Introducing Supplements
It is one process deciding on what supplement to feed your horse and often a completely different one to get your horse to eat it. Many of the ingredients that make up supplements do not smell or taste enticing and the horse will quickly notice when their meal has changed in some way. When you introduce a new supplement to your horse's feed, it can be likened to presenting your children with a new vegetable. They are typically skeptical at first and usually not keen to try it, because it's different to what they're used to. In these instances it calls for a creative and sometimes sneaky approach to achieve the desired outcome.
Being well rehearsed in both scenarios, I have a few tips up my sleeve that have worked well for me when introducing a new supplement.
1. If the horse is known to be fussy or even if it is a good eater, for best results it is advisable to introduce the supplement gradually. For a 100g dose, start with 10g and build up to 100g over a few days to a week.
2. Dampen the feed so the supplement adheres to the rest of the feed. This will make it more difficult for the horse to sift it out.
3. Mix it thoroughly through the feed they are used to eating.
4. Add a treat or something you know they really like to eat. This can act as a distraction from the new ingredients.
5. Finally some competition! Having a paddock mate or stable mate lingering, ready to eat what is refused can encourage your horse to get on with eating his meal. I feed the Precision Equine Muscle Max Bars to my two horses. Initially one horse was not interested. I brought the two horses really close together and when the hesitant horse saw his mate eating the bar, he reached over and bit some off. Since then we haven't looked back and he now loves the bars.
The Advanced Equine Comprehensive Supplement includes a palatable carrier, low inclusion natural sweetener and a flavour to encourage even the fussiest horses. If you persist at the introduction of the supplement, you will ensure your hard earned money is not wasted and your horse receives the beneficial nutrients.