucket.

I'd rather somebody understood why they were feeding something and used the right product for the right reason.

Good nutrition shouldn't require half an hour of mixing dinner every night, half of which is feckin powders stuck to the bottom of the bucket.

It should provide a solid foundation, fill genuine nutritional gaps and support the individual horse in front of you.

And yes, sometimes additional support is appropriate.

But “What can I add?” shouldn't always be the first question.

Sometimes the better question is:

“What does this horse actually need?”

Your feed room — and possibly your bank account — may thank you.

If you are concerned that you may be in need of advice, please don't hesitate to pick up the phone to me. I may not always have the exact product you need, if you need any at all, but I usually know where you can find it.

Until next time, DO more with less.

Be kind, be the person you needed when you were starting out.

— Fleur

Reset. Reboot. Rebuild. Restore.