It's almost the middle of show season and after months of preparation, training and schooling, horses are expected to be at their best and perform unconditionally.  Many horse owners are quick (and excited!) to purchase new tack and equipment, new show clothing, take extra lessons and even switch up their feeds to get the extra edge.  However, no matter how good you…

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You are probably wondering what equine nutrition has to do with buying a new saddle.  Let me explain.... 

 

If you are anything like me I am really due for another saddle, but because of the big price tag that is usually attached to purchasing 'the right one', I knew I had to look at my budget and see the areas where I can trim back to jump-start my "saddle…

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Here are some quick and fun myths and facts to read about nutrition... enjoy!

"Bran Mashes are Good for Horses"

Research studies have proven that adding wheat bran to the diet does not have a laxative effect.  Loose stools because of a bran mash could be caused rather from digestive upset because of the high starch.  Wheat bran fed long-term can result in a higher phosphorous to calcium ratio…

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Thought you might be interested in how we keep our horses. Here's a little run down:



We live in Southern California. We have two quarter horses on our 1/2 acre property. Each horse has it's own 40' x 40' pen. Unfortunately, we do not have cover for them yet. Our climate is temperate and our rainfall averages less than 6" a year. Both my wife an I work so we clean pickup the the manure twice a week Thursdays and Sundays. It's taken to the green waste facility. We use… Continue

You are what you eat – and so is your horse. If every horse owner started with quality feed and made it a priority, there would be fewer problems with behavior, training and

overall health. Unfortunately, too many people overlook the importance

of feed - especially in Florida.

The heat is not only a factor for people; horses who live in 90 degree temperatures…

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Nutrients in Oats:

On average, oats normally contain around 12% Crude Protein, 49% NSC (non-structural…

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This week the big topic of conversation in the equestrian industry has been the FEI’s decision to allow horses to compete on small amounts of Bute and other anti-inflammatory drugs. No matter where in the world you are the new regulations are being discussed, so rather than going into detail about it here, I recommend you check out the following links if you’d like to hear about some of the latest news surrounding the FEI’s decision:



Horse & Hound Online… Continue

This is one of the most viewed posts from my blog, www.aprilreeveshorsetraining.wordpress.com



I'm adding it because so many people are asking questions about "how to feed oil to a horse". This post is by Marijke van de Water, one of the most amazing equine nutritionists I have known. Her findings are both 'results driven' and controversial. This one in particular, goes against many of the articles you read on the web,… Continue