Isabel Freese: "I Hardly Dared to Feed them Anything at All"

Eurodressage Market - Products

Isabel Freese is one of the best horse trainers in Germany. She has demonstrated her talent with young dressage horses. This is also confirmed by the two German Championship titles she won in 2015 with Fasine and Fürsten-Look. But this is not all. Management, too, is one of the major factors for her success. We are talking about Isabel Freese from Norway, a top rider in Paul Schockemöhle's stables in Mühlen. What she looks for in terms of health and feeding and why she feeds Equine 74 Gastric.

You are saying that the feed and the resulting health is an essential factor of athletic achievement for you. What exactly does this mean?
Isabel Freese: "It's quite simple, really. Our sports horses have to be absolutely top fit. Their well-being is a major factor in this context. Only vital and healthy individuals meet the basic requirements for being motivated and on the ball at all times. This is no different for horses than it is for people."

What exactly do you mean by 'well-being' in this context?
Isabel Freese: "This, too, is basically simple: Our horses, of course, must be in top physical condition. This includes stamina, muscles, feeding state and health. But this is not all, however - we do need something else as well: Motivated horses that love training, that are even-tempered while also having the necessary 'Go'.

Is this what many horses are lacking?
Isabel Freese: "Well, I don't know about many. But some, certainly. At least in this important combination within equestrian sports."

What do you think causes this?
Isabel Freese: "On the one hand, I believe that today's sports requires this. Our show horses have a tightly packed programme almost every day – training, show, travelling… plus breeding, of course, which has been adapted to these demands. Today's top sports horses are almost all highly bred and therefore more vulnerable to stress. In this case, composure and well-being, as mentioned, quickly fall by the wayside."

What happens? What is your experience?
Isabel Freese: "Many horses develop considerable stomach problems. My colleagues keep confirming this, too. Some are saying that 80 percent of all horses in high-performance national or international sports have gastric problems. And that almost everyone is feeding Omeprazol for this reason. I myself have had the same experience with one of my Grand Prix horses."

What happened to your horse?
Isabel Freese: "First of all, he didn't feed particularly well. Secondly, he was very nervous. Not just when riding, but also in his box. Worst of all, however, was this rash all over his body."

You are speaking in the past tense. Have you been able to deal with these problems?
Isabel Freese: "Luckily, yes! On Josef Klapphake's recommendation I started to feed Equine 74 Gastric. At first I was a bit unsure whether it was wise to change anything at all about the feed. Because of the rash. I hardly dared to feed anything different. But now I'm glad I did. The horse changed totally. He is even-tempered and happy. And what's even better: The rash is almost entirely gone. He has a wonderful coat and I am totally happy!"

So, do you think that Equine 74 Gastric has contributed to your horse feeling well these days?
Isabel Freese: "Well, I'm not 100 % sure, of course. But I do know that he's been feeling well since I started feeding him this product. And that he is very good to ride. And that his horrible rash is gone. This makes me very happy."

For further information please read more at www.equine74gastric.com.