Horse Protein Natural Supplements, Foal Milk Replacers, Feeding Horses, Orphan Foals

The old sailors saying ‘water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink’ rings too true after the devastation of the recent floods in Queensland and Northern New South Wales.  While we usually welcome the rain to fill dams and water pastures and crops, too much water can severely compromise the availability and quality of food and water resources and have detrimental effects on equine health.   The following information will help you to decrease your horses’ risk of post-flood disease and loss of condition.

Drinking water
Dams, ponds and water troughs that were submerged during the floods may be contaminated with chemical run-off, agricultural toxins and debris.  Check your horses’ water sources thoroughly to make sure that they are safe before allowing horses to drink from them.  Muddy, brackish water and water containing debris, especially old chemical containers, should be avoided and fresh drinking water should be provided in clean buckets until the original water source has been cleared for animal consumption.

Pasture Availability & Quality
After flooding and being churned up with debris, pastures are often not suitable for grazing for quite some time.  Additionally, grasses growing on flooded pasture have often been leached of essential nutrients, making them significantly less nutritious than they previously were.  This may leave you relying on hay and premixed feeds to supply the bulk feed and nutrition that your horse requires and can be quite costly.   Supplementing your horses’ diet with protein and vitamin concentrates will help to prevent loss of condition and will promote recovery from stress and injury that may have occurred during the floods.  ePro® Topline Xtra  contains essential amino acids and omega-3 & 6 fatty acids to support  cellular repair and immune function.

Debris
One of the most devastating effects of the floods is the homes, properties and natural resources that have been destroyed from the force and volume of the water.  As a result of this, many pastures have been littered with rubbish, chemical waste containers, trees and wreckage that can be extremely dangerous for your horse.  Chewing on plastic bags and other waste can cause colic, while the wreckage of destroyed buildings can litter paddocks with nails, large splinters and glass which can easily cause hoof punctures and body wounds.  It is essential to check your paddock and clear it of all debris.  If the area is too large, clear it in stages, fencing horses off from unclean areas.

Hooves
With many wet days prior to the floods and the time taken for flood waters to recede, horses in QLD & NSW have been standing on wet or damp ground for quite a long time.  This significantly increases the risk of hoof and foot infections such as white line disease and greasy heel, while the softening of hooves in the wet conditions makes them much more susceptible to bruising of the sole which may lead to abscesses.  Using a high quality protein supplement such as ePro® Total Performance Xtra will encourage healthy hoof growth, strengthening the walls and soles and helping to grow out damaged hooves .

Parasites
The pooling of water in usually dry areas significantly increases the breeding habitats for mosquitoes.  After flooding there is often a steep rise in the mosquito populations, causing serious discomfort and irritation to horses and exacerbating Queensland Itch.   To help your horse repel the mosquitoes and repair damaged skin, without having to use harsh and sometimes painful and burning external treatments, add 15 – 30 grams of ePro® Garlic Xtra to his feed each day.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the flooding.  ePro® Equine Professional is committed to improving your horses health and performance and we encourage you to contact us if you need any information on helping your horse to recover.

  

Garlic, Allium sativum, is one of the few herbs that are internationally recognised for their medicinal properties.  Garlic is a member of the onion family and is one of nature’s most versatile plants, when included in the horses’ diet it can have a huge range of beneficial effects including: internal and external parasite control, improved immune function, reduced joint pain and inflammation and improved appetite.

The 2 active components in garlic are Allicin and Aloene.  Allicin is the component responsible for giving garlic its potent characteristic smell, it is an enzyme that assists in attacking and destroying bacteria and viruses, in fact the antibiotic and anti-viral action of one medium sized clove of garlic can equal the antibacterial action of a 1% penicillin solution.  Allicin also stimulates the horses’ natural immune system by increasing the activity of T-helper cells which are central to the activity of the entire immune system.  Aloene promotes the production of detoxifying enzymes in the liver, helping to destroy environmental toxins and thinning the blood to reduce blood pressure and bruising.  Aloene also assists in reducing fat levels in the blood, making it very useful in the treatment of Hyperlipidaemia.

Garlic is also a rich source of: vitamins A & C and selenium - powerful anti-oxidants which protect cell membranes and DNA from free-radical damage; B complex vitamins – essential for energy production; and sulphur – repels insects and is a major component in the formation of cartilage, tendons and ligaments which aids in making cells more flexible, removing toxins and increasing nutrient supply.

