FAQ

You can order all Florian products through our webshop. We also have plenty of stockists in the Netherlands and Belgium!

We work with 4 different types of stockist:

• Partners: they keep the full range in stock in large quantities

• Dealers: they keep the full range in stock, with best-selling products in larger quantities.

• Boutiques: they keep most of the range in stock in small to medium quantities. Any missing products can always be supplied by arrangement!

• Friends of Florian: they order Florian products for themselves and their network. They don't hold fixed stock and delivery usually takes longer. There is usually a regular ordering moment when all the products needed can be added to the order.

Your order is sent by regular post. We do our best to deliver webshop orders within 2-4 working days!

Shipping costs within the Netherlands depend on the total weight of your order. You can already see them in your basket.

• Up to 23 kg: €6.95
• Up to 46 kg: €11.90
• Up to 69 kg: €17.90
• Up to 92 kg: €23.85
• Up to 250 kg (half pallet): €27.50
• Up to 500 kg (two half pallets): €55.00

Different rates apply for Belgium; you'll see them at checkout.

How lovely! We'd be happy to hear from you! Send an email to Jacco (jacco@florianhorsefood.nl) with the location where you'd like to start a stockist and a little information about yourself and your business (if you're self-employed). He will then get in touch with you to discuss the options.

Our support mixes are a great way to fine-tune energy. They are highly concentrated, so just a few hundred grams a day adds excellent energy. You can also use them to give extra energy temporarily, for example during a show. In that case, build up the amount a few days beforehand and reduce it again afterwards. For a 600kg horse, for example, you could temporarily increase the amount from 300 to 500 grams a day.

• Power Fit: for powerful, short-term energy. For horses that need real ‘go’.
  
• Slow Fit: for slow-release, long-lasting energy. Also ideal for sensitive horses.
  
• Omega Fit: gives a substantial energy boost and is specially developed to support normal muscle development. Very rich in omega-3, vitamins C and E, and DHA fatty acids from algae. Ideal for sport horses that need to perform at their best (during the season). Build up Omega Fit gradually, feed it throughout the intensive period, and then leave it out of the ration for a few weeks for the best results.

A horse with too much energy is no fun, of course. Fortunately, feeding often plays a big part in this! Your horse can be too excitable because of many different feeding-related factors.

If your horse is naturally very lively, he will probably do well on a feed that just provides his daily vitamins, possibly with a little extra protein:

• ViMi-Care: a balancer containing only vitamins and minerals, very low in sugar and starch
  
• Vimi-Protein: a balancer containing vitamins and minerals, very low in sugar and starch and with added protein. Proteins are the building blocks of muscle. Horses in intensive training or over 18 years old usually have a higher protein requirement.
  
• Fiber impact: a fibre-rich Oerbrok pellet that is extremely low in sugar and starch and slightly higher in protein.

To give you the right advice, it also helps to know what your horse is being fed at the moment. So the best thing to do is get in touch through our free advice app. Together we can work out the best approach for your situation!

To really fine-tune energy, we often top up the ration with a support mix. Depending on the type of energy, you can choose Slow Fit, Power Fit or Omega Fit.

• Slow Fitprovides slow-release, manageable energy from fats. This is ideal for nervous horses (the added magnesium supports the normal processing of stimuli and muscle relaxation) and for horses that need long-lasting energy (the fats are burned slowly, so energy stays available for longer) and that currently run out of energy halfway through a training session, for example.

• Power Fitprovides powerful, more explosive energy from starches. This is ideal for horses that need short bursts of powerful energy, such as show jumpers, or for horses that are naturally very laid-back.

• Omega Fitgives a substantial energy boost and is specially developed to support normal muscle development. Very rich in omega-3, vitamins C and E, and DHA fatty acids from algae.

If your horse is in consistently hard training and needs a lot of energy, you can also choose to give more energy through an Oerbrok pellet. Compared with a support mix, an Oerbrok pellet gives your horse more body from fibre, making it ideal for horses that quickly lose condition. For lots of energy, High Impact is the best choice.

