About a year ago I wrote an article on how I get my horses to go from Zero to hero and with new learning I thought it was about time that I reignite it and rewrite giving all my new secrets and the challenges I have faced with nearly loosing Jack Sparrow to Colic and how I got him back to life with Bluegrass and Dengie feeds. (And no I’m not sponsored but I have used both for the last 7 years and I am probably borderline obsessed)

I think at this stage in my life I can openly say I don’t tend to go for horses that are easy and I believe in finding diamonds in the rough and making them shine and the only way you can do this is with feeding properly 

Throwback to October 2022 when Jack was sick I didn’t ever think my horse would load that evening never mind survive. The colic took its toll on his body and he weighed a mere 520kg leaving hospital. That’s very light for a 17.2HH Irish sports horse. And I had to think of ways to get him to gain weight safely without upsetting his gut at the same time.

First thing is a look at the factors that I will need to evaluate and potentially deal with before I start feeding him back up 

• Physical health – from the horses head  to tail and all in-between and any lumps bumps etc 
• Mental health – any behavioural issues and how their ethogram is at present 
• Nutrition – what diet they are currently on and the changes I will make 
• Medication 
• Appetite
• Coat Condition  

Factors that he will need to recover 

• Access to 247 grass – Doctor Green is so important for post colic recovery 
• Liquid diet 
• Chaff 
• Medications and supplements 
• Water tracking and increasing water consumption 

I looked at what he was currently being fed on and made one change in the chaff from Dengie Alfa A to Dengie Healthy Tummy as this chaff was designed with gastric horses in mind and luckily as I was already feeding bluegrass resolve and Turmash I was able to ultra-soak these with added electrolytes .

Here’s what I fed and why:

Turmash is a brilliant fully balanced conditioning mash containing vitamins and minerals and has a high fibre content as well as turmeric for anti-inflammatory properties. 1 stubs scoop of mash fully soaked will make approximately 3 scoops of mash and more the more water you add but nutritional value will lower the more liquefied you make it . It’s the ideal product for post colic due to the contents and also the fact that you can make it as runny as you like. Turmash can be used post colic instead of a bran mash as it contains bran already and then there isn’t a rapid change in feeding after the episode. I usually make it with warm water rather than cold as the mash absorbs more water when it’s warm and also adding my electrolytes to encourage Jack Sparrow to drink more water as water is essential for life and absorption during digestive healing and function.

Resolve Cubes 

Resolve cubes are a great cube for weight gain post colic containing live yeast and probiotics and allow the horse to gain weight slowly. These cubes can be soaked for added digestibility. Resolve is also ideal for horses prone to tying up and gastric ulcers due to the micronizing of the starch components to lessen the starch content. It also contains Equi jewel and Stamm 30 balancer which is cost saving for the owner as you don’t need to buy separately.

Relieve mix

I have recently switched to relieve mix on a gradual basis – it does a similar job to resolve but is more ideal for after the horse has recovered as it will help prevent colic in the future. Also containing chaff, Equijewel and Stamm 30 Balancer can be fed on its own or adding more chaff and mashes. It is low in starch and high in fibre and is suitable also for those with metabolic disorders such as PPID.  It is also ideal feeding for anxious or nervous horse types providing everything they need to stay healthy 

Dengie Healthy Tummy Chaff 

Healthy tummy is a fibre based feed and chaff specifically designed for horses with gastric issues using a blend of chopped and pelleted alfalfa and oil which is a natural buffering agent for gastric health. Containing no added Sugar or starch and also containing a probiotic which means you don’t have add a supplement for it and preventing horses from bolting their feeds by providing more time chewing and mastication  . They have added a blend of herbs which is super appetising to the horse such as oregano cinnamon and ginger and which also help with immunity. 

Curragh Carron oil – to promote coat condition and Peristalisis in the gastric tract – contains Omega 3, 6 and 9.  

Lastly, I ensure that he has lots of turnouts and adlib haylage when he comes in and the option of a salt lick to ensure he is getting everything he needs to stay healthy 

I have a lot to thank Bluegrass and Dengie for they have given me my horse back and helped him recover into his happy-go-lucky self which I will be eternally grateful and I will continue to feed them for the future as they have more than proven why their feeds outweigh the rest and the results speak for themselves my horse now weighs close to 700kg and has had no signs of colic since not even a threat, Thank you Bluegrass and Dengie you gave me my horse back better than ever

(Reference: all nutritional info has been sourced and clipped from bluegrass and dengie websites).