The Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Cavalor have worked together in partnership to setup the "Equine Nutrition Service" launched on December 28 at Jumping Mechelen. By supporting this initiative, Cavalor hopes to promote the importance of sound nutrition to horse owners and veterinarians and help to increase the knowledge about feeding horses under specific disease conditions.
There is an increased awareness among horse owners and veterinarians that nutrition is an important factor in the management of horses. Healthy (sport) horses as well as horses suffering from specific health problems may benefit from an individual feeding advice. This program will help in optimizing welfare and performance of these horses.
Designing an individual ration for a horse is often complex and time consuming. Therefore, prof. Hesta of the Laboratory of Animal Nutrition of Ghent University has setup the "Equine Nutrition Service". Horse owners as well as veterinarians can contact this "Equine Nutrition Service" for ration evaluation or formulation of individual feed advice.
Veterinarians may ,for example, be willing to contact this service to discuss the formulation of a ration for a specific disease condition. Adaptation of the diet of the equine patient can be an important part of the therapy in various health related problems. In this way the Equine Nutrition Service helps veterinarians to provide an optimal service to their clients and optimizes the wel-lbeing of these horses.
Horse owners can also contact this service directly for an applied scientific ration formulation or evaluation regarding for example nutrition of foals, broodmares, sport horses and geriatric horses. Correct ration formulation is a crucial factor in keeping horses sound and preventing obesity or a poor body condition, preventing colic and growth disorders.
The nutritional advice will be based on information from the owner and/or referring veterinarian. When possible, feedstuffs currently used by the horse owner will again be included in the feeding advice.
The "Equine Nutrition Service" is part of the Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University. Annelies de Spiegeleer will be representing the Equine Nutrition Service and will provide an independent advice to horse owners and veterinarians.
As a veterinarian, Annelies is actually following a Residency in "equine nutrition" for her specialization at the European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition (ECVCN). More information and contact details about the Equine Nutrition Service may be obtained from
More information on http://www.dienstpaardenvoeding.be