Feeding completely sugar-free isn't possible, simply because plants and grass contain sugar too. That is a natural form of sugar which, in moderation, isn't bad for your horse at all. In fact, every horse needs a certain amount of sugar to support various processes in the body.

What you can do is choose feed that is free from added sugars, such as molasses. Curious which healthy, low-sugar products we have? Get in touch through our advice app!

Sugar and starch both belong to the carbohydrate category. The difference lies in the length and complexity of the carbohydrates.

• Sugars are short, simple carbohydrate chains that are easy for your horse to digest. They are quickly absorbed into the blood and give a fast energy spike.

• Starches are long, complex carbohydrate chains that your horse first has to break down into sugars before they can be absorbed. This provides slow, more gradual energy, provided the starches can be properly digested in the small intestine.

So if your horse is only allowed a little sugar, it's important to look not just at the amount of sugar but also at the amount of starch in the feed.

No, protein won't make your horse fat. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are needed for things like building and maintaining muscle.

Your horse can put on weight from an excess of sugar and starch, or of energy. Energy here doesn't so much mean energy for work, but energy in the form of nutritional value. If your horse's feed provides more energy in a day than he uses, he will convert the surplus into fat.

No, grains aren't bad for horses by definition. They are just often used the wrong way. Grains naturally contain quite a lot of starch, and when a horse takes in too much of it, that can cause problems. A horse can only digest a limited amount of starch in the small intestine. When undigested starch is left over, it can lead to acidosis in the caecum and large intestine.

In fact, grains can be very useful for horses that need a lot of energy, such as horses in intensive training. What matters is the amount of grain you feed and how the grain has been processed. Raw, whole grain is hard to digest. But when it is hulled, rolled, popped, extruded or flaked, it becomes much easier to digest and therefore more suitable as an energy source.

Which grains are easy to digest?

• Oats: naturally the most digestible grain for horses; fairly safe even when whole.

• Popped or rolled maize: raw maize is poorly digestible, but popped/extruded it is very easy to digest.

• Barley (rolled or popped): raw barley is difficult, but hulled/rolled barley is much safer.

• Spelt (rolled): easily digestible and gentler on the digestive tract than wheat.

If your horse is very sensitive to starch, for example in the case of insulin resistance, (chronic) laminitis or PSSM, it's generally better to avoid grains as much as possible. If your horse does have a considerable energy requirement, you can choose feed that provides a lot of energy through fats and fibre.

An important note here is that grain kernels are made up of different parts. The starch is mainly found in the core of the kernel. The hull of the kernel, on the other hand, is very fibre-rich and low in sugars and starches. That makes it healthy for all horses. So it's also important to look at which part of the grain kernel has been used in the feed.

No, soya is actually very healthy for horses, provided it has been processed correctly and is fed in suitable amounts. Soya has a bad reputation because of a number of misconceptions, but in reality soya is one of the most nutritious protein sources for horses.

Why is soya actually healthy?

• Soya has a perfect amino acid profile for horses: rich in lysine, methionine and threonine. That makes it ideal as a building block for muscle, for growing young horses, pregnant/lactating mares and seniors losing muscle

• Extruded or heat-treated soya is very digestible in the small intestine, which makes it a healthy ingredient. Raw soya is not safe, though; it must always be heat-treated.

• Yes, soya contains phytoestrogens, but in much lower concentrations than, for example, lucerne or clover, and the amounts in horse feed are far below any risk threshold. So there's no need to worry about this with our products.

So soya isn't bad for your horse, as long as your horse needs a high protein content. If that isn't the case, it can be detrimental to your horse's health.

The most important thing is to match the feed to your horse's needs. Not sure what your horse needs? Get in touch through our advice app for free feeding advice!

You can certainly oversupplement vitamins. Many vitamins and minerals can be excreted in the urine when present in excessive amounts, but not all of them. That's why it's important to balance your feeding carefully. Especially with our products, which are very concentrated compared with many other brands, a small amount of feed already gives your horse everything he needs.

