Traditionally, mashes were made from wheat-bran and were fed irregularly, often just once a week. It was mistakenly believed that this helped to prevent digestive upsets. In fact, the laxative effect of bran mashes may be a result of mild digestive upset, caused by the abrupt change in diet. Similarly, the long-held belief that bran mashes helped to warm a horse is untrue; far more body heat will be generated by the fermentation of forage in the hind-gut.  The problem with feeding bran alone is compounded by the fact that bran is very low in calcium and essential amino acids such as lysine.

Nowadays nutritionists rarely recommend feeding bran mashes – so what is the alternative? Thankfully, innovates, quick-soaking, nutritionally balanced mashes are available and are ideal when either hydration is an issue or when feeding succulent/wet feed is desirable e.g. when stabled on dry forage in winter.

We know that forage alone will not provide a fully balanced diet and this can contribute to problems such as reduced immune function and poor hoof quality.  Modern mashes like Equerry Conditioning Mash, have been formulated to provide your horse with optimal levels of all the essential vitamins and minerals and, when fed daily, will help to keep your horse in tip-top health this winter.

In winter our horse’s diets tend to become much drier; preserved forages (i.e. hay/haylage) contain significantly less water compared to fresh grass. This combined with the fact that our horses can drink as much as 12% less water during chilly days can contribute to problems including reduced performance, increased risk of digestive upset and diminished appetite. A soaked mash will help to add water back into your horse’s diet and moreover they have been proven to help improve overall water intake, compared to feeding a dry concentrate feed. This becomes very important if your horse has to be confined to his stable, perhaps in atrocious weather.

Fussy feeders find conditioning mashes like Equerry Conditioning Mash simply irresistible! Rich in calories and essential amino acids they aid weight gain and help to promote top-line. The oil helps to encourage a shiny coat, whilst the highly digestible fibre and yeast help to maximize digestive efficiency. The Equerry mash is lower in starch than many mashes for horses that need to stay relaxed or minimise starch for other reasons.

Mashes are also a godsend for horses that have difficulty swallowing or chewing, including veterans with dental problems or horses prone to choke. They are ideal for disguising unpalatable medicine or powdered supplements.

Remember never to use water hotter than luke-warm or you will destroy all those helpful vitamins you have just paid for!

One of the most difficult challenges in feeding horses is balancing the need for sufficient fibre whilst also providing enough energy for his workload. Fibre is fermented in the hindgut by microbes to produce a continual supply of energy. All forage (i.e. hay, haylage and/or grazing) fed should be of good quality, both in terms of its nutritional value and hygiene. Most horses should receive between 1.5- 2% of their bodyweight in fibre. A diet of ad-lib forage and little and often feeding of a low sugar and starch feed are recommended in most cases.

If your horse is a good-doer, then feeding a high fibre, low-calorie feed such as Equerry High Fibre Cubes is advisable. Equerry High Fibre Cubes are ‘Non-Heating’, cereal-grain-free, low in sugar and starch and will provide all his basic vitamins and minerals for light to medium work.

If your horse is in medium to hard work, he will probably need more calories to support his condition and provide more energy. There will also be an increased demand for protein. Equerry Conditioning Mash or Equerry Conditioning Cubes are the ideal choice for him.

Protein is a very important nutrient required in the horse’s diet. It is essential for muscle development and damage repair along with promoting topline and for losses in body fluids. Protein is made up of chains of amino acids, of which ten are essential for the horse and about ten are non-essential. The essential amino acids must be provided in the diet as the horse can only synthesise the non-essential himself. Equerry Conditioning Mash/Equerry Conditioning Cubes have been formulated to provide good levels of essential amino acids, including lysine and methionine. These amino acids, plus the added oil and linseed provided in Equerry Conditioning Mash/Equerry Conditioning Cubes, also help to promote a glossy, shiny skin and coat.

The increased need for macro-nutrients (protein and energy) is accompanied by a higher demand for micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Vitamins and minerals are responsible for energy metabolism, good bone strength and hoof quality. Equerry Conditioning Mash/Equerry Conditioning Cubes contain raised levels of Vitamin E and Selenium which are important antioxidants that play a large role in the muscle metabolism of horses with strenuous workloads. They help to neutralise the increased free radical production which is associated with higher levels of exercise.

Equerry Conditioning Mash/Equerry Conditioning Cubes also contain added yeast. This helps to promote overall digestive health and therefore, will enable your horse to digest his hard feed and forage more efficiently. The demands placed on your horse can cause stress in his work and travel and there is now a great deal of evidence to show that yeast can benefit stressed horses.

Equerry Conditioning Mash and Equerry Conditioning Cubes are complete feeds and when fed at the recommended rate will provide your horse with the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and trace-elements. As a guide, a horse weighing 500kg would need 2.5-3kg Equerry Conditioning Mash/Equerry Conditioning Cubes daily. This should be divided into at least 2 small meals, fed at least 4 hours apart.