Clint Eastwood at home.
Manolo is often asked what he feeds his horses that gives them such blooming coats, strong hooves, shiny full tails and manes and beautiful bodies.
To answer this question, we thought we would share the details of our horses daily life, starting with Clint Eastwood.
Clint is a 2000 imported Oldenburg stallion. He is working towards GP and is a hard worker with a golden heart. He is also very sensitive. As you will see Clint’s diet is primarily good water and forage (grass) and much of the supplements he receives are designed to complement a grass diet with very little to no processed feed.
OVERALL LIFESTYLE
Clint has 2 grass paddocks, he is out all day, weather permitting. Chantelle, Manolo’s assistant trainer and barn manager rotates the paddocks so there is always some grass available (baring a drought).
Right now, Clint is in the grass paddock closest to the arena –that way Chantelle can keep more of an eye on him while the paddock is wet and slippery. In the Spring/Summer he will go on to his other one. There has not been a need to seed the paddocks as of yet.
Clint eats mixed grass hay, a mixture of soft grass and clover or sometime plain grass hay with just soft grass no clover. He also eats Lucerne hay. At the moment he gets 4 pieces/flakes of hay a day: 2 grass, 2 Lucerne. In the Spring, he gets 3 pieces/flakes: 2 grass, 1 Lucerne. He gets a little less in the Spring because his grass paddock is lush so he doesn’t get hay at lunch – he is not a glutton like some of our other boys, and he leaves it behind if it served.
Clint gets hay at breakfast and dinner and then again at 9pm when all the horses are checked, stables cleaned and then have their bedtime.
Clint gets a serving of half oats and half KER Equi-jewel and a serving of KER Restore.
In Summer, on very hot days, Chantelle gives him KER Restore morning and night.
Besides water and grass, Clint is given the following supplements which meet his needs as a horse on a grass diet and an athlete. They are aimed at helping his digestion, reducing the risk of colic and supporting his joints and muscles pro-actively.
TO BALANCE A FORAGE-ONLY DIET, PROTECT FROM COLIC & LAMINITIS & BALANCE THE OMEGA 6 and 3s
KER Equi -Shure For Hindgut Buffer:
Horses find lush grass irresistible and it is easy to think is the perfect feed for horses. But it is not always the case. Certain grasses can be downright dangerous for some horses because of the kinds of sugars found in the grass.
Fructans are sugars found in many cool-season forages. They are short- and long-chain carbohydrates composed of fructose molecules. These bonds cannot be digested in the stomach and small intestine, so these easily fermented sugars pass into the hindgut, a situation that leads to rapid production of lactic acid and volatile fatty acids (VFA). VFA are the normal byproducts of forage digestion, so horses handle them well.
Lactic acid, however, is neither efficiently used by other bacteria nor easily absorbed from the hindgut. The resulting accumulation of lactic acid in the hindgut is one of the most direct causes of COLIC and LAMINITIS in horses on pasture.
EquiShure:
A time-released buffer, helps neutralize gut conditions by preventing the drastic drop in pH associated with high lactate production. It also supports microorganisms that use lactic acid, thereby enhancing the natural production of VFA from starch and cellulose. These VFA moderate the dramatic effects of lactic acidosis
KER Gold Pellet:
Balances vitamins, minerals and amino acids for horses on grain or FORAGE-ONLY diets. Tops up vitamins, minerals and amino acids when premixed feeds are fed below recommended levels Used as a sole source of essential nutrients to provide optimal nutrition to overweight horses who don’t need extra calories Suitable for all types of horse or pony including those with laminitis, Insulin Resistance, EMS and those suffering from tying up.
KER EO 3 Oil:
Horses are often fed diets composed entirely of grain mixes and hay. Such diets are rich in omega-6 fatty acids but extremely low in omega-3 fatty acids.
KER EAO 3 Oil supplies omega-3 fatty acids, compounds with positive effects on reproduction, bone development and numerous inflammatory conditions in horses
PRO-ACTIVELY PROTECT JOINTS & BUILD MUSCLES:
Clint is an upper level horse which requires some collected work. This is very demanding on a horse’s joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments and why collected work should be alternated with a lot of forward and out work to give joints and muscles a rest. Still, we want to be pro-active in protecting our horses from wear and tear so he receives:
KER Snyovate – for Joints:
KER Synovate HA® provides horses with a safe, easily absorbed, and easy-to-use form of sodium hyaluronate. The core ingredient, HA, is a naturally occurring substance found in various connective tissues in the horse’s body. HA contributes significantly to maintenance of cartilage health and elasticity, joint fluid viscoelasticity, and lubrication of the entire joint mechanism.
In addition, HA has anti-inflammatory properties, especially useful for high-motion joints such as those in equine limbs.
KER Equi – Jewel:
Stabilised rice bran which is the only conditioning supplement that offers a combination of high fat with minimal levels of oxidation, low starch and an effective amount of digestible fibre.
Equi-Jewel is specifically designed to nutritionally support the equine athlete by providing a highly palatable form of additional calories and protein to assist in building muscle, topline and maintaining condition.
ELECTROLYTES.
We live in a climate of extremes. Melbourne can be extremely hot and muggy or very cold -sometimes in the same day. Weather that can have a horse sweating profusely or not drinking water. Furthermore, Clint works 5, 6 days a week and vigorously. Thus he receives electrolytes.
KER Restore:
A carefully formulated electrolyte supplement designed to match the composition of horses’ sweat.
Restore is designed to replenish electrolytes in any situation where horses might sweat, particularly after training, travel, racing, during hot weather or competition. When horses sweat they lose electrolytes, with the principal losses being chloride, sodium, potassium and small amounts of calcium and magnesium. If these essential nutrients are not replenished the consequences may include conditions such as dehydration, muscular weakness, overheating, tiredness and poor performance.
GENERAL VITAMINS & MINERALS
Finally, Clint receives the equivalent of daily vitamin pill: KER Perform – general vitamins and minerals.
We have used KER products for years and they have become a trusted friend as well as a sponsor. One of the services they offer which we appreciate most is the ability to consult with their team to customize our feed program according to our individual horses needs. This is important to us because just as just as seasons change so do our horses training program, body and needs. We like to give our boys all the support they need.
