Supporting horses so they feel healthy, calm and comfortable is at the heart of good horsemanship, and it’s something trainer Dan Steers focuses on every day. Dan recently trialled EasiMash across a selection of horses in his program, and the results quickly stood out, particularly for horses that needed condition without becoming fizzy or reactive on their feed.
Dan has worked with Pryde’s EasiFeed for close to a decade, and he’s seen how easily some horses can drop condition, lose focus or become unsettled on feeds that don’t suit their temperament.
He explains that maintaining both physical wellbeing and a relaxed mindset is essential in his program.
“We want to make sure that those horses are looked after and have the best possible care, but then most importantly when it comes to training them I want to have those horses where they’re being able to concentrate and not require a lot of work in order to get away from some of the more hotter feeds that might create some more behavioural problems.”
The Problem: Condition without the heat
When EasiMash arrived, Dan chose to trial it on a young stallion who needed extra condition but wasn’t motivated by food and tended to get too hot on other feeds.
“We wanted to add a little bit more condition to this horse, but at the same time wanted to just make sure that he was nice and relaxed when it comes to his training program.
“We were a little bit worried about some of the other feeds maybe heating that horse up and he wasn’t extremely motivated by food as well. So, we couldn’t just add more feed and hope that he would eat it and gain more condition.”
The change was immediate.
“We switched to the EasiMash and it’s really palatable. He enjoyed it. He ate whatever the quantities that we wanted to give him. We noticed over a short period of time that his condition really did improve, not just in body mass, but also just his coat and his overall health.”
Just as importantly, the horse remained calm and focused.
“When it came to riding him he was incredibly calm and cool in the mind He’s stayed on the EasiMash ever since we’ve introduced him to it.”
The Solution: A Feed Horses Want to Eat
From there, EasiMash became a valuable addition across Dan’s program, especially for horses that are fussy, prone to hyperactivity or sensitive in the gut.
Dan says, “it is highly palatable so your horses do really enjoy it so if you do want to increase some of the condition on the horse it's something that the horses will enjoy and they'll eat a lot, particularly if you've got maybe a fussy eater.”
He also notes its benefits for horses that need digestive support.
“Really good also for gut health so when you're thinking about a horse maybe that's a little bit stressy, maybe suffers from some ulcers, this is a product that I'd also recommend. It's got prebiotics already, so that will help the horse's stomach, as well as lots of rich oils to make sure that those horses stay as healthy as possible.”
For horses needing extra condition without the behavioural effects that can come with some feeds, EasiMash has proven to be a reliable option. “If you want to add some condition to your horse it’s another product that’s highly palatable both dry and wet so you can give that to your horse and increase his condition, but again most importantly it is extremely cool so it’s a great feed for all types of horses.”
Why Pryde’s EasiMash?
Its flexibility has also made it practical for horses at home or on the road.
“You can feed it both wet or dry… it’s…high in fibre, it’s got a lot of oils,” Dan says
After six months of consistent use, the results across the team were clear.
“We’ve been feeding it for the last six months and our horses have responded extremely well.”
For Dan, EasiMash has become a simple, effective way to support horses that need condition, calmness and digestive comfort without compromising their wellbeing.