® CREATED WITHOUT COMPROMISE by experienced equine nutritionists A Guide to Feeding TopSpec Bloomfield Excelsior, HW Champion at the RIHS; Time 2 Reflect, Supreme Hunter Champion; Bloomfield Valhalla, MW Champion. All ridden and produced by Jayne Ross. Owned by Shades of Grey Syndicate, Mrs Dianne Stennett and Mrs Bella Malim. • TopSpec’s formulations are all designed by their own experienced equine nutritionists. • Only the highest quality ingredients are included in the formulations. • TopSpec are participants in the UFAS and BETA-NOPS programmes to ensure that all the products are of the highest standards available for competition use under BHA/FEI competition rules. • All the ingredients used in TopSpec feeds can be traced back to source. • No medicated products are made in any of the manufacturing plants/mills that manufacture TopSpec products. • All TopSpec products are stored in warehouses that contain no other animal feeds. • TopSpec provide a full specification of all their products for customers’ information. • TopSpec products are widely recommended by independent nutritionists, equine veterinary surgeons and farriers. Equine Research Centre Thankyou to the following photographers: Dr Tanja Becker, Julie Shearwood, Ultimate Images, Tom Jeavson Photography, Batsford Stud, Dr Eva-Maria Broomer, 1st Class Images, W Parrott Photography, The Donkey Sanctuary, Siobhan English, Jonathan Clarke, E.S.Photography, Real Time Imaging, Amy Mundell Photography, Action Replay Photography, Equinational, Victor Krijt, Carlo & Katja Stuppia Photography, 1clicphoto, Astrid Appels Eurodressage, Spidge Photography, Digishots, Jo Wright, West End Photography, Adam Fanthorpe, Alison Parker Photography, Nick Gill Photography and Gordon Woolley. 01845 565 030 (062) 85401 www.topspec.com www.topspec.com ® Contents How to feed TopSpec CREATED WITHOUT COMPROMISE Feed Balancers by experienced equine nutritionists How to feed TopSpec Feed Balancers 3 Welcome to the 2018 edition of the TopSpec brochure. At a Glance 4-5 THANK YOU VERY MUCH to everyone who has spread the word During their evolution horses grazed for about sixteen hours a day on a pure roughage diet. Left to their own devices they still do so today. Their about how outstandingly effective TopSpec products are. You digestive systems are therefore suited to little and often feeding and the best feeding programmes are based on this principle. Feed Balancers have helped to make TopSpec more than the leading brand of feed balancers in the U.K., we are now looked to when excellent, Unfortunately the pressures of modern life often make it hard to give horses frequent, small feeds and many problems occur when horses are fed large quantities Comprehensive Feed Balancer 6-9 effective and trusted results are required. of cereal-based feeds. TopSpec Feed Balancers contain concentrated amounts of nutrients in a small amount of feed, allowing more forage to be fed throughout Joint Feed Balancer 10-11 Many TopSpec products solve problems for horses and ponies the day, creating a more natural way of feeding that is in harmony with the horse’s digestive system. Cool Balancer 12-13 and the terrible long, wet winter we have just experienced has Senior Feed Balancer 14-15 highlighted the value of our latest additions to the blend range. These are two mashes, which hydrate horses and are very useful The way forward for healthy, contented and calm horses Stud Feed Balancer 16-17 when horses have to be stabled for long periods of time. They 1. Offer ample forage Lite Feed Balancer 18-19 also have many other uses. Forage, whether in the form of grass, haylage or hay should usually be offered ad-lib to horses and ponies. Doing this ensures that the all-important microflora Senior Lite Feed Balancer 20-21 Linseed Mash contains two sources of this traditional protein and (mainly bacteria) in the hindgut have a constant supply of fibre to digest, resulting in a consistent fermentation pattern. This consistency means that your horse Stud Lite Feed Balancer 22-23 when fed appropriately will promote weight gain and a glossy Donkey Forage Balancer 24-25 coat (see p.39). On the contrary High Fibre Mash will not promote is much less likely to suffer from the many problems that can result from an upset in the microbial balance. much, if any, weight gain and is very useful when good doers Naturally the type of grass/haylage/hay that you offer your horse needs to be chosen with your horse’s requirements in mind. For example, a hard working need a voluminous but low-calorie feed to carry supplements (see Supplements p.35). event horse is often suited by ryegrass haylage, whereas a really good-doer in light work may need late-cut, high fibre meadow hay. AntiLam 28-29 The new TopSpec additive this year has been produced following Time spent chewing long-fibre or chops has both physical and mental benefits. All-in-One 30-31 many requests for a palatable electrolyte. This has been achieved 2. Keep bucket feeds small with the help of Wildberry, a