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Maintenance—Maintenance or Active Pleasure describes the healthy horse that leads a normally active lifestyle, i.e., the recreational horse that needs nutrition for energy, bright eyes and a shiny hair coat.

Here’s a snapshot of the life of a typical Active Pleasure horse: They spend their work hours mainly walking, doing some trotting and brief cantering, two to three days a week or less, for a maximum of one to two hours a day. They may be ridden easily in the ring or on trails. They participate in trail rides or pleasure-type classes at weekend shows once a month or less. These horses don’t burn a lot of calories and can thrive on concentrates like Omolene® #100 or Equine Adult®.

However, some Maintenance or Active Pleasure horses fall into the category of easy keepers, and some may be hard keepers. These horses may be better served by alternative diets.
Product Recommendations:
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Easy Keeper—All easy keepers have to do is stand downwind of an oat to gain weight. They need diets that provide complete control over calories, supply balanced nutrition and satisfy hunger. If allowed to eat all they want in hay or pasture, they will overdo it and become overweight. In these situations, a complete diet with hay built in is the best option to provide complete dietary control. That, and a little exercise, can be the healthiest way to control body condition.

Another option is to regulate calorie intake by the amount of hay or pasture the horse consumes (using dry lots and/or grazing muzzles) and provide the additional protein, vitamins and minerals needed through Nature’s Essentials® Born to WinTM or Mare & MaintenanceTM. These products are also suitable for horses needing diets low in starches and sugar.

NOTE: A very easy keeper that does not respond well to a change in diet and exercise should be examined by a veterinarian. Failure to respond could indicate a metabolic issue, especially if the horse is showing soreness in the feet or a propensity to founder.
Product Recommendations:
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Hard Keeper—In contrast to the Easy Keeper, Hard Keepers can eat and eat and still be underweight. They need diets that provide a dense source of highly digestible calories for improved body condition. This is often best supplied through higher levels of fat in the diet.

NOTE: Hard keepers should be examined by a veterinarian for dental problems, internal parasite infestation or other health issues that could compromise their ability to utilize nutrients properly.


ARTICLES

Get Ready to Ride!
By Dr. Randel Raub, Purina Mills

Good Health for Your Horse
By Dr. Randel Raub, Purina Mills

Product Recommendations:
Click Nutritional Solutions Quick Reference Guide or click individual products below:
 
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