Many show horses and ponies are maintained in good condition for the show ring, but before the event, they may develop some excess fatty deposits or a ‘cresty’ neck.  TRIM can be used instead of ‘neck sweats’ or other ways to manage horses and ponies which have become over-conditioned.

TRIM can be used as a short, double dose course for 10 – 14 days to soften the crest and help reduce unsightly fatty deposits over the neck and tail butt without excessive loss of body condition in this short-term period.

When supplemented in this way, TRIM can help maintain the overall rounded appearance, especially in the rump area, which may be desirable for the show ring.

TRIM is compatible with other supplements claiming a reduction in laminitis risk, including supplements such as artificial buffers of hindgut pH system or medications which limit hindgut bacterial growth.  However, most horse owners find TRIM very effective without the need to combine it with these supplements.

TRIM contains selected nutrients which are involved in helping to burn fat and sugar in the diets of horses and ponies.  TRIM is not a full ration balancing supplement, we suggest to combine TRIM with Kohnke’s Own Cell-Provide, our comprehensive nutritional supplement for horses and ponies which are resting or lightly worked.  Cell-Provide is highly suitable because it will not add sugar or extra energy to the ration, unlike some other brands of ‘ration balancers’ which contain many fillers.

Combining TRIM with Cell-Provide will give the best results because your horse’s ration will be fully balanced and as many horses and ponies with weight problems are on restricted diets that are often deficient or lacking in certain nutrients to help their metabolism to function correctly.  TRIM supplements these nutrients in easily absorbable forms for an optimum result.  This is particularly important when the horse or pony is fed water soaked hay, which further reduces available nutrients, as well as salts.  In these cases, a salt supplement, such as Kohnke’s Own Cell-Salts, in conjunction with TRIM, is also recommended to ensure adequate electrolyte balance for daily needs. 

If your horse or pony is normally weight-loss resistant, or for the best and quickest results, we recommend combining TRIM with a low GI diet, including water soaked hay and include low calorie, fibre-based feeds.  A calorie controlled diet of feeds including sugar beet fibre, soyabean or lupin hulls, as well as limited supplements of fats and oils, have a naturally low GI content and low amounts of soluble sugar and water-soluble carbohydrates.

Starving the horse or pony is never an option.  TRIM is a dietary supplement that has helped many horses in conjunction with a sensible, but not overly restrictive diet, even if they have previously suffered from laminitic issues or excessive weight gain on ‘normal’ amounts of feed or grazing.

Choosing low sugar hays, such as lucerne, or soaking grass or oaten hays in water, is also recommended to help maintain normal condition and body weight.  Soaking hay for 30 – 60 minutes in luke-warm water is an easy way to reduce excess sugar (water soluble carbohydrates, WSCs) which contributes extra energy to the ration.

Providing soaked hay is a filling fibre base for horses and ponies which have limited grazing or are kept in a yard at night in order to manage access to high sugar grass.  We recommend using 30 litres of water per biscuit of hay to ensure effective WSC reduction.  Once soaked, drain the hay and feed to horses within a 30 minute period, to limit that bacterial growth in the wet hay.  Do not feed the soaking liquid to horses, as it contains the excess sugars from the hay.

Grass also varies in sugar level throughout the day and also the season.  The time of grazing can also be optimally adjusted to ensure the horse or pony is not eating grass when it is most ‘sugary’ during the day.

In conjunction with the help of TRIM, your horse or pony may be able to graze happily at these times without risking a return to an overweight condition.  Providing at least 30 minutes of exercise at the walk and trot each day is also an important management tool to assist weight reduction.

Dr. John Kohnke has written a number of very handy factsheets with advice on laminitis risk in horses.  Factsheets include:  the best grazing times for sugar-sensitive horses, recommendations on hay types and water soaking advice for all horse owners, as well as a ‘Cresty Neck’ factsheet with information on rating laminits risk in terms of fatty neck deposits.   Contact our friendly team for a copy by email to info@kohnkesown.com.

TRIM® does not contain any banned substances or contravene the Rules of Racing or FEI Competition. TRIM® does not swab and is completely legal to be used with all performance horses in FEI competitions.

For use in racehorses, we recommend that you follow local guidelines on use of any supplements prior to race day.

TRIM does not swab or contain banned substances and does not contravene the Rules of Racing or FEI Competition.  This product is a nutritional supplement to support the health and well-being of a horse. It does not artificially enhance the performance of racing or competition horses. Rules prohibiting the use of any pre-race supplements within 24 hours of racing should be followed if applicable in the local jurisdiction.

