Mitavite Promita has been scientifically formulated as a ‘nutrient balancer’ and results from collaboration between agricultural scientists, equine nutrit-ionists, and veterinarians in the search for a reliable, easy-to-use and compre-hensive concentrate that meets the differing needs of studs and training stables.

With Promita, the essential daily nutrient requirements of horses can always be met safely, regardless of age, stage of development or particular use.

Spurring on the early development considerations for Promita was the horse industry’s growing concern over the increasing incidence of bone, joint, ligament and tendon problems as well as birth weaknesses and defects. Research identified the major causes as being: over-feeding, lack of exercise, mineral deficiencies and vitamin /mineral imbalances in different feedstuffs, including pasture.

PASTURE NEEDS SUPPORT
For many horses pasture makes up a substantial portion of their total feed intake and because of this its ’value’ needs some careful consideration. Pasture and the soil that nourishes it, are highly variable in nutrient levels and availability of trace minerals. General weather conditions, season, moisture content, regional characteristics, even time of day, among many other factors, can influence the value of pasture for grazing. Realistically there is no easy or practical way of determining whether horses on pasture are receiving nutrients, daily,at essential levels in the right balance, on a continuing basis.

GRAINS, CHAFF AND HAY ARE NOT ENOUGH
As well as pasture - grains, chaff, hay and natural milled feeds are deficient in vitamins, minerals and trace elements (grains, notoriously so). Because of this it is necessary to supplement most traditional diets. As can be seen from the ‘Mineral and Vitamin Interaction Chart’ below, supple-mentation can be a complex issue and difficult to get right as minerals interact with each other and with many vitamins.

Because of the relationship existing between vitamins and minerals, an oversupply can be as damaging, or more so, as an undersupply and without knowing the nutrient value that’s in the feed, providing supplementation to achieve the necessary balance is beyond the capacity of most people.

FEEDING STUD AND WORKING HORSES UNITES SCIENCE WITH ART
Research into horse physiology combined with science in nutrition and advances in feed manufacturing technology have provided stud managers and trainers with dramatically improved feed products, of which Mitavite Promita is a leading example.

The science of feeding has achieved new levels with the development of Promita and other steam-extruded products from Mitavite and as far as provision of essential nutrient requirements is concerned, the guesswork has indeed been removed. Whilst Promita is the most comprehensive base feed concentrate available, with dramatically increased digestibility, protein absorp-tion and mineral availability through steam extrusion, it is only one part of the feed equation.

In the hands of the studmaster and the trainer lies the ‘art’ of feeding. An intuitive sense and keen judgement is required to balance the activity of the horse against energy requirements, total feed intake and general body condition. This, combined with accommodating idiosyncrasies of individual horses, ensures feeding will always remain in the realm of a demanding ‘art’.

PROMITA - AT EVERY STAGE
Genetic factors, fixed at birth, account for 35% of the thoroughbred’s racing ability. Other elements that remain critical to performance are training, the jockey, the track and of course, nutrition. Balanced vitamin, mineral and protein intake is important at all ages and stages, however, when essential nutrition isn’t supplied at two critical growth stages it almost guarantees genetic potential won’t be met. There is no second chance to maximise skeletal growth and strength if the foal does not receive minerals at the right levels and in the right balance from 3 months pre-foaling to 9 months post-foaling. Likewise, from the age of 2 months to 22 months provision of inadequate levels or poor quality protein, deficient in any of the 10 critical amino acids, predisposes the young horse to lay down fat rather than muscle. At 22 months the pattern is set for the rest of the horse’s life. Promita forms the cornerstone for feeding during these vital developmental stages.

PREGNANT MARES
To produce a strong foal each year places extraordinary demands on the contribution of nutrition to the gestation and lactation periods. Dietary imbalances reduce reproductive efficiency, fertility and milk yield.

MINERAL AND VITAMINN INTERACTION

Minerals interact with other minerals and vitamins. An excess of any one can induce a deficiency of others. Even borderline deficiencies can cause reduced fertility, abnormal growth, failure to reach potential as well as bone, joint and ligament weaknesses, birth problems and with horses in racing, poor performance, fatigue, breakdowns and injuries. When several different individual supplements are used the risks of overlap, excesses, deficiencies and imbalances increase substantially. Mitavite Promita avoids any problem by providing all the essential minerals and vitamins in correct balance in a convenient steam-extruded ‘nugget’ form. Veterinary research shows supplements, added to feed, cause imbalances. A recent survey found that 78% of horses fed supplements receive excess energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus, copper, manganese or zinc, unbalancing the diet. Excessive levels of individual nutrients occur up to 10 times more frequently when supplements are added and deficiencies may still exist.

The most demanding period is the last 3 months of pregnancy and the first three months of lactation.

