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Managing Metabolic Challenges 

For more than 95 years, Masterfeeds has formulated quality feeds targeted to the needs of Canadian horses. While the classic textured feeds reigned supreme historically, advances in equine health and nutrition have led us to improve formulas decade after decade, year after year to provide the best nutrition for all life stages and needs.  

Today’s horses live very different lives than those that came before them – more and more are living longer, enjoying lusher pastures and forages, while also living a more sedentary life than their ancestors. 

Out of the approximately 500,000 horses in Canada, it is estimated that the vast majority engage in recreation, light work, or amateur sport roles. These levels of activity are less strenuous than working jobs of the past (road or field work) and much less so than the smaller group of horses engaged in high intensity professional sport or racing today. The “long story short” is that a vast majority of today’s horses are receiving high calorie diets, yet have less calorie output than those of the past. 

Furthermore, the equine industry now knows a lot more about horse genetics, health, and nutrition, and how we can better support the management of horses with special needs. Years ago, we learned that calories in the forms of fat and fibre rather than nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) may suit the equine digestive system better, which led us to focus in on high fat, high fibre formulas. For decades researchers have been identifying health issues that require controlled metabolic responses for maintenance, which has led us to controlled sugar rations. 

This is why we’ve now introduced our new feed, Complete GI. Targeted to the special needs of horses facing metabolic challenges, Complete GI has an ultra-low level of NSC, as well as chelated trace minerals, gut support additives, and digestible fibre to promote overall internal health. This formula is made to safely feed a balanced ration for horses with genetic and age-related conditions such as polysaccharide storage myopathy type 1 (PSSM1) and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID or Equine Cushing’s Disease), as well as those that are predisposed to laminitis or are otherwise metabolically challenged. The ultra-low NSC is intended to regulate insulin responses while the low calories help to control body condition in horses with equine metabolic syndrome or a predisposition to obesity. 

Masterfeeds prides itself on staying informed about what research is saying and what the equine population trends are and responding with quality formulations for all horses and life stages. Complete GI is our latest formula to help manage horses with special needs, keeping them happy and healthy well into their golden years. 

For more information on Complete GI, reach out to your nearest Masterfeeds dealer, contact our Equine Specialists, or find us on socials:  

• Facebook - Masterfeeds Horse Feeds
• Instagram - @hellohappyhorses
• TikTok @MasterfeedsHorseFeeds
• X @MfeedEqiune