TRIM has been trialled and tested over many years to help horses which often struggle to maintain a slim (normal) condition or body weight, even on adequate feed amounts and grazing time.  These horses often have a history of laminitis in response to their excess weight or ‘easy keeper’ status and potentially a sensitivity to sugar, which may lead to Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) or Insulin Resistance (IR).  

The metabolism of horses and ponies at risk of laminitis may be adversely affected by lack of certain nutrients in their diet.  This is particularly a problem when horses and ponies are given reduced rations, restricted grazing, soaked hay or low-GI feeds which may limit the important required for metabolism and wellbeing on a daily basis.  

TRIM helps these horses by providing high quality, easily absorbable and specially balanced nutrients to avoid shortfalls in their ration.  The selected minerals, trace-minerals and vitamins in TRIM have physiological actions to normalise metabolism to burn sugar and fat more effectively.  

For example, the magnesium in TRIM has a role in maintaining normal metabolism and is often inadequate in low GI diets. Chromium, included as a fully organic ‘chelated’ form, has a role in the regulation of glucose metabolism. Choline and manganese have roles in metabolism of fats. The other selected vitamins in TRIM have roles in general metabolism for optimum health and vitality.

In our field trials with hundreds of horses over many years, TRIM has been very helpful in maximising weight loss, stripping hardened crests and abnormal fatty deposits in horses and ponies.

The first results visible with TRIM are often a softened and more malleable crest which had previously been hardened or ‘bulging’.  This is normally seen within 10-14 days on the initial supplementation rate.  Most owners notice a controlled reduction in the neck crest and tail butt fat within 1-2 months, although individual results will vary depending on the horse or pony’s condition, the ration provided and the exercise level (if applicable).

Horse owners often find that TRIM supplementation depends on the season and the grass availability.  Many horses and ponies need TRIM in spring and summer, when the grass is growing rapidly and contains higher levels of sugar.  In winter, slower grass growth and cold weather may mean that some horses can more naturally maintain their body weight to an adequate and normal level.  In this case, TRIM can be supplemented only when the horse is gaining weight or during the ‘high risk periods’.

When desired weight loss is achieved, we recommend discontinuing TRIM supplementation.  If the horse gains weight in the future, TRIM supplementation can be resumed with the initial loading rate for 7-10 day, and then a normal maintenance supplementation rate.

In horses with a high laminitis risk in all seasons and management types, TRIM can be used at a maintenance rate long term without ill-effects.

TRIM can help horses which have laminitis to strip off cresty necks and abnormal fatty deposits, naturally reducing overly conditioned or excess body weight.  These horses and ponies may struggle to reduce their weight due to inactivity, ‘good-doer’ status and sugar sensitivity, even when confined to a yard or small paddock.

TRIM provides selected nutrients to normalise the metabolism to help future reduction in the risk of laminitis.  We recommend following veterinary advice in the treatment and management of horses with lameness due to laminitis.

TRIM is often used in the first 10 – 14 days as an initial loading dose by feeding a daily supplementary amount in the morning and at night to ensure adequate provision of the important nutrients.  However, many horse owners prefer to provide a hard feed or small chaff based feed only once a day.  In these cases, TRIM will still work satisfactorily even at the initial supplementation rate provided once a day.  After this period has helped in the short term, TRIM can be supplemented only once a day to continue weight management.

TRIM is helpful for ensuring a balanced provision of nutrients for Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and Insulin Resistant (IR) horses which may be sensitive to sugar from grass, hay and feeds.  These horses often have a history of recurring laminitis and may also be ‘good-doers’ or easy keepers with excess body condition.  Using TRIM in conjunction with a calorie controlled, low GI diet will assist in normalising metabolism in horses and ponies with EMS or IR due to high blood sugars.

Although TRIM was originally available as a powdered supplement with fenugreek flavouring, we are excited to announce that we have pelleted the TRIM supplement for easy feeding! The pelleted TRIM has exactly the same formula as the powdered TRIM, with the same great results.  We have tested it with a number of TRIM users and they have found increased palatability with the new pelleted version which now includes a vanilla-apple flavouring. 

Horses often gain weight firstly around their stomach (ie a hay or grass belly) then the wither and shoulder, the rump and tail butt area and then finally the neck crest.  Horses tend to lose weight in the opposite direction.  Most owners first notice TRIM helping to soften and reduce the hard and cresty neck fat deposits before other changes are seen on tail butt fatty deposits and shoulder ‘pudge’ of their horse or pony.

It is important to regularly assess the size and hardness of the neck crest area in good-doer horses and ponies.  This evaluation is considered a key indication of the risk of impending sugar or condition related laminitic episodes.  As TRIM helps to strip abnormal fatty deposits, first results should be seen in terms of a softer, more malleable and reduced cresty neck.