QUICK WAY TO TEST EQUINE FORAGE

A new quick way to analyse forage for horses has been launched by Thunderbrook, in association with Eurofins Agro. Forage Quick Scan will provide forage analysis results in just three working days using dry NIRS testing provided by Eurofins Agro’s laboratories.

“Forage consists of between 80 and 100 percent of a horse’s diet. It supports digestive health, natural behaviour, and overall wellbeing but it is often fed with little understanding for its nutritional values,” says Thunderbrook’s Rob Krabbenborg.

Forage value is affected by factors including soil quality, plant diversity, stage of maturity at harvest, weather conditions and storage. With so many variables it is understandable that no two bales are the same and can vary dramatically in levels of energy, sugar, protein and minerals.

“Analysis is crucial to understanding what is being fed out. Horses are designed to consume fibre little and often, with a digestive system that relies on a steady intake of forage to function effectively. Forage also contributes significantly to the intake of sugar, energy and essential nutrients. If these elements are out of balance, the effects may be subtle at first, but over time can influence weight, behaviour, hoof quality and metabolic health,” he advises.

Mr Krabbenborg points to the need to control sugar and starch intake, suggesting that both should be kept below ten percent and that this can only be ascertained through accurate and regular testing.

“Eurofins Agro provides very fast but, more importantly, very accurate results that are easy to interpret and action. Understanding the nutritional composition of forage allows for a far more precise and thoughtful approach to feeding. Rather than adding supplements or balancers as a precaution, decisions can be made based on actual requirements,” he says.

The test results are accompanied by practical feeding guidance to help make the data more useable and relevant to owners with a variety of experience levels.

“Horse owners need not be concerned that the data will be overwhelming. In fact, quite the opposite is the goal. The test results have been designed to make forage analysis easy to understand and, more importantly, easy to action,” he concludes.