Don't worry: as long as you stay within our feeding recommendations, you're completely safe. If in doubt, you can always get in touch through our advice app!

Yes, definitely! For example, a horse always needs more fibre in autumn and winter to stay warm. We also often see that horses benefit from a few more vitamins during the seasonal changes in spring and autumn, and that their energy requirement is a lot lower when they are out at grass in summer. Of course, all of this also depends on your yard management and the type of horse! But we do recommend feeding your horse according to his needs every season, as they can differ quite a lot.

For tailored advice, get in touch through our free advice app!

For underweight horses, we recommend a diet that is very rich in fibre. However, our roughage usually doesn't have enough energy value to build up reserves for horses that are too thin. That's why you can choose a complementary, fibre-rich product with a higher energy value to feed alongside. Our Multibeet Xtra is ideal for this; the healthy alternative to the widely used sugar beet pulp.

Beet pulp is a great product for helping horses gain weight. However, its calcium-phosphorus ratio is out of balance with your horse's requirements. On top of that, your horse's gut flora thrives on many different types of fibre. That's why in Multibeet we have mixed beet pulp with a wide variety of other fibres, which also improve the calcium-phosphorus ratio, so you won't run into problems in the long term.

Please note: Multibeet MUST be soaked (4 parts water to 1 part product). So for 500 grams of Multibeet you add 2L of water. Soaking time with warm water is at least 45 minutes, with cold water at least 120 minutes. Longer is always fine!

If your horse puts on weight easily, he probably has a very low energy requirement. In that case, a roughage mix and a balancer usually work well, such as Fibre Grassand ViMi-Careor Care Fit. Depending on your horse's specific needs, other products may be more suitable. If you'd like feeding advice for your horse, get in touch through our advice app!

Young horses need a higher protein content to support normal development. Depending on age, type of horse and training, we have a number of suitable products:

• Basic Growth: a protein-rich roughage mix

• Next Impact: an Oerbrok pellet for mares, foals and youngstock (up to 4 years), high in protein and vitamins, relatively low in energy. Supports normal healthy growth.

• Easy Impact: a protein-rich, fully fortified Oerbrok pellet that provides energy for horses in active training.

• Fiber Impact: a fully fortified Oerbrok pellet with increased protein levels that provides little energy. It is free from common allergens such as soya, lucerne, molasses and grains.

• ViMi-Protein: a protein-rich balancer that provides no energy

From around 18 years old, horses usually become less able to absorb protein in the gut. That's why they generally need a feed with a higher protein content. Some older horses quickly get too thin in winter; they need plenty of nutrients from fibre. That is a healthy source for building up reserves.

Below are a number of products that are often suitable for older horses. For tailored advice, the best thing is to get in touch through our advice app.

• ViMi-Protein(a balancer with greatly increased protein levels)
• Basic Growth (a fibre-rich roughage mix with slightly higher protein levels)
• MultiBeet Xtra (a healthy mash, very fibre-rich and therefore ideal for underweight horses)
• Next Impact (an Oerbrok pellet for mares/youngstock, also suitable for older horses that need plenty of nutrients and little energy)
• Easy Impact (an Oerbrok pellet that is high in protein, suitable for older horses that could use extra energy)

Yes, you can. Just keep an eye on the total vitamin and mineral levels. Our products are highly concentrated compared with many other brands, so our feed alone will quickly cover your horse's full vitamin and mineral requirements. Our roughage mixes can be combined safely and easily with any other feed; you can't give too much of those!

Florian feed is very healthy and contains very few fillers. That means it's not just the taste your horse has to get used to, but often its digestive system too, especially if your current ration is less healthy. So it's best to mix it with your current feed during the transition period. You can build up the proportions gradually:

• 4 days of 25% of the recommended amount of Florian, 75% of the recommended amount of your current feed

• 4 days of 50% of the recommended amount of Florian and of your current feed

• 4 days of 75% of the recommended amount of Florian, 25% of the recommended amount of your current feed

After that, you can switch to Florian completely. This way your horse has had time to get used to its new ration calmly.

