Description
The Flavoured Health Lick range from Rockies has been specifically designed to meet the needs of horses and ponies alike. Available in 2kg blocks, with their own holders these Rockies are very attractive to all equines due to their combination of unique flavouring, high purity minerals and trace elements. A horse or pony’s biology is similar to our own. So the feeding of treats to a horse such as sugar or molasses can lead to an overweight animal. Just as a child might relish sweets or chocolates a pony may savour sweet treats. These may not necessarily be good for them, as Veterinary Experts agree that problems such as laminitis can result when horses are overfed. Rockies Health Licks offer you a wise choice alternative. Primarily containing essential salt and other vital minerals and trace elements, they replace the missing goodness that is crucial to maintaining a healthy horse. The outcome of such a formula is equines will only take as much as they need meaning the range provides a very efficient and cost effective form of supplementation for owners. Use them all year round – but especially during the hotter summer months. Extensive soil deficiency for three of the essential trace elements – copper, selenium and cobalt – provides one explanation of why so many ruminant livestock are perpetually at risk. In the UK, there is clear evidence of incidence of mineral and trace element deficiencies in many livestock diets. This can be linked to more intensive use of grassland, and the trend towards high forage diets and intensive production. – New varieties of grass are less able to take up nutrients from soil, due to shallow root structures. – Heavy applications of fertilisers stimulates growth of lush grass but with a low trace element content. – Fodder produced from new grass varieties and grass crops which have been heavily fertilised will, of course, yield feeds which are deficient in minerals and trace elements. – Compound feeds carry a certain amount of minerals and trace elements. Reduced usage of compound feed in livestock diets means that these essential nutrients must be provided in an alternate form. There are also seasonal requirements for specific major minerals. All Rockies 2kg Flavoured Health Licks contain: – Sodium and Chloride are needed for body fluid regulation. Chronic shortage can lead to decreased eating and drinking, and therefore dehydration. – Calcium and Phosphorus are critical for healthy bones and teeth. Diets may be low in Calcium and Phosphorus depending on availability and requirements for maintenance, growth and production. – Iron is for strength. It is a primary component of blood haemoglobin. – Cobalt is required for vitamin B12 synthesis. – Copper is needed for connective tissue and iron utilisation. Forage feeds are often low in available Copper as a result of lock-up effects of excess dietary molybdenum and iron. A symptom can be a dull, discoloured coat. – Iodine is a component of the thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism and growth. – Manganese is needed for cartilage development as well as for proper utilisation of other trace elements. – Selenium is commonly found to be underprovided in UK soil and grassland, leading to a deficiency in many diets. Where this is the case gait abnormalities and stumbling can occur. Selenium is a key component of the anti-oxidant enzyme system. – Zinc is very important for healthy skin, bone, hoof and connective tissue and for breeding mares.