As the foal grows rapidly in the last 90 days it occupies more and more of the mare’s abdomen. This results in a reduced appetite and capacity for bulky feed at a time when nutrient demands increase. At such a time feeding more is not the answer and can increase the risk of peri-foaling colics. A high quality concentrate, with increased nutrient density and digestibility, meets both the mare’s and foal’s demands.

Because the milk of all species is low in minerals the foetal foal must store minerals like copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iodine before birth. These reserves are built up in the liver and will supply the foal with minerals during the most rapid period of bone growth - the first 3 months following birth. If the mare’s diet is lacking in balanced minerals it denies the foal the ability to build reserves and bone and joint development can be compromised.

WEANLINGS AND YEARLINGS
Soundness and proper bone development are of paramount importance and the period of maximum risk is when growth rate is high - but if optimum bone and muscle development aren’t achieved during the time of fastest growth, genetic potential won’t be achieved.

Management of risk reduction strategies is vital, as the higher the level of desired performance the narrower the margin of error.

Mitavite Promita can play an important role in management, by providing the right levels of balanced nutrients to ensure high growth periods are catered to in an efficient and predictable way. Weanlings on trace mineral proteinates, as found in Promita for example, have increased hip height and hoof growth as yearlings.

Horses that reach mature height earlier lay down less fat, because the amino acids promote, protect and support the developing musculoskeletal system. A deficiency of any single essential amino acid means protein synthesis may be cut by up to 50% and yearlings will begin to lay down cover instead of developing muscle and bone.

Muscle fibre mass affects maximal force output. Between 7 and 18 months, muscle fibre size increases by up to 70%. Failure to meet growth potential / parameters for muscle fibre mass reduces stride length and acceleration.

TWO YEAR OLDS IN TRAINING
For young horses in training, mineral intake affects bone remodelling and skeletal growth. Bone density decreases in the early stages of training and is at its lowest at the critical time of introduction to fast work. Low in the first 2 months of training, bone density is still increasing 3-4 months into training. The greater the bone density the greater the bone strength. Mineral supplementation in early training increases mineral retention and improves bone formation. Actual absorption rates of minerals varies considerably and for this reason Promita’s minerals have been chelated - a process which enables treated minerals to be metabolised 300-500% more efficiently than naturally occuring minerals.

MATURE HORSES
During sprint exercise, a burst of free radicals is released from working muscle cells. These free radicals damage cell membranes. Damage to muscle cells can be present for up to 2 weeks after exercise and causes muscle fatigue, loss of form and delayed muscle soreness. Anti-oxidants and essential amino acids, as found in Promita, protect membranes from free radical damage and have a stimulant effect on growth, lean muscle mass and strength. This promotes post-race recovery and allows muscles to repair and strengthen between bouts of fast work.

In the exercising horse, tearing forces, tendon pull and rotational forces due to concussion, turning and acceleration, combine to load the front legs with over 4500 kilograms at every stride. In addition, frequent shoeing, damp stable floors and high grain diets place the hoof under enormous stress. Many dietary nutrients are involved in the production of optimum hoof quality, including sulphur, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, copper, calcium, amino acids, biotin and B group vitamins. Promita, a balanced complete concentrate, will aid in avoiding many of the dietary risk factors that lead to wall cracks, poor hoof quality, and thin crumbly walls. Biotin alone will not address problems deep inside the hoof wall. Balancing the diet with Promita is less expensive and meets nutrient requirements better than attempting to address individual nutrient deficiencies with a range of different supplements.

Mitavite Promita is the only fully steam-extruded base feed concentrate formulated to meet the needs of both studs and trainers and suitable for use throughout a horse’s entire career. Promita is the professional’s base feed concentrate for paddock and track.

DIGESTION FOR FERMENTATION

Hard feed, concentrates and supplements must be digested in the small intestine - if fermented in the caecum the nutrient value is destroyed because glucose converts to lactic acid and essential amino acids degrade to ammonia. Both are major contributors to conditions of colic, diarrhoea, laminitis and fatigue. Even if exacting care is taken and precise requirements are met in formulating specific nutrient levels for an individual horse, such effort and care is wasted if feed is not digested in the small intestine. Steam-extrusion increases digestion in the small intestine to over 90%, releasing essential amino acids and increasing mineral absorption. When you feed Promita you can be confident what goes into the feed bin is available for bone and muscle growth, fertility and performance. DIGESTION of grains and proteins in the small intestine yields essential amino acids, minerals and glucose - vital for growth, breeding and work. FERMENTATION in the hindgut (caecum) degrades grains and proteins to lactic acid and ammonia. PERCENTAGE OF FEEDDIGESTED IN SMALL INTESTINE