Our support mixes and Oerbrok pellets do indeed cost more to buy. But you feed considerably less of our products than of other brands! That's why your monthly costs stay the same or even go down when you switch to Florian, simply because one bag of feed lasts you much longer.

Want to make a clear cost comparison? For both brands, work out how many kg of each product you need per 30 days and calculate what that costs you based on the price per kilo. Bear in mind that traditional concentrate feed is usually fed at lower amounts than would be needed for full vitamin and mineral coverage. So check carefully which feeding rate is recommended for your current ration.

For a laminitic horse it's very important to strictly limit the intake of sugar and starch, while still providing essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. In that case you can give one of these three products:

• ViMi-Care: a very clean, timothy-based balancer, free from molasses, alfalfa, grains and soya.

• Care Fit: a gentle herbal mix that supports the normal function of the gut flora, skin, liver and kidneys. This muesli contributes to overall resilience. Free from molasses, alfalfa, grains and soya.

• Fiber Impact: a fibre-rich Oerbrok pellet that is extremely low in sugar and starch (5% combined), higher in protein and free from molasses, alfalfa, grains and soya.

These products mix nicely with the alfalfa-free Fibre Grass roughage mix, so your horse produces more saliva while chewing and can break down the nutrients better as a result.

A complete feeding plan naturally depends heavily on your horse's needs. It's also important to always treat gastric ulcers in consultation with your vet.

Usually the most important thing, nutrition-wise, is to provide plenty of fibre, ideally so that your horse always has a layer of roughage in his stomach. Chewing fibre produces a lot of saliva, which is essential for keeping the stomach healthy. For stomach problems we therefore focus on an extremely fibre-rich diet that is low in sugar and starch:

• The Fiber Impact is an Oerbrok pellet based on timothy and sainfoin, cold-pressed so that all the fibres stay intact. Fully fortified with vitamins and minerals, very rich in fibre and very low in sugar and starch!

• The Fibre Grass is an alfalfa-free, sun-dried roughage mix, which makes it very soft. It won't irritate your horse's stomach, yet the roughage still encourages chewing. It's ideal mixed with the Fiber Impact to stimulate saliva production even more. Fibre Grass is also great to give before training, so your horse has a layer of roughage in his stomach.

There are many possible causes of bumps on your horse's body. For a proper diagnosis, it's best to contact your vet.

Around the yard you'll often hear that it's caused by feeding too much protein, but that's usually not the case. If it is a reaction to protein, it's generally an allergic reaction to one specific protein. In many cases the horse turns out not to tolerate alfalfa well, but that isn't a given either.

Bumps can also be caused by (too much) sugar. Sugar is absorbed quickly and causes spikes in glucose levels, which can trigger an immediate release of histamine. Sugar also promotes inflammation, which can leave the body in a constant state of overload, and that can cause bumps too.

On top of that, there are plenty of other causes of mysterious bumps on your horse's body. You can of course always test whether the bumps disappear by minimising the sugar and starch levels in the feed, or by cutting alfalfa out of the diet.

For a ration that is low in sugar and starch and free from alfalfa, we recommend combining the Fibre Grass roughage mix with ViMi Care, Care Fit or Fiber Impact.

There is a strong link between gut health, nutrition and the severity of sweet itch symptoms. Many horses therefore benefit from a diet that is high in fibre, very low in sugar and starch, and somewhat higher in omega-3 fatty acids; this counteracts inflammation in the body. We also often see a sensitivity to alfalfa in horses with sweet itch, so feeding alfalfa-free can bring an improvement. Gentle herbal support for the liver and skin can help as well.

For horses with sweet itch we recommend Fibre Grass as the roughage mix, as it is alfalfa-free. It combines nicely with Care Fit, a unique herbal mix that supports the normal function of the liver, kidneys and skin. For complete feeding advice, get in touch through our free advice app!

A dull coat can have many specific causes, but it is a sign that the body isn't entirely happy on the inside. In many cases, healthy, suitable nutrition can greatly improve gut health, and with it the coat.

