All Blog Posts (4,786)

Protein Requirements in Horses

Defining Protein

Protein is one of 6 nutrient classes that horses have a requirement for. It is a major component of body tissues. Along with being a core component of tissues, proteins are also heavily involved in enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.…

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Added by Madeline Boast on December 23, 2022 at 6:00am — No Comments

Soaking Hay to Reduce NSC Content in Forage

Soaking hay is a popular topic in equine nutrition. There are many reasons a horse owner may choose to soak their horse’s hay. Some examples include laminitis, poor dentition, digestion concerns, metabolic disorders, as well as respiratory problems. Today’s blog post will discuss what the research tells us about soaking hay to reduce non-structural carbohydrate (NSC)…

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Added by Madeline Boast on December 13, 2022 at 10:04am — No Comments

What is a Balanced Diet?

What is a balanced diet?

To have a balanced diet means that all the animal’s nutrient requirements are being met in the correct proportions. There are 6 key nutrient classes that must be…

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Added by Madeline Boast on December 1, 2022 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Foal Hair Waves

By looking at whorls we can have a clue about temperament from the time of birth.

There are limitations. One of those is the distortion of the whorl caused by the foal hair coat.

Foal coats do all sorts of interesting things. From…

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Added by Noche Miller on November 21, 2022 at 12:55pm — No Comments

The Importance of an On-Farm Nutritionist

Keeping a horse in optimal condition is a team effort. A veterinarian, farrier, nutritionist, and trainer all play an important role in the horse’s well-being. Many horse owners use the expertise of a nutritionist to not only ensure that their horse is not deficient in any nutrients but to also improve the ration. This can resolve issues such as delicate hooves, over-conditioning, inappetence etc.

Having…

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Added by Madeline Boast on November 20, 2022 at 11:21am — No Comments

Equine Body Condition Score Misconceptions

This week’s blog is a little bit different than normal. Instead of a broad nutrition topic, we are diving into a recent publication from the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, A survey: Horse show judges’ perceptions on equine adiposity. The objective of this study was to survey judges’ views on the level of adiposity in horses and ponies in various competition types as well as track their ability to distinguish different levels of…

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Added by Madeline Boast on November 20, 2022 at 11:08am — No Comments

The Epidemic of Equine Obesity

Obesity is defined as the accumulation of excess fat tissue on the body and is a prevalent issue in the equine industry. Obesity in companion animals, including horses, has been on the rise. Horses have a unique relationship with humans as they are companion animals, sport animals and working animals.…

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Added by Madeline Boast on November 20, 2022 at 11:03am — No Comments

Hay Nets vs. Slow Feeders

Horses have evolved to graze for upwards of 16-18 hours per day. Unfortunately, modern management tends to revolve around meal feeding. There is a significant amount of research on how encouraging slow feeding improves equine welfare. This is typically done with a hay net or slow feeder. This article will summarize the research on hay nets and slow feeders as well as discuss the best option.…

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Added by Madeline Boast on November 20, 2022 at 11:00am — No Comments

The Importance of a Hay Analysis

Quality of hay varies greatly, even from the same field year to year. When purchasing or harvesting your own hay, the only way to know the nutrient content is with a lab analysis. With all the time and money that goes into feeding our horses, why not know exactly what you’re feeding!!…

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Added by Madeline Boast on November 20, 2022 at 10:59am — No Comments

Why Forage First?

Forage first is generally considered to be one of the “golden rules” of horses, so why is it so commonly ignored or disregarded? Ensuring your horse is getting adequate forage can make a huge difference in many aspects of their health.

Horses are herbivores with hindgut…

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Added by Madeline Boast on November 20, 2022 at 10:30am — No Comments

Differences Between Hay Cuts

Is second cut hay always too rich ponies and maintenance horses?

This is a commonly used rule by many horse owners when trying to choose a forage to buy, and there is some truth to the rule, but it isn’t always true. There are many factors that play a large role in the nutritional value of the hay. The more mature the grass the lower the…

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Added by Madeline Boast on November 20, 2022 at 10:30am — No Comments

A Smoother Sitting Trot

A Smoother Sitting Trot

Monday it was hot and humid. I did wear my technical fabric tights, shirt and socks, but I should have worn my ice vest instead of my protective vest. I only walked but I ended up hot and sweaty, and I felt exhausted before the end of my placid ride.

MJ was stiff since he had been in a St. Jude's…

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Added by Jackie Cochran on November 12, 2022 at 2:08pm — No Comments

One Reason Why I Use the Double Bridle

One Reason Why I Use the Double Bridle

The weather down here has been wonderful for riding, the worst I had to deal with was a minute or two of a sort of serious sprinkle but the rest of my rides were rain free.

When I got to the stable Monday morning it was a lot more crowded than usual. They had gone to a show on Sunday…

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Added by Jackie Cochran on November 5, 2022 at 1:16pm — 1 Comment

One Link

One Link

Monday morning it was cool and misting, so of course I went to ride. A little mist is not going to keep me out of the saddle. Luckily the mist tapered off and I did not have to ride in the rain like I feared would happen.

I got my upper body warmed up by currying and brushing MJ's body and legs. He was pretty quiet…

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Added by Jackie Cochran on October 29, 2022 at 11:12am — No Comments

The Oakley Diaries 52 - Back in the Saddle

After almost a year, my hip is good enough to swing over the cantle again. Likely, I'll have this soreness for the rest of my life, but at least physio has  got me back into the saddle.

For the better part of the year, I've been doing once, and sometimes twice, a week ground work. That is, as I've said before, something that most riders never learn, but I think it is far more important than most people ever grasp. Groundwork is not just running a horse around in circles, but there are…

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Added by B. G. Hearns on October 29, 2022 at 9:01am — 1 Comment

The Curb Bit Extends MJ's Strides

The Curb Bit Extends MJ's Strides

My homework ride on Monday did not bring any excitement just walking around the ring, but at my age and with my MS I really do not want any exciting rides any more. MJ stopped complaining about missing his day off, he strode on with no difficulties, and I got to admire a boarder's horse in the ring, a black ASB gelding.…

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Added by Jackie Cochran on October 22, 2022 at 2:55pm — No Comments

The Baby Bump

Horses are born with the whorls that they will have for life. That can give us a good clue about temperament from birth.
Head shape can get a little more complicated.…
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Added by Noche Miller on October 17, 2022 at 11:38am — No Comments

From Toes to Heels

From Toes to Heels

I had an exciting week. I got a homework ride in! Yeah, the ride itself, 30 minutes at a walk on a horse “saying”--”this should be a day off for me”--isn't that exciting, it is that for the first time in months I got to ride twice a week! Hurrah!!!!! I also discovered that if I did some more grooming—curry comb and dandy brush, that my back did not hurt between my shoulders…

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Added by Jackie Cochran on October 15, 2022 at 12:06pm — No Comments

The Shredded Collar

According to superstition large wheat whorls, sometimes called a shredded collar, down the base of the neck are bad luck. Especially when combined with double whorls. The ultimate bad luck whorls.
There is seldom any more description of the whorls than that. A whorl like a wheat sheaf down the base of the neck. Although I think I’ve heard it…
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Added by Noche Miller on October 10, 2022 at 11:30am — No Comments

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