ARE YOU FEEDING AGAINST YOURSELF?

The full answer to this question is to be found in my handbook for horse owners The Practical Horse Herbal. In fact there are two chapters devoted exclusively to feeding and numerous references throughout, which explain in detail the many benefits of natural feeding and supplements.

Why do natural feeds and supplements produce a superior result compared with processed feeds, pellets, extruded feeds, "cool" feeds and pre-mixed fast feeds? Consider this - how many of you prefer to sit down to a delicious home cooked meal or a cordon bleu dinner at a great restaurant rather than eat take-away, frozen food or tins every night? Now I know you wouldn't be a normal human being if you didn't enjoy the occasional binge on junk food - but EVERY NIGHT? Never.

The horse's genetic evolution has produced an extremely efficient machine that simply does not need or do well on the huge amounts of concentrated feeds, chemical supplements and injectable vitamins so widely used. Feeding a selection of natural feeds and supplements - which have stood the test of time and been confirmed by modern research - has numerous benefits. The only small disadvantage is it takes longer to prepare feeds. Those horse owners who have chosen the natural way are so delighted with the results they never go back. My clients are constantly telling me how much money they save in feed bills and vet bills and how their farriers comment, without being asked, on the excellent growth and quality of their horses' hooves.

THE BENEFITS ARE ...

• Healthy horses showing vitality and wellbeing with strong disease resistance (prevention is cheaper and better than cure).
• Able to cater for individual needs (feed intolerances are common).
• More economical.
• Easy quality and freshness control (no old or stale processed feeds).
• You know for sure what you are feeding (no hidden rubbish).
• No synthetically manufactured minerals and vitamins which are very difficult for the body to metabolise .
• You can ensure you are not doubling up on ingredients which is wasteful, expensive, overloads the liver and kidneys and can be deleterious to health.
• It is a well known fact that once the husk of the seed has been broken that the nutritional value is lost in a matter of days. Many prepared feeds contain rolled or cracked grains and/or cereals. Pellets can expand in the gut and the ingredients of these are usually no more than compressed pollard and bran.

Like fast foods for humans, fast feeds for horses contain added salt and sugar (molasses) as well as substances which are damaging to the metabolism, such as - feeds unsuitable for horses, preservatives, colouring and emulsifying agents, humectants, flavour and palatability enhancers and even residues from other animal feeds such as antibiotics.

The famous animal herbalist Juliette de Bairacli Levy supports this view "... new diseases are constantly coming forward as man's rearing of domestic animals departs more and more from the natural." Natural diet and herbal treatments which are never destructive to the body tissues, are the simplest method of keeping disease from all livestock and curing those which are diseased..."

A recent publication in many ways echoes her philosophy. Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine - Schoen and Wynn (1998) emphasises the importance of preventive nutrition, the need to acknowledge biochemical individuality and the advantages of natural feed substances in equine nutrition... "Overall health and hair coat quality are consistently better when animals are fed live foods as opposed to processed foods."

Gift of Killarnie (pictured) is a shining example of the benefits of a natural feeding program

The natural feeding and supplements programs which I recommend are the foundation of a holistic program, designed to provide basic nutrition as well as preventive nutrition, that is, to prevent disease by giving the body systems their best opportunity to remain in optimal condition.

Horses are genetically designed to consume large amounts of roughage, that is grass, hay and chaff. This is the basis of my natural diets.

FORMULATING DIETS

You can formulate natural diets for your own horses by using the extensive information in The Practical Horse Herbal OR you can have me do it for you. For a once off fee of $55* I will provide you with my written recommendations for natural feeding and supplements, based on information about the individual horse at the time of the consultation. You are encouraged to provide regular progress reports so that any necessary adjustments can be made from time to time, as the fee covers the horse for life!

There are many variables which affect the condition of horses and it is essential to consider these when working out amounts and types of rations. They are - size, age, breed, colour, occupation, season/shelter, access to pasture, temperament, individual feed conversion ratio, teeth and worming status. These factors are discussed at length in the book.

WHICH FEEDS ARE CHOSEN?

The following feeds represent the total feed list to be selected from depending on the individual horse - hays of various types, chaffs of various types, flaky bran, wheat germ, whole oats, whole barley, corn, black sunflower seeds, millet (French white) and Linseed (either boiled or as the cold pressed oil). Mostly only performance horses need energy grains and these are prepared either by soaking, freshly crushing or minimal cooking, or by using micronised forms.

The following supplements represent the total supplement list to be selected from depending on the individual horse - Herbal Horse® Vitalis^®, Apple Cider Vinegar, Natural Rock Salt and/or Organic Sea Salt, Honey (raw), Peppermint Leaf, Vervain and Flowers of Chamomile.

TESTIMONIALS

Danielle Rogers from Qld writes "I have had my three horses on your natural diet for 4 years now - they are all living as naturally as possible and are all barefoot - even the fairy thoroughbred thanks to you and your diet! They all look wonderful and I have not had any health issues with them since starting them on your diet."

Tracy Maggs from Victoria says "I like Garnet's feeding plan because it is so simple and cheap to feed, so I would like you to devise a feeding plan for my mare Faith."

Genevieve Quinn from NSW emails "I had a very proud VF Natural Diet moment this morning. A friend has just purchased a lovely yearling Andalusian filly who is staying with us for a while. She has been brought up on processed feeds. Her new paddock mate my Ruby who has been raised on your natural diet from day one, wandered over and proceeded to clean up her new friend's breakfast. I noticed that Ruby had rummaged through and eaten all the chaff and spat out all the pellets. I was so proud of her! I am also happy to report that the filly's new owner is already starting to wean her off the pellets and is reading your book."

Rebecca Atkins from Triple R Horse Welfare Syndicate Inc. reports "All our rescue horses are on the VF natural diet, or variations of it. It is quite a miracle that have not had one of the rescue horses become ill or down down with colic when we begin their new feeding in the 3 years we have been following it. Considering the debilitated state some of them are in, it is quite an achievement, and it has to be their feeding regime so thank you."