natural flavour, whilst still retaining a Feed Balancers can be fed on their own or as a base to which other feed is added. Feed size should not exceed 2kg (dry weight) for a 500kg horse. high-salt formula (see p.54). Blends 3. Keep an eye on condition FibrePlus Cubes 34 We test, amend and improve our formulations based on research carried out at the Middle Park Farm Equine Research Centre, This is because over a period of time feeding a conditioning TopSpec Feed Balancer will significantly reduce the requirement for hard feed. If adding a High Fibre Mash 35 TopSpec’s own, purpose-built, applied nutrition research facility TopSpec Feed Balancer to one Stubbs scoop of cubes, you will probably need to cut down to half a scoop of cubes within 4-6 weeks, and may need to cut in North Yorkshire. UlsaKind Cubes 36 down further in the future. CoolCondition Cubes 37 Because excellent nutrition is of prime importance to TopSpec we 4. In most cases do not add supplements Peformance Cubes 38 guarantee to ‘Create without Compromise.’ You can rest assured In most circumstances the provision of several specialised supplements within TopSpec Feed Balancers eliminates the need for any further supplementation. Linseed Mash 39 that none of our products will be compromised, ever. Additives e.g. TopSpec Calmer, can be added if required. 14% Mix 40 If you have any need to seek advice about the feeding or management of your horses you can be assured of a warm Super Conditioning Flakes 41 Horse/pony Typical height Type Recommended welcome and individual advice from me or one of my team, Quantities to be fed weight daily rate Turbo Flakes 42 including two vets and four other experienced equine nutritionists. 250kg 10-12hh Shetland, Dartmoor, 250g Most TopSpec Feed Balancers should be fed at a rate of 100g balancer/100kg ideal Small pony Welsh Sec A Just call us on 01845-565030. 375kg 12.2-14.2hh Connemara, New 375g bodyweight daily. The table opposite will help you to decide how much to feed to your horses Pony Forest, Fell, Chops Welsh Sec B and C, or ponies. Free measures are available from the online token scheme, TopSpec head office Show Hunter Pony TopChop Zero 44 500kg 15-16hh Thoroughbred, 500g or from any TopSpec trade stand. Please refer to the sack or to our Multiple Award-Winning- Horse Thoroughbred X, Arab, TopChop Lite/Alfalfa 45 Arab X, Welsh Cob, Helpline for feeding rates of TopSpec Stud Feed Balancer and TopSpec Stud Lite Feed Connemara, TopChop Sport/Grass 46 Connemara X, Eventer Balancer which are fed at a higher rate. 625kg 16.2-17.2hh Thoroughbred X, 625g Large horse Warmblood, Sport Horse Additives IMPORTANT POINTS Calmer 50 • As with all new feeds TopSpec products should always be introduced gradually over a period of four days, starting with approximately one quarter of the 10:10 Joint Support 51 amount you intend to feed by day four. TopSpec Feed Balancers can be fed with forage alone or with your choice of straights/blends and/or compound Healthy Hoof 52 Nicola Tyler, Nutrition Director feeds. Digestive Aid 53 • The diet of sweating horses must be supplemented with additional salt, especially if feed intake is low. All horses should have access to a salt-lick 24/7 but Electrolytes 54 Front cover: Vendredi Biats winning the CIC 2* at Rockingham Castle International Horse Trials, ridden by Kitty King and owned by Diana after heavy sweating TopSpec Electrolytes should be added. Bown, Sally Lloyd-Baker, Samantha Wilson and Sally Eyre. • We are frequently asked if garlic can be fed with TopSpec, the answer is yes, for any herb. 01845 565 030 (062) 85401 Page 2 www.topspec.com Multiple Award Winner for ‘Excellence in Nutritional Advice and Customer Service’ Page 3 Blends: Cereal-Grain-Free - ‘Non-Heating’ At a Glance Feed Balancers: Conditioning - ‘Non-Heating’ TopSpec FibrePlus TopSpec High Fibre TopSpec UlsaKind TopSpec CoolCondition TopSpec Performance Cubes (p.34) Mash (p.35) Cubes (p.36) Cubes (p.37) Cubes (p.38) are an excellent highly digestible fibre is perfect for good-doers that promote condition whilst helping to promote condition and topline. provide focused energy for working source with added ingredients to support deserve a feed or need a maintain the natural integrity of the They also support muscle function horses. They also support muscle a little muscle development and function. palatable non-conditioning stomach lining from acid attack. and repair. function and repair. They are ideal for good-doers and are a carrier for supplements. It is good hay replacer for elderly horses and a brilliant, quick soak hay ponies. replacer. TopSpec Comprehensive Feed TopSpec Joint Feed TopSpec Cool Balancer TopSpec Senior Feed Balancer TopSpec Stud Feed Balancer Blends: Cereal-Containing Balancer (p.6-9) Balancer (p.10-11) (p.12-13) (p.14-15) (p.16-17) promotes muscle development and combines the benefits of TopSpec promotes muscle development and topline is designed for elderly horses that need is designed for broodmares, youngstock topline.