When you venture into the stables during summer, clad in shorts and a breezy shirt, the thought of autumn and winter is far from your mind.
Even though we may still be bothered by flies, mosquitoes, and horseflies, we relish the high temperatures and extended daylight in the stables. However, our horses are often one step ahead of us when it comes to their metabolism.
By August, the days noticeably grow shorter and the nights cooler, signaling the horses to prepare for winter. Consequently, even at a daytime temperature of 30°C, they begin growing the first bits of their winter coat.
The autumn moult can be quite taxing on their metabolism, particularly for the kidneys. Hence, many horses actively seek out and consume diuretic herbs, such as stinging nettle, when grazing in the pasture.
Unfortunately, only a minority of horse owners have the opportunity to provide their horses with diverse herb-filled pastures. Most pastures tend to be monocultures of grasses and undesirable plants. or are already depleted by late summer due to insufficient space for the number of horses.
With OKAPI’s Four Seasons Feed, you can supplement the herbs that horses often struggle to find in the pastures.
The Moulting Support herbs support kidney function through the inclusion of nettle, goldenrod, and horsetail. Chia seeds and rosehip seeds offer high-quality fatty acids in easily digestible form. They also benefit the horse during the shedding period.
Moreover, these herbs contain traditional ingredients known to stabilise the intestinal environment against worm parasites, including mugwort and horseradish root. Autumn is the time when tapeworms and the occasional roundworm may reside in the horse’s intestines – an unwelcome scenario.
With OKAPI’s Moulting Support and a proper mineral supply, horses can confidently embark on the transition from summer to winter coat.