Practical questions:

How much Equilin Basic or Immuno do I feed a day?

Build- up* Maintenance

Pony 250- 350 grams 150- 225 grams

Horse 350- 450 grams 200- 250 grams

*build- up period of 3 weeks. You can also temporarily increase the maintenance dose to the build- up dose in times of heavy labour or stress.

How much grams does the included measure cup hold?

A full measure cup contains 95 grams, which corresponds with 145ml. To get the maintenance dose for a horse (225 grams), you give approximately 2.5 cup a day.

Do I start with the build- up dose, even if my horse has no complaints and I want to feed Equilin Basic purely as a precautionary?

Yes. The build-up dose is necessary to change the balance in the horse's body. By giving a higher dose for the first period and then coming down to the lower maintenance dose, the horse will be able to sustain a good internal balance, making him less prone to diseases and injuries.

Why is the refill bag black on the inside and white on the outside?

The black inside makes a completely lightproof package, which benefits the shelf-life of the product. The white outside has a warmth and light reflecting effect, also increasing the shelf-life.

How long can you store a bag of Equilin?

The shelf-life of one bag is generally up to six months after the date of production. It is important however, to keep the product in a cool and dry environment.

Do small ponies or miniature horses require the lowest dose indicated on the pack (150 grams a day), or can they do with less?

For ponies that are used in competition and therefore have to do heavy labour we certainly advise to give the minimum dosage. If they are only used recreationally for light work, you may feed a bit less, for example 125 grams a day.

What do I do if my horse does not eat the Equilin pellets very well, or not at all?

98% percent of all horses will eat the pellets without any problems. If your horse is not that easy, this is what you can do:

Increase the dose very gradually. Start with a half measure cup a day, and add a little each day, giving your horse a chance to get used to the taste and the texture of the pellets. It is best to mix the Equilin pellets with the concentrate your are already feeding your horse, as this makes the habituation easiest.

Why do I have to feed my horse a higher dose for the first three weeks?

Many horses have been dealing with deficits of some of the ingredients in Equilin Basic for a long time. Especially vitamin E and magnesium deficits are very common.

By feeding the higher build- up dose first, you will remedy these deficits and restore the internal balance of your horse. This usually happens after about three weeks. The maintenance dose you feed after this period complements the daily required quantities, taking into account the average nutrition in roughage and concentrates.

Is it bad to skip one day of feeding Equilin Basic?

No, in itself this is not harmful, but we do not recommend it in the build- up stage (the first three weeks) as all the deficits still have to be complemented. In a later stage the balance will have been restored in such a way that skipping one day will have no effect. We even advise to skip Equilin Basic for one or two days a month after the build- up period, to avoid habituation.

The Equilin pellets seem to show some discolouration after the package has been opened for a few weeks. Is this correct?

Yes. When fresh nutrients are exposed to outside air the nutritional value will decrease somewhat. Equilin Basic contains a lot of lucerne (alfalfa), which is rich in carotene. This decreases when it starts to dry out a bit. It is the same principle as in grass when it is dried to hay, which also loses its carotene and with that its green colour. This is partly the reason why bulk packs of Equilin Basic are not yet available on sale.

Safety

Can I give my horse more than the recommended dose?

That is not necessary. The composition of all the Equilin products has been developed precisely so that the recommended dose achieves maximum results.

Is Equilin harmful in large quantities? Say that my horse broke out and ate the whole bucket?

After eating such large quantities there might be a light, passing diarrhoea as a result of the magnesium. Besides that there is a risk of colic, the same as with the consumption of large quantities of any concentrated food, but this is not due to the ingredients of Equilin Basic. Of all ingredients used in Equilin Basic and Immuno, no harmful side effects are known in high concentrations on a single occurance.

Can I feed my carrying mare Equilin Basic?

Yes, you can. In fact, it would be beneficial because the ingredients have a positive effect on the growth and development of the foal; especially magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids. We advise to feed the build- up dose in the last three to four months before birth, and the first three months of lactation.

Can I continue to feed Equilin Basic when my horse gets sick?

Yes, you can safely continue, without any problems. As a matter of fact, you can even temporarily increase the dose to support your horse through his disease.

