Brooks Performance Horse Feeds
1570 Highway 7A L9L 1B5 Port Perry, ON, Canada

Having their horse lose weight is a challenge for many of our horse owners. There is no easy solution but drastic limiting of hay is not recommended.

Give Colic the Cold Shoulder This Winter January 8, 2020 By Kentucky Equine Research Staff Colic can strike at any time of the day, month, or year, but impaction colic occurs more frequently in winter. Decreased water intake usually carries the blame for these impactions, defined as a blockage in the large colon caused by any feedstuff undergoing digestion, though other management factors also contribute to the problem.... Horses require approximately 5 to 15 gallons (20-55 liters) of water per day. Signs of inadequate water intake include production of dry, sparse feces and weight loss, described Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutrition advisor for Kentucky Equine Research. Forage fermentation requires voluminous water, which is why the large colon and cecum are referred to as fermentation vats. Insufficient water intake forces the body to borrow water from the hindgut, which subsequently hinders the fermentation process and puts horses at risk for impactions. Enticing horses to drink may be achieved by: Offering horses clean water warmer than 40 F (5 C), which may require using heaters; Providing a high-forage diet. Water intake is linked to forage consumption with higher forage intake stimulating greater water intake; Soaking feeds, such as complete pelleted or extruded feeds, hay, or hay cubes in water before feeding; Delivering the occasional bran mash; Providing soaked beet pulp, a high-energy feed that provides horses with energy and promotes a healthy hindgut; and Sprinkling a little extra supplemental salt, 1-2 oz (30-60 g) for a 1000-lb (450-kg) horse, to stimulate thirst. Low-quality hay, which is usually high in indigestible fiber (thick stems and few leaves), may increase the risk of impaction in some horses. Further, changes in forage source or type throughout the winter months also increases the risk of digestive disturbances that may progress to colic. Other factors thought to contribute to winter colic include reduced physical activity if horses are confined to stalls more than normal, use of poor-quality hay due to lack of availability, and feeding a limited number of meals per day. If only poorer quality hay is available, supplemental vitamins and minerals may be necessary. Offer a vitamin and mineral supplement that serves as a low-intake concentrated ration fortifier, advised Whitehouse. Horse owners can also boost forage quality by supplementing with high-quality cubes or pellets. These products offer horse owners a lot of flexibility, especially in the wintertime when forage selection might be limited.

Another good reason to use a protein based balancer pellet like All Phase 20 to balance a hay diet this winter.

Happy Friday everyone! Here's a look at our winter newsletter. Find information about winter diets, feeding round bales, how to avoid winter weight loss, and more! http://brooksfeeds.com/pdf/hoofbeat/2020-12.pdf

Just a reminder that for the safety of our customers and staff, the Brooks Feeds Store in Port Perry is still operating with reduced hours for curb side pick up. Mon - Fri: 9am - 4pm Sat: CLOSED Our feed mill is fully operational as we continue to manufacture top quality feed for your horses. Our Nutritional Advisors are available for on-farm consultations.... www.brooksfeeds.com See more

Lots of good information here. Stuff that we emphasize constantly to our customers. https://www.horsejournals.com//timing-meals-health-and-per

Happy Friday! Check out our fall newsletter for information about hay sampling, forage alternatives and more! http://brooksfeeds.com/pdf/hoofbeat/2020-09.pdf

The following article from Kentucky Performance Products offers some good advice for naturally high stung horses but also for ones that can be much calmer with a diet change. Brooks has some very effective high fat products that are calorie dense and great choices for hard working or high strung horses. Reducing Excitability in Horses Through Diet Changes Can what you feed be making your horse a little crazy? The short answer is yes, it might be. Diets high in simple carbohy...drates, like the sugars and starches found in some concentrates (those high in grain and molasses), can cause a horse to have hormone fluctuations that lead to anxiousness and excitability. While providing some simple carbs in the diet is important, when large amounts at a time are fed, the sugar rush eventually results in a crash and this fluctuation can make your horse a little nuts. When too many sugars/starches are fed in a single feeding, your horse’s digestive system can be overwhelmed. Simple carbs that can’t be digested and absorbed in the stomach and small intestine escape into the hindgut and cause imbalances that can lead to indigestion and even colic or laminitis. Not every horse reacts in the same manner to a high-sugar diet, but if you have a horse that seems to be excitable and high, a diet change might help to calm him or her down. In some cases horses that have indigestion caused by a diet high in simple carbs will be anxious and irritable because they don’t feel well. A diet change can help remedy that problem as well. Using fat and super fibers as an alternative energy source is the right direction to move toward. Fats are often described as cool feeds because they reduce excitability. Fats, such Flax Appeal or Equi-Jewel rice bran are digested at a much slower rate and don’t cause the hormone spikes associated with excitability. Fats contain more energy pound for pound than simple carbs so you can feed smaller meals and deliver just as many calories, if not more. As an added benefit, fats will not cause the hindgut overload that large sugar/starch meals can cause, reducing anxiousness, irritability and the risk of colic or laminitis. As with all equine diets, fiber (hay, pasture, hay cubes or pellets) should be a major component. Fiber is digested in the hindgut and provides a consistent energy source. Fiber is critical to a balanced digestive tract and therefore the health and wellbeing of the horse. Super fibers such as molasses-free beet pulp provide an excellent source of extra energy for horses that tend to be high. When trying to control sugar levels in the diet, manage pasture so that turnout occurs during times when sugar levels are at their lowest and feed hays with low nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) values. While simple diet changes will not alter your horse’s base personality, it might help temper it and reduce excess anxiety and excitability.