Want to give your horse the best possible support for his immune system, gut health and coat? Then the products below are the perfect combination:

• Fibre Grass for a variety of fibres, to support the gut flora

• Care Fit supports your horse with herbs and is fully fortified with vitamins and minerals

• OptiFlor is given as a one-off to supply the gut flora with probiotics and fatty acids. This contributes to a healthy gut environment and normal gut function.

You can also use these products during the transition from another brand to Florian, to support and guide your horse as well as possible.

Would you like feeding advice for your horse? Get in touch through our free advice app!

Yes, you can definitely support this with feed! Fundamentally, your horse will always need correct training to build the right muscles, but of course he also needs enough of the right nutrients to do so.

First of all, a horse needs enough protein, the building blocks of muscle. If your horse is currently getting low to average protein levels from his hay and pellets, you can (temporarily) add a feed that is high in protein.

Fatty acids are also great support for the muscles. Omega-3 fatty acids improve the uptake of protein and glucose into the muscle cells. Burning fatty acids in the muscles also releases less lactic acid than burning starches. That makes fatty acids a very suitable energy source for your horse.
Our fully fortified products that are high in both protein and fat are Fiber Impact and Slow Fit. Looking specifically for supplementary feed aimed at the muscles? For exactly that we have Omega Fit, ideal for supporting normal muscle development. This product also contains extra vitamin E and C, which helps clear lactic acid more effectively. The DHA fatty acids come from algae and are directly absorbable, making them more efficient than, for example, ALA fatty acids from linseed oil.

Curious which products suit your horse best? Get in touch through our free advice app!

The best feed for your horse naturally depends on a lot of factors, such as age, training, allergies and energy requirements. At Florian we work with a Mix & Match system so we can put together the ideal ration for your horse!
You can send us a message via our free advice app. Tell us about your horse's age, training, current ration, energy level and any challenges, ideally with a clear photo taken from the side, and one of our nutrition experts will help you put together the best ration for your horse!

You can also request a stable visit, and we'll come to you free of charge to put together feeding advice on location.

Giving our roughage mix might seem pointless, especially if your horse has (almost) constant access to hay. And our products aren't meant to replace it.

Instead, the roughage mixes are great for mixing in with your other concentrate feed, balancer or muesli. This has several benefits:

• Your horse suddenly has to chew his feed a lot more, so he produces more saliva than when he eats only pellets or muesli. Saliva plays an important role in keeping the stomach healthy.

• All that chewing also means your horse takes longer to finish his feed. That's especially nice if he gets less concentrate feed than other horses, so he isn't done so quickly.

• The roughage mixes contain a variety of crude fibre, which is a nice added enrichment for the gut flora.

• Concentrate feed races through the stomach and intestines, especially when pellets are fed first and hay only later. The horse then barely has time to digest and absorb the concentrate feed. With the roughage mix, the concentrate feed passes through the digestive system much more slowly, so your horse can digest the feed better.

A balancer contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids in concentrated form, without added energy. So it lets you provide your horse with his daily essentials, but a horse in active training often won't get enough out of it.

Our unique ViMi-Protein balancer is an exception. It also contains a lot of protein, making it ideal for supporting horses with a low energy requirement but a high protein requirement without concentrate feed.

Concentrate feed also supplies energy, and can be higher in specific nutrients such as protein or fat. Our concentrate feeds (Oerbrok pellets and support mixes) are also fully fortified with vitamins and minerals, so you don't need to add a balancer.

Our Oerbrok pellets are a healthy alternative to standard concentrate feed. They are larger than ordinary concentrate pellets, so your horse has to chew them more. They are also cold-pressed instead of heat-pressed. This keeps all the fibres nicely intact, which both encourages chewing and provides your horse with far more usable nutrients. Those fibres contribute to gut health and saliva production, which benefits the stomach.

