Supporting our members in their efforts to achieve the highest level of repute, knowledge and profitability.
BETA FFF is here, and we have an exciting giveaway in partnership with Dengie!
Win a Dengie bobble hat & goody bag containing £60 of Dengie Feed Vouchers
Thank you, Dengie!
To take part in the competition, answer the question below in the comments.
Question: Dengie Meadow Lite with Herbs can be fed as a low-calorie complete or partial forage replacer? True or false?
Information can be found here: Meadow Lite with Herbs | Dengie Horse Feeds
Let us know in the comments below!
Then. . .
Follow @Dengie and us if you haven’t already.
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Deadline for entries: 5th November, 12 pm
Winner announcement: 6th November
This competition is run by BETA on both Facebook and Instagram. Correct entries will be combined from both accounts, and one winner will be selected at random from the combined entries. This competition is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram. No cash alternative is offered.
Good luck to everyone entering
Supporting the veteran horse starts with recognising changing needs. Worn or missing teeth can make long-stem forage difficult to chew, so regular dental checks are essential.
Fibre remains fundamental to gut health. Soaked alfalfa cubes, beet pulp and soya hulls offer easier-to-swallow alternative fibre sources; prepare them according to instructions and introduce dietary changes gradually. Gut supplements containing ingredients with evidence for supporting fibre digestion, such as certain live yeasts, may help horses make better use of their ration.
Oil is a great addition to the senior ration, providing readily digestible additional energy without adding bulk. Highly digestible protein supplying essential amino acids, particularly lysine and methionine, supports muscle maintenance and helps address age-related muscle loss. Ensure the complete diet also meets daily vitamin and mineral requirements for normal bodily function.
Turnout is invaluable for oldies: gentle movement helps maintain joint mobility and bone density. Some older horses may feel more comfortable lying down in an open space, rather than in a stable. Provide shelter and a safe, comfortable resting area. For horses prone to stiffness, appropriate joint support may also be beneficial.
Top tips:
- check those teeth!
- utilise alternative fibres
- oil for extra energy
- gentle exercise is good
Thank you to @plusvital - who recently joined BETA for this great advice
Win the Optimum @nafuk Bundle!
Did you know that your winter forage, hay or haylage is intrinsically nutritionally deficient?
Feeding a high forage diet is natural to the horse and great for gut health. However, preserving hay and haylage loses many essential nutrients required for health and vitality, particularly vitamins.
Balance is needed.
Balance missing vitamins & trace elements.
Balance energy & protein needs when exercise is light.
Balance feed costs at an expensive time of year.
Small but mighty! Super concentrated supplement balancers may provide all your horse needs to balance forage this winter in just a handful.
Win a NAF bundle of Optimum balancer, a branded bucket and a nutritional consultation for one horse!
Just tag a friend who needs to see this and guess the weight of a daily ration of Optimum balancer for a 500kg horse.
Let us know in the comments below!
Then. . .
Deadline for entries: 4th November, 12 pm
Winner announcement: 5th November
This competition is run by BETA on both Facebook and Instagram. Correct entries will be combined from both accounts, and one winner will be selected at random from the combined entries. This competition is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram. No cash alternative is offered.
Good luck to everyone entering
We have really unusual weather this year, by all means.
Lush, tempting grass might look like heaven, as we haven’t seen it for a while. But seasonal changes in pasture can also mean changes in dietary sugar and starch.
For horses prone to metabolic challenges and laminitis, what’s happening inside matters.
It’s not just about the hoof…
We need to think bigger; we need nutritional guardrails:
• Metabolism – support healthy glucose and insulin function
• Circulation – support normal blood flow to the hoof
• Oxidative balance – support the body’s natural defences
• Hindgut health – support a healthy microbial environment
Because managing a horse prone to laminitis is about more than watching the grass.
It’s about understanding the bigger picture and providing the right nutritional guardrails every day.
Love the green, stay on guard.
Thank you @equineamerica for sharing!
#EquineNutrition #Laminitis #MetabolicHealth #HorseHealth #HoofHealth #EquineWellbeing #GoodDoer
Horses on restricted diets have even greater need for a quality nutrient supply in the feed bowl. When grass intake is limited and forage is soaked, protein, mineral, and vitamin deficiencies can occur quickly.
Protein in particular is vitally important for all round health, organ function, repair and muscle tone – horses on restricted diets ideally need to lose fat but gain muscle. Protein is often under supplied when access to typically high protein grazing is restricted or removed altogether but also when forage is soaked.
Soaking hay not only reduces sugar but also protein, minerals and even fibre content. A horse on soaked hay often needs a much higher protein bucket feed and, a high protein balancer to ensure minimum supply is maintained. Too little protein in the diet can lead to muscle wastage, low energy levels, and poor healing/recovery.
Protein source is also important, as it is not just total protein but the balance of amino acids we need to consider. Certain amino acids are “limiting” because they reduce how much horses can use other amino acids. Supplying these limiting amino acids at the right levels means the horse can make use of all the protein they consume, without limit. Forage protein is considered higher quality than cereal protein because the levels of limiting amino acids are naturally higher. Protein from the legumes lucerne and sainfoin is better still.
A forage balancer such as Simple System MetaSlim is purposefully high in protein and nutrient rich, supplying natural support in the feed bowl to complement those on restricted diets and prone to laminitis. Pairing it with lucerne chop or pellets helps keep protein intake high while keeping sugar levels low.
Using a concentrated pelleted balancer lets us save the bulk of their daily intake for forage. Hay, chops, and soaked forage pellets take longer to get through, keeping them feeling full, mentally satisfied, and maintaining steady passage of feed through the gut.
For free nutritional advice, contact the Simple System Feed Line on 01728 604 008, or email info@simplesystem.co.uk
Thank you @@simplesystemhorsefeeds
#simplesystem #equinenutrition #horsecare
Work or volunteer in equestrianism? We want to hear from you
British Equestrian and Hartpury University want to hear from the people who make equestrianism happen across Britain.
Your experiences will help build a clearer picture of the people and roles that underpin equestrianism and help shape how the sector supports its workforce and volunteers in the future.
Take part by midnight on 31 October 2026.
Links in the bio
The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
When horses reach their senior years, do they automatically need to transition to a veteran diet? Not necessarily!Thank you to @saracen_horse_feeds for sharing this expert advice and supporting Feed Fact Fortnight!
#FeedFactFortnight #VeteranHorseCare #SaracenHorseFeeds #EquineNutrition #HorseHealth #BETA
Some horses are naturally selective, but a change in appetite can also be a reason to take a closer look at digestive health and nutritional balance. By combining traditional herbs (like garlic, mint, thyme, fenugreek, and marshmallow) with prebiotics and probiotics, you can support a healthy digestive system.
Because keeping a horse eating well is about more than making their feed tempting…
A healthy digestive system supports:
• Healthy appetite and normal feed intake
• Balanced gut microbiome, supporting normal digestive function
• Digestive comfort and healthy mucosal tissues
• Normal immune function and a healthy inflammatory response
• Normal metabolism, helping the horse make the most of the nutrients in their diet
Taking things back to nature makes sense.
Traditional herbs including garlic, mint, thyme, fenugreek and marshmallow have long been valued for their role in supporting appetite, digestive function and healthy mucosal tissues, alongside pre and probiotics to support a balanced gut microbiome.
Thank you @horsefirstsupplements for showing how taking things back to nature can help.
#EquineNutrition #DigestiveHealth #HorseHealth #FussyFeeder #EquineWellbeing #HerbalSupport
