Hello Kevin,

Minerals, in large dosages, can causes metabolic imbalances, so it is wise of you to be prudent in their usage. True, during the winter, when she is not grazing, she is not getting as much of several minerals. However, you are also increasing her intake of pony cubes and sugar beet. So, it would be helpful for you to do a little investigating into how much of each mineral she is getting, even during the winter, to see if the mineral supplement you are using is appropriate. You can assess this by looking at the feed tags and the analysis on your mineral supplement.

In looking at her overall diet, she is getting a good balance of vitamins and minerals, especially through the use of haylage. There is some concern about feeding haylage to horses due to the danger of mold and bacterial growth, if the packaging is compromised. But, if kept clean, it is very nutritious.

During the summer, I do not recommend a mineral supplement, especially if the pasture grass is of good quality. If she is not getting any legume grass or hay (such as alfalfa or clover), then you may wish to offer her some as part of her overall hay ration. Legume hays have a higher calcium content than grass hays, as well as more vitamins A, C, and E.

During the winter, when she cannot graze, I understand your interest in supplementing her diet. And, in fact, it is generally a good idea. However, mineral supplements tend to offer very high dosages, and while a little is good, too much can be quite harmful. Minerals interact with one another and too much of one can cause a deficiency in another. So, I prefer the use of an overall multiple vitamin/mineral supplement that is meant to supplement a good diet, but not overpower one.

In researching some UK products, I came across two that you may wish to consider:
1. Scientific Nutritional Products puts out a Horse and Pony multivitamin/mineral supplement that is a good overall addition to the diet, especially during the winter. I found it on line at : http://www.horsesupplementsdirect.co.uk/horse&pony.htm

2. Equivite Original is another good product to consider: It can be found at : http://www.equivite.com/page_original.htm

So to summarize, I would suggest that you continue to offer hay or haylage ad lib. Provide her with a multivitamin/mineral supplement year round, and feed enough of your regular feed to maintain her weight. If she starts to gain, you may need to cut back. If she should continue to lose weight, you may want to add conditioning cubes or more showing chaff to increase her fat intake. (More fat will provide extra calories, without the risks of feeding more grain.)

I hope this is helpful. Thank you for writing.

All the best,

Dr. Getty