Pure Meadow Mash, a palatable and nutritious hay replacer, is the perfect solution for horses that can no longer manage to chew hay or haylage.As horses get older, their dentition can deteriorate and they may start to struggle chewing long stem forage such as hay and haylage. When they get to this stage, a hay replacer can be a useful alternative to hay to help ensure that they are still getting plenty of fibre in their diet.
Dental problems in older horses
For those of us that have an older horse, we are all too aware of the problems that can accompany increasing age. These problems can include stiffness and dental problems such as missing or worn teeth. This can make chewing long stem forage such as hay and haylage difficult for the horse and they become less efficient at it. Quidding is often seen in horses that are struggling to chew their hay or haylage- you may notice balls of partially chewed food dropped from their mouth around their stable. It can also lead to partially chewed food reaching further into their digestive tract which can cause blockages. Pure Meadow Mash, a palatable and nutritious hay replacer could be the perfect solution.
Time to consider a hay replacer?
If your horse can no longer easily manage to chew forage such as hay or haylage it is important to ensure that they still have a sufficient source of fibre in their diet. Horses are designed to eat little and often and should have a minimum of 1.5% of their bodyweight as forage per day.
Pure Meadow Mash: a palatable and nutritious hay replacer
Hay replacers such as Pure Meadow Mash are an ideal way to provide your horse with an easy to chew source of fibre when they can no longer chew hay. Our Pure Meadow Mash is a fibre based, low sugar and low starch micro pellet that soaks to form a soft, easy to chew mash. Pre and probitoics are also included to help support your veteran horse’s hind gut and aid digestion. Palatability of hay replacers can be a concern, particularly if your horse can be fussy- and some do get pickier with age! However, our signature blend of natural herbs is included so it is sure to tempt event the fussiest of horses. But don’t just take our word for it, hear what Pure Feed customer Sarah and her veteran pony had to say about Pure Meadow Mash:
Sarah said “Victoria Plum is 35 years young and, despite having very few useful teeth, is ok eating longer grass but struggles in the winter as she cannot manage hay. Last year she wouldn’t eat a hay replacer but she had tucked into her Pure Meadow Mash with astonishing enthusiasm!”
Contact the Pure Feed nutritional team
For more information on using hay replacers read our blog on feeding hay replacers to veteran horses. You can also contact our nutritional team for free advice on 01458 333 333 or email nutrition@purefeed.com
