Spillers is giving one lucky horse owner a kind hand to help manage their horse’s waistline by running a competition to win a strip grazing kit, including energiser, fencing tape and posts.

The competition is to celebrate Spillers’ credentials as a leading researcher: the Waltham Equine Studies Group, which underpins the science behind the Spillers brand hit the publication of their 100^th research paper relating to obesity, laminitis, equine metabolic syndrome EMS and weight management this year, and it happens to be all about the benefits of strip grazing.

For many horses and ponies, grass is the main source of calories in the diet and is also one of the hardest for owners to control. A 250kg pony living out at grass may consume enough energy (calories) to fuel a 500kg racehorse – equivalent to more than half a bag of conditioning cubes every day.

Restricting grass intake is an essential part of many weight management programmes, and the latest research on strip grazing shows that it can be an effective solution.

The research, Comparison of three restricted grazing practices for equine bodyweight management during the UK grass growing season, was conducted by Annette Longland in collaboration with Spillers, via the Waltham Equine Studies Group.

Clare Barfoot RNutr, marketing and research and development director at Mars Horsecare UK, said: “All of us at Spillers are extremely proud of our research work to support horse health, not least this 100^th paper on the benefits of strip grazing.

“This competition is our gift to all horse owners – as well as giving a solar strip grazing kit to one lucky winner, we hope it will help spread the word that, under controlled conditions strip grazing can be an effective tool to reduce the rate of weight gain in ponies living out at pasture.”