Not just the fibres, but all the ingredients remain much more absorbable when cold-pressed. That means you need to feed much less to meet all your horse's needs. What's more, our Oerbrok pellets are richly fortified with vitamins and minerals, unlike a lot of standard concentrate feed, which in many cases doesn't meet the vitamin and mineral requirement.

Our support mixes are a healthy alternative to standard mueslis, which usually contain a lot of sugar and starch, aren't fortified with vitamins and minerals, and generally have to be fed in large amounts.

Our support mixes are the opposite: they provide support in a specific area (resilience, energy and/or muscle development), are very healthy, highly concentrated and fully fortified. With just a few hundred grams a day, your horse's energy and vitamin and mineral requirements are fully covered.

The support mixes also combine beautifully with our Oerbrok pellets, so you can make the most of our Mix & Match system for your horse!

Basically, you choose a balancer when your horse only needs vitamins and minerals and has no additional requirements. If your horse also needs some energy, or support for his immune system or muscle development, you'll end up with a support mix. These are also fully fortified (except for Omega Fit), but offer specific additional support on top.

The balancers:

• ViMi-Care: a basic balancer, very low in sugar and starch, ideal for horses that only need vitamins and minerals

• ViMi-Protein: a protein balancer, also very low in sugar and starch, specially for horses that need extra protein on top of vitamins and minerals. Free from alfalfa!

The support mixes:

• Slow Fit: fat-based, for calm, slow-release energy. Higher in magnesium and protein, low in sugar and starch. Also ideal for sensitive horses.

• Power Fit: provides powerful, explosive energy from carbohydrates. High in protein, vitamin E and biotin. For horses that need a lot of energy or are naturally very laid-back.

• Care Fit: a herbal mix that contributes to the normal functioning of the liver, kidneys, skin and immune system. Ideal for rations with extra focus on gut health or overall resilience. Also great for temporary use during seasonal changes or rehabilitation.

• Omega Fit: specially designed to support normal muscle development in sport horses. Very high fatty acid levels, with added algae and vitamin C & E. Omega Fit also provides long-lasting, slow-release energy from the fatty acids.

At Florian, we aim to feed horses only the nutrients they need. That's why we've removed all so-called ‘fillers’ from our products. With Florian feed, you won't be filling your horse up with kilos a day! You're only giving your horse healthy nutrition. Because the fillers are gone, the feed is much more concentrated, so you need to feed far less!

With the Mix & Match system, we can tailor nutrition precisely to your horse.

The ration always starts with enough good-quality hay and water, of course. After that, every horse needs vitamins and minerals, plus energy or other specific support if required. This is where you choose a balancer, Oerbrok pellet or support mix. All three are fully fortified. You can put together exactly what your horse needs, because the products mix really well! That makes it easy to fine-tune protein, energy (even with little sugar & starch!) and fat, but you can also add products that fit a ration focused on gut health, the immune system or muscle development. We also have special Oerbrok pellets for baroque horses such as Friesians, cold-bloods and Icelandic horses!

We always recommend mixing a roughage mix in with the products. This stimulates saliva production and helps your horse digest the other feed better. The roughage mixes also let you fine-tune protein levels. If needed, you can add a Gastro Mash when your horse needs extra support or you'd like to give him a treat.

At first glance it seems a complicated system, but once you understand the possibilities, it makes things endlessly easy! Of course, there are also horses that don't need a mix of products; they do perfectly well on a balancer, an Oerbrok pellet or a support mix!

Because the balancers, Oerbrok pellets and support mixes are all fortified, you can play with the proportions. If you add a support mix to your Oerbrok pellets, reduce the Oerbrok feeding rate slightly. Or if your horse gets too much energy from the full feeding rate of a support mix, you can reduce it and top up the vitamins and minerals with a balancer.

For tailored advice or a free stable visit, get in touch through our advice app!

The Mix & Match system is the answer if you can't fully meet your horse's needs with a single product. For example, if an Oerbrok pellet does provide the high protein levels your horse needs, but not enough long-lasting energy, you can top that up perfectly with a support mix.

If your horse gets everything he needs from one product, that's great, of course! Then you don't need to use the Mix & Match system.