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.…

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)…

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…

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…

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.…

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.…

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!!…

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…

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…