An exception would be when your horse has been diagnosed with a kidney functioning disorder (see below). If your horse needs extra immune protection, you might consider feeding him Equilin Immuno for a period, instead of Basic.

Can Equilin Basic be used alongside prescribed medications from the vet (e.g. antibiotics or pain relief)?

In our point of view, you can safely continue to feed Equilin Basic in most diseases and even increase the dose temporarily to support your horse during the disease. Always discuss the use of Equilin Basic with your veterinarian for final advise.

Are there any known side effects to using Equilin Basic?

No, in principle all ingredients in Equilin Basic are safe within the recommended dosages. But in the use of nutritional supplements it can never be excluded that in some rare cases certain horses could show allergic reactions to one of the ingredients.

Are there any known side effects to using Equilin Immuno?

Some horses may show an allergic reaction to the stinging nettle in Equilin Immuno, known as nettle rash. The symptoms are little bumps under the skin, which should disappear within 48 hours. If your horse displays the above, stop feeding Equilin Immuno.

When do I have to stop giving Equilin to my horse?

When your veterinarian has diagnosed in a blood sample that your horse suffers from a kidney functioning disorder. Magnesium is secreted by the kidneys, and any kidney functioning disorder may cause problems there.

Can I feed my horse another supplement, next to Equilin Basic?

That depends on what kind of supplement you want to give your horse. If you want to feed a vitamin E/ selenium supplement for an extended period of time, this could result in overdosing and be harmful for your horse. See below.

If your horse has to perform and sweat a lot, you can give electrolytes in his water without any problems.

If you do not feed your horse a lot of concentrate, or none at all, to prevent the risk of him getting too fat; you can safely feed extra vitamin /mineral supplements to meet the daily requirements.

When your horse has specific problems, such as arthritis or respiratory problems, you can give the indicated supplements in principle.

If you are in any doubt, please contact us.

Why is there no selenium in Equilin Basic? All the other vitamin E supplements have selenium in it.

There is not enough selenium in roughage like grass, hay and silage. To ensure that your horse gets a high enough concentration in its nutrition, extra selenium is added to concentrates like pellets and muesli. Adding even more selenium in the form of a supplement could be dangerous, as selenium can be overdosed very easily. When there is an average of more than 3.3 mg per kilogram of selenium in a nutrient, it is considered as overdosing.

The symptoms of an acute overdose of selenium are: temporary blindness, colic, diarrhoea, head? shaking, pain, elevated heart rate and breathing, sweating, feeling miserable.

Symptoms of chronical ( long term) overdose are: hair loss in the manes and tail, detaching hoof walls.

About Equilin

Why do you say Equilin is produced according to GMP+ guidelines, while there is no GMP+ logo on the packaging?

All steps in the production of Equilin Basic are conducted according to GMP+ guidelines, except for the packaging process. The packaging process does happen according to HACCP standards, but it takes place in a facility that also packages canine foods. This is prohibited by GMP+ standards, and this is why we do not meet GMP+ guidelines for 100% yet. We hope to find a solution for this in the course of 2009.

What does biodegradable plastic really mean?

It means the plastic bags which contain Equilin Basic can be disposed with your organic waste. Under accelerated circumstances the plastic bags are decomposed within six weeks, and no parts of the original package are visible in the compost. In your own compost the degradation may take longer. The label is not yet biodegradable, so please remove it by cutting it out of the bag before you dispose the bag with your organic waste.

Why does Equilin use as many biological ingredients as possible in its products?

Besides the fact we want to take our responsibility for a sustainable environment as a company, EU research also showed that products from ecological agriculture contain up to 25% more natural antioxidants and vitamins than regular agricultural products.

Why does it say on the front of the bag Equilin contains wheat bran; while on the back it says it contains wheat grits?

These terms are often used interchangeably and are very similar. Wheat bran only contains the soft skin of the wheat grains, but wheat grits also contains part of the wheat grain, besides the wheat skin. This gives wheat grits a slightly higher nutritional value. Equilin Basic contains wheat grits, but we put the term ‘wheat bran' on the front for recognisability.

Who designed your superb logo?

Our brand logo was designed by Marie Louise de Bruijn (see www.mldebruijn.nl), and we think she did a great job.