Hygain Frequently Asked Questions

First, feed more hay or better quality hay. Second, increase the fat content of the diet. Fat is the safest and quickest way to put extra weight on your horse. HYGAIN offers multiple high fat choices from concentrated fat supplements such as HYGAIN TRU GAIN (20% fat) to complete feeds such as HYGAIN RELEASE- High Performance feed, (10% fat) or HYGAIN SHOWTORQUE (9% fat – no cereal grains). Remember to make all diet changes gradually to avoid digestive upset.

During the starvation process, the horse initially uses any fat and carbohydrate stores in his body to supply energy for metabolism. The horse will then go on to use protein not only from muscles but also from vital organs like the heart, literally breaking down his body to survive. If we feed these horses high calorie, carbohydrate rich feeds it can induce a heart attack – this response is known as re-feeding syndrome. The best thing to offer starved horses is small frequent meals of legume forage (alfalfa, lucern, or clover). These horses are often dehydrated so wetting hay is an excellent option for these horses.

Ponies or other horses that are easy keepers don’t need extra calories from grain, but it is important that they still get all the nutrients they need. HYGAIN BALANCED is a low intake, low calorie, vitamin and mineral supplement that will ensure your pony gets all the nutrition he/she needs without getting fat.

Building a topline means developing muscles which will only come with correct exercise along with good nutrition. To build the topline you need amino acids, the building blocks of protein. HYGAIN SHOWTORQUE provides high quality sources of amino acids along with a moderate fat content that aids in some extra weight gain. One of the benefits to HYGAIN SHOWTORQUE is the lack of cereal grains which makes this feed a “cool fuel” and will not make your horse “hot”. Alternatively, HYGAIN TRU GAIN as high fat rice bran oil sources can be added to your horse’s current diet.

A hay belly indicates that poorer quality forage is being provided, such as stemmy, mature grass hay or tall mature pasture. The large intestine will retain poorer quality forages longer trying to break down the fibre and get as much nutrition as possible. That will stretch the large intestine causing the distended hay belly appearance. Increasing the quantity of quality forage (alfalfa, leaf grass hay) will shrink the hindgut back to normal size.

Sometimes horses seem lazy when they are unfit and out of shape just like people they get tired more quickly. If your horse is fit and still lazy you could try increasing the sugar and starch content of the diet by feeding grain. Sugar and starch is broken down and stored in the muscle as glycogen and provide quick bursts of energy to the horse.A horse used for sporting events such as pole bending or barrels needs this type of energy. We need to be careful when increasing the carbohydrate content of the diet not to cause digestive upset by feeding too much at one time or by feeding unprocessed grains. Making sure they are on a nutritionally balanced diet is just as important as this depleats energy also if they are lacking certain Vitamins and Minerals. The HYGAIN feeds provide products with excellent sources of readily available carbohydrates and optimum levels of fat for added safe energy.

There has been some research that suggests diets rich in non-structural carbohydrates (sugar and starch) from cereal grains can make horses more excitable. In these horses the best way to increase the energy content of the diet is by increasing the fat and highly digestible fiber content of the feed. HYGAIN SHOWTORQUE is a non-grain performance feed with increased fat and high quality fiber sources. 

No your horse can be fed any of the HYGAIN feeds designed for horse's in moderate work. If your older horses is starting to show signs of being stiff and sore HYGAIN SENIOR is a palatable non oat micronized sweet feed, formulated for mature horses. HYGAIN SENIOR provides the necessary digestible energy along with soluble fiber, quality protein and balanced levels of vitamins and minerals for optimal health and vitality. Added benefits include Glycoaminoglycans and Yucca Schidigera to support joint health.

HYGAIN TRU CARE is a high fat, high fiber extruded feed that is easily digested. It can be wet to form a mash for horses with very poor teeth. It has all the same joint benefits as HYGAIN SENIOR but is easier to eat by horses with bad teeth. 

Horses that have had laminitis in the past as a result of increased sugar content in the diet (spring grass) need to be managed carefully. If the horse or pony is overweight or has a cresty neck you should take steps to decrease their body fat (increase exercise when possible). You should also avoid pasture turnout during the day hours and feed a low non-structural carbohydrate feed such as HYGAIN ZERO or HYGAIN BALANCED instead of a cereal grain based feeds.

