Lo-Cal Q & A

Nutrients are essential to aid recovery and maintain good health but calories may not be!

COMMON LO-CAL Q & A's
How many mugs a day of Lo-Cal would your horse benefit from?
1, 2 or 3!

My 6 year old Section A pony Crisp is 11.2hh, can get fat and has had laminitis in the past. I’ve managed to keep it at bay with a tough regime of a starvation paddock and small amounts of hay but wondered whether there is anything else I could safely feed him as I want to do some competitions this summer and I don’t want him to get fatter or have laminitis.

Mitchel

A balanced diet is just as important for the laminitis-prone as it is for any other pony and managing him to avoid this disease should remain your priority whether you are riding him or not. Pasture and hay can be lacking in important nutrients so if you restrict their intake too, Crisp could really be missing out. Just one coffee mug per day of Baileys Lo-Cal balancer, plus some low calorie chaff, if you like, will make sure he is getting all the protein, vitamins and minerals he needs alongside his controlled hay & grass ration. Lo-Cal contains a range of nutrients that are important for healthy hoof growth, including Biotin, zinc and methionine, and, along with its low starch, low calorie formula, make it ideal for the good doer and laminitis-prone. Lo-Cal balancer also contains Yea Sacc¹⁰²⁶ for a healthy gut – of particular importance to the laminitis-prone. Best of all, Crisp’s one coffee mug will only cost around 23p per day to feed. Good luck!

My 14.2hh Welsh Section D (Jaeger) is fantastic in every respect but does tend to get fat on thin air. I ride him 3 to 4 times during the week, plus take him to the odd competition and sponsored ride at weekends. I give him a handful of horse & pony nuts because I feel guilty not giving him anything at all but sometimes he feels a bit sluggish and giving him more nuts doesn’t seem to make much difference. I want to do some showing with him this year and need to know what to feed him that will help him look and feel his best without putting on any weight Any advice?!!

Good-doers can be great - except watching their weight does require vigilence. However, the answer lies in Baileys Lo-Cal balancer. It’s formulated for horses like Jaeger and it’s packed with vitamins, Bioplex^TM minerals (easier to absorb), quality protein and even Yea-Sacc¹⁰²⁶ (for digestive health), but without calories. Jaeger won’t miss out on nutrients so his coat will gleam and he should get more of a spring in his step. Just 2 coffee mugs a day (450g/1lb) with a bit of chaff, plus grass (limited!) and coarse, clean hay (lots of fibre is good) will give him everything he needs and will improve his coat, plus support hoof growth and muscle tone. And it’s reasonably priced - those 2 mugs work out at only 45p a day!* Good luck!

My 5 year old Arab gelding, Elliott, is ultimately destined for an endurance career but this year I will just do some dressage and local shows to give him an “all round” education. He’s a pretty good-doer and looks well on Baileys Meadow Sweet but I can never feed it up to the levels it says on the bag as he’d get too fat. As I do more with him, I’m conscious he should probably have more feed but I also need him to remain calm. Should I switch to a competition feed, if so which one?

Cubes and mixes, like Meadow Sweet with honey, are formulated to be fed at recommended levels to ensure the horse is receiving all the vitamins and minerals he needs. Under feeding may allow you to control calorie intake but it does mean Elliott could be missing out on protein, vitamins and minerals and, as his workload increases, his body’s requirement for these becomes greater. Whilst a competition feed will have levels of vits and mins to support a higher workload, he will still miss out if you can’t feed what the manufacturer recommends. 2 coffee mugs a day of Baileys Lo-Cal balancer will give Elliott all the quality protein, vitamins and minerals he needs for well-being and work but with no additional calories. You can then feed varying amounts of Meadow Sweet, according to waistline and workload, alongside plenty of forage, of course.

My 14hh Connemara (Mulligan) is fantastic in every respect but does tend to get fat on thin air. I ride him 3 to 4 times during the week and will be showing him at weekends throughout the summer. I give him a handful of horse & pony nuts because I feel guilty not giving him anything at all but sometimes he feels a bit sluggish and giving him more nuts doesn’t seem to make much difference. I need to know what to feed him that will help him look and feel his best without putting on any weight Any advice?!!

Good-doers can be great - except watching their weight does require vigilence. However, the answer lies in Baileys Lo-Cal balancer. It’s formulated for horses like Mulligan and it’s packed with vitamins, Bioplex^TM minerals (easier to absorb), quality protein and even Yea-Sacc¹⁰²⁶ (for digestive health), but without calories. Mulligan won’t miss out on nutrients so his coat will gleam and he should get more of a spring in his step. Just 2 coffee mugs a day (450g/1lb) with a bit of chaff, plus grass (limited!) and coarse, clean hay (lots of fibre is good) will give him everything he needs and will improve his coat, plus support hoof growth and muscle tone. And it’s reasonably priced - those 2 mugs work out at only 45p a day!* Good luck!

My 16.1hh ex-racehorse can be quite excitable so, although I’m working him quite hard with lessons and competitions, he doesn’t need the higher energy levels of a performance feed as he would get too strong. His coat and hoof condition need improving so I’ve been giving him half a scoop a day of Horse & Pony Cubes - but I haven’t noticed a difference. What can I do? 

Your horse & pony cubes may have less energy but, as it is formulated for horses at rest or in light work, its vitamin and mineral profile will be insufficient for horses working harder - and he should be having 3 times the amount for his nutrient requirements! Ensuring Monty’s ration is fully balanced will help his overall coat condition and support his workload. I would suggest 3 mugs of Lo-Cal balancer per day, with chaff and forage to provide all the vitamins, minerals and quality protein which may be lacking currently. However, it doesn’t contain any energy/calories so should not exacerbate his ‘keen’ temperament. Plus 3 mugs should only cost in the region of 68p per day! 

Emma Case BSc (Hons)