Garlic is effective in controlling internal and external parasites through two different actions.  In the gastrointestinal tract, the sulphur in garlic can block the receptor sites on the mucous membrane surface so that the parasite is unable to attach to it and is flushed out of the body.  On the skin surface, the potent smelling Allicin which is released through the horses sweat repels flying and biting insects, reducing skin irritation from bites and assisting in the treatment of insect related dermatitis such as Queensland Itch.

When feeding garlic there are two major factors that must be taken into consideration.

1. The active ingredient Allicin only becomes active on contact with air.  This means that freeze dried garlic granules are not the most potent form of garlic available.  Using a garlic additive that includes pure garlic oil, such as ePro® Garlic Xtra, ensures the highest levels of Allicin strongest health benefits.
2. Excessive use of garlic in the horses’ diet may stress the liver and cause anaemia (low blood iron levels), therefore recommended dosage rates should never be exceeded.

Garlic is truly one of natures all round power herbs and its multitude of health promoting properties make it a beneficial inclusion in the diet of all horses.

ePro® Garlic Xtra minpacks are usually 2 for $10, now you get 3 for  $10, giving a small horse (under 500kg) 48 days and a large horse 24 days dosage!

When choosing any horse supplement, palatability, taste and texture are all important factors when supplementing and/or feeding.  Equine supplements need to meet the taste test! 

Most supplements are bagged or placed in large tubs, so initial outlay to try or sample a product can be costly.   At Meadowlands we've created small versions of our full sized  natural horse supplements, from 250 grams to 1 kilogram quantities for short feeding trials - ePro® Mini Packs!   These smaller versions of our horse supplements, allow you to try a product with just a small outlay before committing to any full sized product in our range.  We want you to be totally happy with our products.  And by the way.... we've yet to find a horse or foal that's not impressed with the taste, texture or palatability of any of our natural equine supplements!

Take a look out the ePro® Mini Pack Range.   All ePro® Mini Packs can be ordered directly here from our website and posted to your door.

Bio-John Animal Health, the 'One Stop Shop' for the Western Australia Performance, Racing and Harness Industries is now a proud retail and wholesale distributor of the full ePro® Equine Professional product range.

Bio-John has been trading for over 20 years has resulted in it being the major supplier to the Race Horse Trainers in WA.  As well as the retail outlet in Belmont, Bio-John distribute horse products to retailers serving the horse industry throughout WA.

 Bio-John are the only WA retailer to carry the entire range of ePro® products!

     

   



Check out the Product Training Guide to see what gives ePro® its Protein Power performance!

Meadowlands Animal Supplies proudly announces the online launch of our free ePro® Equine Professional Product Training Guide.

This guide is packed with essential information on the whole ePro® product range, and is the first step in choosing the right ePro® supplement plan for your equestrian or race training objectives, or orphaned foal rearing program.

The ePro® Equine Professional Product Training Guide provides detailed information on:

• Recommended feeding rates for the whole ePro® Equine Professional range.
• The ePro® Whey Protein Power that give ePro® horses the performance edge in muscle development and body conditioning.
  
• The all natural ingredients that assist liver function and reduce the effect of free radicals which can breakdown muscle after exercise.
•  ePro® product protein profiles, there are 20 different types of protein building blocks and ePro® makes sure your horse gets the right ones for optimum muscle health and growth.
• Recommended retail prices for ePro® products which can now be bought from Horseland stores nationwide!

There is a great interest in the use of herbs in horse feeds. Herbs and botanicals can contain unique components that may benefit the health of the horse. The majority of herbs and botanicals are used in feeds of horses to improve flavour, enhance the nutritive levels (fibre, vitamins, minerals) and are added with the intention to prevent and treat various diseases.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of those herbs that is added to both human and animal foods on a general basis. Garlic is a perennial and is closely related to the onion, leek and chive.  It originally came from central Asia and is now globally cultivated for both culinary and medicinal purposes.  It appears that garlic has been fed to horses since the Roman times and was frequently supplied to horses in the early 18th century.  Garlic is used in horse feeds for its flavour and potential health benefits.

ePro® Garlic Xtra is the combination of garlic and selected natural herbs all in one blend. Garlic can assist with minimising unpleasant odours and is a natural alternative to assist with improving appetite for fussy eaters.