Galop 7Knowledge
Contents
- 01WelcomeOverview
- 02Limb conformationKnowledge
- 03Identification, the passportKnowledge
- 04Travelling horsesKnowledge
- 05RationingKnowledge
- 06Feed labelsKnowledge
- 07Lunging training aidsOn foot
- 08Long-reining, flexionOn foot
- 09Polo bandagesCaring for the horse
- 10The double bridleCaring for the horse
- 11Shoulder-inKnowledge
- 12StraightnessKnowledge
- 13FlatworkIn the saddle
- 14Dressage optionIn the saddle
- 15Show-jumping optionIn the saddle
- 16Cross-country optionIn the saddle
- 17RevisionRevision
Reading a feed label: what feeds are called
On a feed bag or a supplement tub, the words are not chosen at random: the law fixes what they mean. Understanding them means knowing what you are buying and how to feed it.
In the exam programme
- Understand and explain the names under which horse feeds and supplements are sold.Common module B
Horse feeds come under European animal feed law (Regulation (EC) No 767/2009). It defines official feed categories and lays down what the label must say. At Galop 4 you learned the main families — forage, hard feed, mineral supplements; here are their legal names.
- Feed material
- A single ingredient: oats, barley, maize, dried alfalfa, sugar beet pulp, linseed oil… Also called a straight.
- Compound feed
- A mixture of at least two feed materials, with or without additives: cubes, mixes, mashes…
- Complete feed
- A compound feed which, by its composition, is enough for the daily ration on its own. Rare for a horse: it must then supply all the fibre itself.
- Complementary feed
- A compound feed rich in certain nutrients, which only makes up the ration when fed with other feeds — forage first of all. Most cubes and mixes are complementary feeds.
- Mineral feed
- A complementary feed containing at least 40% crude ash, that is, mineral matter: it balances the supply of minerals, trace elements and often vitamins.
- Dietetic feed
- A feed intended for a particular nutritional purpose set out in the regulations — for example replacing electrolytes lost through heavy sweating. The word “dietetic” is reserved for it; the label states the purpose and the recommended length of use.
- Additive
- A substance added in small amounts for a specific effect: vitamins, trace elements, preservatives, yeasts… The main ones must be declared with their content.
Common mistake
“Supplement” is not a legal feed category for a horse: on the label, the product is a complementary feed, often a mineral or dietetic one. And no feed is allowed to claim that it prevents or cures a disease: that is the job of a medicine, prescribed by a vet.
Sport mix
Complementary feed for horses
Composition
Flaked barley, dehydrated lucerne, sugar beet pulp, wheat bran, flaked maize, cane molasses, linseed oil, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride.
Analytical constituents
Crude protein 12% · Crude oils and fats 4% · Crude fibre 14% · Crude ash 8% · Calcium 1% · Phosphorus 0.5% · Sodium 0.4%
Additives per kg
Vitamin A 12,000 IU · Vitamin D3 1,500 IU · Vitamin E 150 mg · Copper (cupric sulphate pentahydrate) 30 mg
Directions for use
Alongside forage fed freely: 1 to 3 kg a day for a 500 kg horse in work, in three feeds or more.
Batch 24-117 · Best before end 03/2027
Net weight 20 kg
Name and address of the business responsible · Approval no. αFR 00 000 000
- Type of feed and species
- Composition
- Analytical constituents
- Additives
- Directions for use
- Batch number and minimum storage life
- Net weight
- Business responsible and approval number
What the label must state
- The type of feed — complete, complementary, mineral… — and the species it is meant for.
- The composition: the list of feed materials, in descending order of weight.
- The analytical constituents: crude protein, crude oils and fats, crude fibre, crude ash; for a mineral feed, calcium, phosphorus and sodium.
- The additives that must be declared, with their amounts: vitamins A, D and E, trace elements such as copper, preservatives.
- The directions for use: how much to feed a day, and to which horse.
- The batch number, the minimum storage life, the net weight, the name and address of the person responsible, the approval or registration number of the mill.
Really reading a label
The composition tells you what dominates: if barley or maize come first, the feed is high in starch; if it is alfalfa, beet pulp or hulls, it is more fibrous. Crude fibre tells you about fibre, oils and fats about slower-release energy. Values in UFC and MADC are not compulsory: when the manufacturer gives them, you can use them to work out the ration. Finally, stick to the dose in the directions for use, especially for a mineral feed: doubling the dose does not double the benefit, but it can create an excess.
A word from the instructor
A bag that promises vitality, shine, suppleness and good manners all at once is a bag that talks too much. The legal label on the back is far less poetic — and far more useful. Read the back first; the front is written by marketing.
Remember
Complete: enough on its own. Complementary: goes with forage. Mineral: at least 40% crude ash. Dietetic: a specific nutritional purpose, for a limited time.