09/04/2025
🌟 Body Score/ Nutrition 🌟
The question everyone asks about my program… how do you do it?
#1 take away… “There’s a million ways to the highway.” Meaning there are so many different products, theories, & programs on the market. This is what I’ve found that works best for my program and I. 🙂
🔑 Biggest thing is forage first, now I don’t mean any kind of forage. I’m talking high-quality forage - don’t be mistaken that doesn’t mean straight alfalfa. High quality forage comes off fields that are taken care of, from spraying weeds, soil content, amount of water, fertilizing, when farmers are cutting hay crop, etc. Whether you feed grass, grass/alfalfa, or alfalfa it needs to be high quality hay.
** Alfalfa doesn’t make your horse “hot”, but being healthy will make your horse have more energy.
I, personally have high quality grass/alfalfa hay in front of my horses, net-wrapped, 24/7. That is your best friend, horses are grazers, therefore this reduces so many human made issues such as cribbing, air sucking, weaving, & pawing to name a few. Also reduces stress levels, ulcers, choking, etc.
My horses also won’t go without Vermont Blend Pellets - VB is a forage balancer that fills gaps that hay typically is deficient in. VB includes trace minerals, magnesium, sodium, and amino acids. I noticed a huge change in my personal horses once starting VB, from digestive track, hooves, coat, and top line.
I also add in msm for joints, probos for digestive boost, and gutx/aloe for ulcer prevention.
Added fat I like few different products depending on the horse’s needs including triple crown sr, Timothy pellets, alfalfa pellets, and cool stance.
I feed my horses different on the road vs at home. Yes, 🫢🫢 Read that again. I do. Let me explain…
🏡 At home, you can control the environment, horse is use to it, typically 1/2 hours a day of work, turned out, etc.
🛻 Vs on the road it’s often a new to them environment, scary things, added stress, more work load, working harder, lights on all night, stalls, etc.
I still feed 24/7 netted hay on the road but I do give double feedings. For example, if they get 1lb of added pellets a day, I will pack 2lbs on the road. I also double my dose of gutx, & add in electrolytes. My horses do not drop weight on the road… and I am out over half a year.
🐎 Let’s talk the other elements of body score and nutrition - exercise! Forage & exercise is a balance. All my horses (including trainers) are turned out 24/7 in minimum of a 40’ X 120’ pen w/ hay bunks, and lean to shelters. They roam/walk around, eat when hungry, sleep, and drink water as they please. The more workload they have, the more calories they need. Now exercise can be done in so many different ways, lunging, riding, obstacles, hill work, arena, trails, log work, posture work, backing, the list goes on. If you want an overall fit horse; you need to be working all aspects of fitness/muscles. The length & level of difficulty depends on the horse’s condition. As always start smaller/shorter and build your way up, but don’t let your horse work harder in the pasture. 😉