The Racehorse and Horslyx Balancers

The aim of any racehorse trainer is to train the equine to peak fitness and for it to perform to the best of its abilities, hopefully winning. This can take a team of committed people who know the animal inside and out and monitor each and every part of the horse’s daily routine with a fine-toothed comb. Horslyx Balancers can be used at all stages of training and can provide a simple boredom breaker in the stable, a top up of vitamins and minerals or even use of a specific product can target more specific issues.

The very action of licking Horslyx Balancers takes time and patience and this can help reduce the negative effects of stress and boredom so making it the perfect boredom breaker. As Horslyx Balancers are formulated in a dense, solid lick it ensures the equines trickle feed the additional nutrients they require slowly, allowing optimum digestion and absorption. This design slows down the rate of consumption, complements the natural digestive system of the horse and helps to keep the horse occupied and engaged, minimising stress and boredom levels, particularly when stabled.

Horslyx Balancers can enhance the diet of any equine athlete by providing essential nutrients such as good quality proteins plus vitamins, minerals and trace elements to be fed alongside their forage and concentrate feed ration. Containing a high specification of nutrient rich ingredients, plus being low in starch, think of your Horslyx Balancer as the equivalent to a human multi-vitamin supplement as the comprehensive lick balances the diet with essential vitamins, minerals, trace elements and the addition of a healthy hoof care package supplies; Biotin, Zinc, and Methionine.

You can be assured that Horslyx supports ethical sport and monitors for the presence of specified Naturally Occurring Prohibited Substances (NOPS) as required under the rules of racing and affiliated competitions.  As such, Horslyx is proud to meet the requirements of the strict BETA NOPS code to ensure control of prohibited substances. You can rest assured that we have instilled the strictest measures to minimise the risk of a NOPS contamination. The BETA NOPS Code has been endorsed by the British Horseracing Authority and the National Trainer Association.

What problems can Digestive challenges cause in a racehorse?

Digestive challenges for any equine can include symptoms such as loose droppings, loss of condition, being prone to colic as well as gastric ulcers and these can all result in poor appetite, loss of condition, change in attitude and this generally leads to poor performance. Recent research has shown that over 90% of racehorses have gastric ulcers and while clinical signs are vague those reported by trainers again include such symptoms as poor appetite, colic, reduced performance and weight loss amongst others.

How can you reduce the risk of digestive disorders in your racehorse?

Providing horses with sufficient forage is the best way to improve the digestive health of horses, ensuring that a minimum of 1.5% of bodyweight is fed as forage. Offering products that enhance saliva production such as any Horslyx Balancer through the licking action can be beneficial and then offering products which contain ingredients that can be beneficial in terms of gut health, the most common choices include mucilage (soluble fibre), prebiotics and probiotics.

 

How can Horslyx Pro Digest Balancer help?

Horslyx Pro Digest Balancer contains a combination of ingredients to support the digestive system from the stomach to the hindgut while licking enhances saliva production which helps buffer stomach acidity. Slippery Elm and Seaweed Meal are included as a source of mucilage while a prebiotic supports beneficial gut bacteria and a live probiotic yeast helps provide a buffering action in the hindgut.

A spiced apple flavouring is included to tempt fussy feeders plus increased magnesium levels and a low starch content mean that Horslyx Pro Digest Balancer is suitable for any horse but is especially aimed at those prone to digestive upsets.

What problems can Respiratory challenges cause in a racehorse?

In trained horses the main limitation to optimum performance is the respiratory system. Some studies have shown that the effects of respiratory disease may also extend to adverse effects on the muscles including the heart (Gehlen et al. 2008a & Gehlen et al. 2008b).

In a study of horses referred for a veterinary examination because of poor performance, 81% (4 out of 5) had respiratory disease (Nolen-Walston et al, 2013).

Therefore it is quite clear that if your racehorse struggles with respiratory issues, success will remain out of reach.

How can you reduce the risk of respiratory challenges to your racehorse?

One of the major issues with respiratory challenges is air quality. Aiming to improve the air quality within the stable should be paramount by assessing the quality and type of bedding and forage used, plus the flooring and ventilation.

It is imperative that racehorses require a healthy respiratory system to ensure optimum performance and supporting them on a nutritional level can help to maintain immunity and lessen the chance of ill health affecting performance.

How can Horslyx Respiratory Balancer help?

Horslyx Respiratory Balancer is designed to provide a two-pronged approach in supporting a healthy respiratory system. Ingredients such as menthol, eucalyptus and aniseed support the airways, meanwhile the high specification balancer package, which includes Vitamin C and chelated minerals, helps to maintain immunity.

Menthol, Eucalyptus and Aniseed can help keep airways clear of mucus, which can help the horse to breathe more easily and dramatically reduce stress.

A combination of powerful antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E, Selenium, chelated Copper and Zinc are included to support and maintain a healthy immune system, which maximizes the ability to support and aid healthy lung function.

Recent research work has identified that Vitamin C, as well as being an antioxidant, plays a crucial role in the horse’s respiratory health. Being water soluble, Vitamin C is found in very high concentrations in the fluid lining the airways (Deaton et al, 2002). Vitamin C is also actively involved in general metabolism, iron absorption and anti-stress hormones.