Over Supplementing

Horse owners spend allot of time and money trying to fix symptoms with supplements instead of examining what their horse is primarily eating. If we all started at the beginning to see what we are feeding our horses we could probably answer allot of our own questions as well as discover appropriate nutrition that could actually make expensive supplements unnecessary. 

For example, horses didn’t just walk around the pasture and Cushing’s or Insulin resistance or one of the many other issues fall out of the sky and hit them in the head. Unnatural things happen to horses who’s owners and carers are out of touch with nature. These problems are not found in feral horses, they only exist in captivity, now that’s food for thought.

As horse owners we must try to make our horses diet as natural as possible. When looking into fortified feed our first concern maybe price. Remember when buying cheap feed it may actually be the more expensive route. You will be feeding more pounds per day to reach a balance of daily vitamins, minerals & protein level. Even forced to buy expensive supplements to meet the full recommended amount of vitamins and minerals. In the long run buying quality fortified grain and forage is the cheapest way to reach your goals. 

If your horse does need supplements due to a specific problem be careful to not over supplement and read the dosage per pound. Do your best and take advantage of Hueber Feeds Equine Specialists to help provide your horse a complete and balanced diet primarily consisting of good quality forage, fortified grain & possible supplements.

Healthy Animals are Parasite Free

Having animal’s parasite free is important although unfortunately it may not be absolutely possible 100% of the time.  However, a scheduled program for internal and external parasites is a must for your animal’s health.  You can find information about parasites by searching the web for ‘internal and external parasites in…’, then add the animal; for instance ‘dogs’. 

For internal parasites, worms are the most common and for external parasites we are concerned with fleas, ticks and mites primarily.  The best source of local information is your veterinarian who can make you aware of the local parasites your animal may be exposed to and can help set up a control program.  Programs vary from region to region so if you are moving to a new area contact a veterinarian in that area to start on a program specific for the new location.

If you have not yet established a parasite control program for your animals the best time to start is NOW!  If you have a program follow it rigidly so parasite re-infestations are controlled. If you notice an unexpected weight loss, rubbing, scratching, energy loss or parasites on your animal or in their feces contact your veterinarian and review / update the control program.  Avoid ‘home remedies’ as the remedy may cause damage to the animal’s skin or digestive track.  Follow the use directions on all products and only use it for the animal it is made for.  Inspect your animals frequently for parasites.

Animals look and perform better when they are on a program to control parasites.  They digest their food better which helps young animals grow faster and reduces the amount of food required for older animals to maintain proper body weight.  They are more alert and active.  Hubbard® Life products are formulated to optimize your animal’s nutritional needs.