Top Line/Azutoria case

Jeanette emailed us with the following query:

Please help, I would like to get some top line on my horse. Comparing her to riding horses in her class she lacks muscle in her neck and hind quarters. Her muscle tone is good and her coat is very good. She is a thoroughbred, 13 years old (just), 16.2hh, weighs about 550 kg. She is exercised 4-5 times per week, turned out two days and rested one day (sometimes) depending on the work she has done that week. Exercise consists of 40 - 50 mins schooling in the menage, or up to 1 hr hacking, or 30 mins lunging or 30 mins free schooling - all once per day.

After much trial and error her feeding routine now consists of two bucket feeds per day and two nets of haylage per day. Bucket feed consists of 1 large scoop of Dengie Hi Fi, 1 med scoop (about 1lb) Hi Fibre cubes, 1 med scoop soaked sugar beet, 3-4 lge carrots, 1 apple, 1 muffin, 1 teaspoon salt, 5grms limestone flour, 25 grms Equivite and a teaspoon of garlic powder. She suffers with Azutoria and has had 1 quite bad attack (in winter after a period of rest) and about 3 mild attacks in three years.

They normally occur in winter when she doesn't get out as much (due to icy weather normally). I would like to feed her a supplement or mix which will not fizz her up or contribute to an attack of azutoria but which would help me to improve her top line. She is typically built for a thoroughbred, sloping quarters, and had an upside down neck when I first got her. She now has a much improved neck and lots more muscle but needs more top line to compete in riding horse classes. I also do prelim dressage with her which is why I don't want anything which is going to fizz her up. Thank You Regards Jeanette

Hermione Ball MSc Nutritionist at Natural Animal Feeds gives her reply.

Dear Jeanette, It is always difficult to find a suitable feeding regime for a horse prone to Azoturia and I think your current diet is pretty good, it obviously suits her well as she ties up so rarely. For the summer I would be inclined to increase the salt to 15g per day, and if you are competing a lot, a course of electrolytes would benefit her. I think you are lucky that she is a fizzy thoroughbred type because she is coping with the work load on just a high fibre diet.

There are a couple of products that could help her further. You state that she had an 'upside down' neck when you first got her. Although much of this probably is down to lack of muscle, some will also be her natural confirmation so she may never achieve the neck of some other show horses, and obviously you can not risk putting more weight on her because of the Azoturia (unlike some other show horses). We have a product called Bynatone, which is designed to promote muscle development, and it would be safe to feed with her current diet. This product was extensively trialed when we first produced it, and results not only showed a significant decrease in post-exercise recovery (improved fitness) but also an increase in muscle measurements after 10 weeks of feeding.

Alongside your current exercise routine I feel that this product could help to improve her topline and hindquarters. It appears that you are only turning your mare out twice a week at the moment. I feel that it is really important for her to be turned out as much as possible - preferably everyday. It is obviously quite hard on the muscles if you are schooling her for an hour and then putting her back in the box; turn out would allow the muscles to gradually relax again, helping the blood circulation and clearing out toxins after the muscles have been stressed. I really hope that her day off is also a turn-out day, as keeping her in all day will not be helping her muscles! The winter is obviously the time you have more problems with Azoturia.

As I said before, If you can turn her out everyday this will help to keep the muscles moving. For the winter months, I would stop the Bynatone and exchange it for D-Ty. As its name suggests it is designed specifically for Azoturia, and does contain some of the same ingredients as Bynatone. Also included however, are the all important anti-oxidants to prevent toxin build up in the muscle cells, MSM to help with soft tissue, and certain herbs used to promote oxygen to the muscle cells and reduce the build up of lactic acid.

You should be able to feed it at a low maintenance level - just 1-2 scoops per day, but if you are concerned about stiffness at any time the dosage should be increased immediately to 4 scoops per day for at least a week. Neither of these products should have any affect on her temperament and I hope that after a few months of feeding the Bynatone you should own a fit and healthy show horse with muscles to die for! If you also changed your general vitamin and mineral supplement to Oilovite this would also give her coat a show ring gleam as it is blended with cod liver oil and soya oil, providing essential fatty acids.

Hermione Ball MSc
Nutritionist, Natural Animal Feeds

Freephone advice line: 0800 373106

www.naf-uk.com

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