The following is an article by Kentucky Equine Research staff. Horses are at increased risk for laminitis when grass begins to grow in the spring, providing abundant forage that is high in moisture and carbohydrates but low in fiber. Autumn is also a high-risk time for grazing horses for a somewhat different reason. Though pasture growth doesn’t look as appetizing, with its browning color signaling the beginning of dormancy, this seasonal change triggers plants to produce and... store carbohydrates. Waning daylight hours, cool night temperatures, overgrazing, mowing, or several dry days followed by rainfall can all lead to increased carbohydrate intake as horses graze. This overabundance of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) disrupts the chemistry of the horse’s digestive tract, leading to the release of endotoxins that can result in the onset of laminitis. A second contributing factor is the rise in adrenocorticotropic hormone, or ACTH, that occurs in all horses as days get shorter and air temperatures drop. This natural change in hormone level may not be a problem for horses with normal metabolism, but for those with a condition like Cushing’s disease or equine metabolic syndrome, higher ACTH levels can trigger increased insulin production. This rise translates into more risk for laminitis in susceptible equines. Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., senior equine nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research, suggests several steps to keep horses healthy throughout the fall months. She recommends that horse owners should eliminate or limit fall grazing for insulin-resistant horses or those that have shown signs of laminitis in previous years. Offer low-NSC hay to provide fiber, soaking the hay if necessary to remove some of the water-soluble sugars. When the grass reaches full dormancy and the lower stems are no longer green, it’s probably safe to allow horses back into the pasture, at least until forage growth picks up in the spring. Additionally, the use of a buffer such as EquiShure primes the hindgut for changes in diet that could lower the pH of the cecum and colon. By stabilizing the pH of the hindgut, there is a decrease in the risk of hindgut

We can help you decide if alafalfa is appropriate for your situation. Contact a Brooks Nutrition Advisor or use our interactive ration planner. www.brooksfeeds.com (feeding recommendations)

Congratulations Wendy. She does look amazing and fit.

Hop on for a fun ride with a great Brooks fed horse and customer.

Good information for anyone with a PSSM horse from KER. Looking for a low NSC diet? Contact a Brooks nutrition advisor or use our interactive ration tool http://www.brooksfeeds.com/suggestions.php. Question I recently had my 16-year-old Paint mare tested for polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) and found out she carries mutant alleles for PSSM type 2 (PSSM2). She has also been tested for glycogen branching enzyme deficiency (GREB) and is n/GBED. Is there a link between the...Continue reading

Thank you to our valuable customers for sharing their stories! We would love to hear from you! Feel free to contact us at [email protected]

We're often asked what to feed a horse to lose weight. While there are no magic pills, Dr. Getty has some good suggestions in this article. Note: limiting hay intake is not recommended!

Very informative webinar by KER about growing horses!

Stay tuned for more videos from KER about digestive health!

Excellent tips from our friends at KER! WATER SHADE ELECTROLYTES PLAN YOUR EXERCISE... HOSE OFF WATCH FOR SUNBURN MINIMIZE FLIES EXTRA HAY AS COOL-SEASON GRASSES THINS OUT See more

Thank you Taylor for your kind words!

Hay testing can provide you valuable insights to what you are feeding and if any adjustments need to be done with your feeding program!

Water, water water. A very important nutrient. Easliy overlooked.

In this interview we catch up with Taylor Brooks to talk about her year so far and her plans for the rest of the season! Taylor Brooks Equestrian Inc. Renee Seguin Brooks Feeds www.brooksfeeds.com #BrooksFeeds #nutrition #hunter #jumper #Wynbrook #TBE #showing #FibreO #Enhancer #EquiJewel

In case you missed it, here is our summer newsletter! You'll find information about grass clippings, dehydration in horses, tips for a healthy gut and more! http://brooksfeeds.com/pdf/hoofbeat/2020-07.pdf

Water intake cannot be emphasized enough this time of year. Also a good reminder about the importance of electrolyte supplementation during heavy exercise periods. Brooks offers very effective electrolyte products. Contact your feed advisor or call 905-985-7992

Best of luck Anne with this young horse this season! #brooks #barrelracing #training #rodeos #FibreOPlus #PowerPlay #FlaxAppeal #nutrition

Martine Desjardins is well known in the barrel racing circuit. She discusses with Renee Seguin of Brooks her year to date and future plans! #brooksfeeds #barrelracing #western #nutrition #powerplay #senior #eeze