Banksy is a fussy eater and will not touch his feed if he thinks a strange powder has been put in it, therefore traditional powder supplements are a huge NO GO!
The Simply Boost range by Equilibrium Products is perfect for him. We mainly use the electrolytes, being Irish he is a “hot” horse and sweats a lot. When we go to away shows he often won’t eat or drink yet if I add this to his feed he devours the lot.
Living in Cornwall means long journeys to most BE events, which can be exhausting for both me and him, especially in the Heat of the summer. It once took us 11 hours to get from Truro to Aston Le Walls for the Riding Club Championships on a Bank Holiday weekend, I had to keep getting in the trailer to sponge him down and offer him water, yet he would not drink it. Since discovering The Equilibrium Simply Boost Electrolytes all I have to do now is I add a splash of that to the water and he will have 2 or 3 long glugs!
Banksy however thinks it would be easier if I just let him drink it from the bottle…
Ensuring he stays hydrated is extremely important when travelling such long distances, there’s no way I can expect him to perform to the best of his ability if dehydrated and fatigued.
I think the main reason he likes it so much is because it has a lovely minty smell which I assume he thinks is like a liquid polo!!
Another favourite of ours is the Massage Pad, he can be a proper fidget when being plaited, again more so when in an unfamiliar stable. Therefore I always take the massage pad away with me and then 10 minutes before plaiting pop it on, he really zones out and goes all snoozey, I’ve once seen his bottom lip drop by a good centimetre, possibly almost 2!
The battery life is amazing I never have to worry about it not being charged if I go for a few nights at a time as I think in the 10 months that I have owned it I have literally only had to plug it into the mains for a charge 3 or 4 times!
It is definitely in my Top 5 of the things I MUST NOT forget to pack…. The other 4 being Saddle, Bridle, Hat and Banksy!!