High quality horse nutrition is a vital aspect of horse care, especially for athletes! A balanced diet provides the necessary nutrients for the horse to function properly, prevent disease, and maintain optimal health. One important aspect of horse nutrition is the inclusion of antioxidants in...
One of the most common, but often overlooked symptoms of a Nutritional Red Flag are hoof issues. Especially given how in our community it is often looked upon as “normal” for horses to have low heels, cracks and abscesses happening frequently, and horses that “have...
With spring comes warmer temperatures which allow for fresh grass to grow. For many horses, it's finally a time to be able to be turned out again on a more regular basis. But be aware, with this spring grass also comes the danger of Laminitis...
Does your horse act like the grass is greener on the other side? They might be right, but that doesn't mean it's better for them to eat it! The 12 Most Common Horse Grass Types have important nutritional differences that you should know about. Here are...
Excited about spring being around the corner? So are we! But beware, as safe as it may seem, spring grass can cause serious harm. Here are a few things you should know so you can start turning your horse out safely this spring: Not All Spring Grasses...
Meet Julia Stainback and her 18 year old gelding, Diano! Julia has owned Diano for 6 years, and he started off as her daughter's horse before becoming her AA dressage partner. Now, Julia and Diano have fought together through an amazing journey from ill health...
How much does a horse drink daily? On average, horses drink between 5-1O gallons of fresh water every day. A horse can survive 2O-25 days without food, but horses can only live 3-6 days without water. The amount of water each horse drinks each day will depend on...
Feeding beet pulp is one of the main ingredients in equine food – and for good reason! Benefits It's versatile, affordable, and has a surprising number of benefits and applications. Many people look into feeding beet pulp when their horse starts losing weight, or cold weather...
I see it all the time - people think that chronic hoof issues are just part of owning a horse. But by changing horses' nutrition, I've seen massive cracks and flares that have been there for years grow out straight and strong. Again and again! If...
The Basics Digestion means turning food into fuel. There are a number of elements EVERY horse should have in their diet. Here’s the most simple breakdown of equine nutrition out there. Forage All diets should start with forage (grasses and hays.) 1.5 to 3% of the...
One of the most common ailments horses face is the presence of ulcers. They can affect any horse at any age. Up to 9O% of racehorses and 6O% of show horses, as well as pleasure horses and foals suffer from ulcers. Some horses even suffer...
What is Vitamin B? A lot of my clients ask me about Vitamin B for their horses. They worry if their horse's needs are being met through their diet or if they need a supplement. Vitamin B is an umbrella term for many sub-types of B...
As horses age, their health and dietary needs become increasingly complex. But by staying alert for changes and being proactive, many senior horses can thrive well past their thirties. Noticing issues early on is key for feeding older horses. Signs of Aging - Weight loss and dull...
Vitamin A is probably the most important vitamin for horses as it is crucial for growth, reproduction and development of a horse. Deficiencies can cause loss of vision, disturbances in bone growth and lowered resistance to disease and infection to name a few. Not only...
Getting Outside the "Box" As a child, when I thought of having a horse farm, I imagined large fields where the horse could run and graze. No restraints, just freedom and nature...
Horses and old wives’ tales go together like bread and butter, and it can be hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Misunderstandings about how to feed your horse are not common, but not due to horse owners not caring. Some outdated ideas stubbornly persist, despite...
To scientifically determing the body condition of your horse, there a few steps that need to be completed. First you need to determine the weight of your horse to be able to monitor it in the future....
Since most of the horse's diet really consists of carbohydrates, including forages, grains and its by-products, we cannot avoid digging deeper into this to fully understand what we are dealing with. Carbohydrate is the collective term for starches, sugars and fiber in your horse’s diet....
In summer it can certainly become a challenge to keep cool. Other than purchasing portable misting fans or hiring a loin cloth-clad individual to fan your horses with palm leaves, what other strategies can be used to keep horses cool in warm weather? Small tweaks...
When the winter arrives it gets cold, rainy or snowy outside. The temperatures drop, the windchill increases, grass disappears under mud or snow and you are unable to exercise your horse as often as you were before. Therefore a number of changes will be needed...
We don't usually think about it as such, but the horse's largest organ is its skin. It may not seem like an actual organ in the usual sense of the word, but it is the primary interface between the body and the environment. The skin...
Often during the heat and humidity of summer, insects plague horses. Not all horses deal with them well and sometimes they break out in hives or scratches or even have to deal with sweet itch and hotspots. They can sometimes have severe allergic reactions to...
Distiller’s dried grains (with solubles) or DDGS, an item you will find further down the list of ingredients in many commercial horse feeds, may evoke a quaint image in your mind of a traditional brewery for beer or distillery for spirits, but unfortunately the reality...
Recently, I was visiting a boarding facility with horses of different breeds, sizes, disciplines, ages, workload etc. The manager asked me if I could help with organizing and streamlining all the different feeds boarders were using at the time they were moving in, to something...
Walking into the feed store, looking at labels on horse feed can be quite confusing, if not intimidating. It should not have to be, but it is important you have a little background information in order to make a more sound and educated decision....
Turmeric, also known as Kanchani or “Golden Goddess”, is a spice and comes from a plant in the ginger family. It is native to India where it has been used in medicine and food preparation for thousands of years. The underground stems (rhyzomes) of the...
Cooler temperatures are likely going to be welcomed by most of us, including our four legged equine friends. But with that come a couple of considerations to be made in order to transition safely into the new season....