This can be a tricky scenario but fortunately we have an answer. HYGAIN ZERO is a very low sugar and starch feed and will provide your horse with all the nutrients it needs without containing any carbohydrates from cereal grains. It doesn’t however contain high amounts of fat because typically horses and ponies sensitive to sugars and starches are overweight. 

Tying up is often due to increased glycogen storage and abnormal polysaccharides in skeletal muscle and responds well to a decrease in dietary sugar and starch and an increase in dietary fat intake. HYGAIN RELEASE was designed specifically for horses that suffer from this disorder. It is a non-oat micronized feed with a high fat content and increased vitamin E and selenium concentrations that aid in muscle repair and performance.

Overweight mares can have difficulty cycling properly (BCS 8 or 9, BCS chart) so it is important that you try and reduce her bodyweight prior to the breeding season by modifying her diet and providing exercise. It is important that broodmares be fed a balanced diet to enhance fertility. HYGAIN BALANCED is an ideal feed choice for these mares as it provides all the essential nutrients, without additional calories.

The problem with only feeding grass hay is there are critical nutrient deficiencies in grass hay and pasture. Vital minerals such as zinc, copper, calcium and phosphorus are typically deficient and often in unbalanced ratios. Also high quality protein sources are required to facilitate healthy growth in the young foal, which would be lacking in an all grass diet. HYGAIN BALANCED is a great option to provide key nutrients required for strong, sound bone development while not providing excess calories that will speed up the growth rate.

Feeding small amounts of hay prior to exercise and allowing constant access to water is always recommended. However, feeding grain concentrates to performance horses is not recommended within 3 to 5 hours prior to competition. Avoiding last minute meals of grain will allow horses to properly mobilize and utilize carbohydrate and fat during exercise. Feeding post exercise is critical to the recovery of the horse. Following exercise, horses should be immediately provided with hay and water. Once the horses have consumed hay and drank water, a meal of a balanced grain concentrate should be provided within 1.5 hrs after exercise.

When horses sweat it results in both loss of water and electrolytes. Electrolytes are charged particles, including sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium. Loss of electrolytes causes fatigue, muscle weakness and decreases the thirst response from dehydration. Therefore, it is vital to replace both water and electrolyte losses in exercising horses. HYGAIN REGAIN is a rapid electrolyte replacer. Horses should be supplemented with electrolytes the night before and the morning of heavy exercise to ensure adequate utilization.

Making sure your horse's diet is balanced nutritionally first is advisable. HYGAIN HOOFGAIN is ideal for enhancing coat quality and condition. It is a blend of biotin, bio-available zinc, quality amino acids, full fat soya bean meal and essential fatty acids formulated in a palatable banana flavored base.

Yes – HYGAIN TRU CARE contains glycosaminoglycan (GAG) components designed to for the nourishment of joints, cartilage and connective tissues.

The horse is designed to graze constantly and as a consequence their stomach constantly secretes acid. When the horse has limited access to pasture and is fed 1 or 2 grain meals a day the stomach acid can get very concentrated and lead to stomach ulcers. A simple addition to the diet is some alfalfa in the form of hay or pellets. Alfalfa is high in calcium which helps buffer the stomach acid and reduce its severity. Feeding a small amount of alfalfa prior to exercise can limit acid while the horse is working. Making sure ad lib hay is offered if pasture is limited , for example 1.5-2% for evey 200 lbs of bodyweight per day of fibre in the diet will help eliminate gastric ulcers. A slow net feeder helps mimics grazing and stops gorging.

Yes, you should feed less, but not less of the same feed. If you feed your 1000 lb horse 4.5 lbs of HYGAIN SHOWTORQUE during the competition season you meet all of its nutrient requirements. If you back off to 2 lbs during the rest of the year you are feeding less than the minimum amount of HYGAIN SHOWTORQUE for that body weight. You would be short changing him on vital nutrients by not feeding the recommended minimum amount of HYGAIN SHOWTORQUE for that bodyweight. In this case you would be better off feeding HYGAIN BALANCED during the off season, because you can feed less of it and still get all the nutrients required.