Nutritional Articles

We’ve hit the hottest portion of the summer and we are witnessing our horses attempt to keep cool by sweating.  The process of sweating causes a decrease in core temperature through evaporative cooling at the skin surface. As high energy molecules evaporate from the...

Do I have a good diet? Dressage requires power, athleticism, concentration and obedience from the horse. The type of work required from a dressage horse could be compared to a cross between weight lifting and ballet in human terms and requires the development of...

Fats and oils are commonly used in horse feeds to increase the calorie content of the feed or to replace the calories supplied by carbohydrates.  Fat supplementation has many benefits including, providing calories for weight gain and providing essential fatty acids to...

The goal of any breeding program is to produce strong sound foals. To do this there are several factors involved including genetics, environment and nutrition. Nutrition is a critical piece of any successful breeding operation and must be considered at every level:...

We have all heard the terms: “feeling their oats”, “high”, “fizzy”, “hot” and “hyper”.  All terms used by horse owners to describe the effect that grain or certain feeds seem to have on the behavior of their horses.  Does feeding management or individual feed...

Laminitis is a painful, disabling, common and costly disease of the horse and pony with many causes; the digestive and metabolic forms are linked to equine nutrition.  Laminitis has major economic and welfare implications and can affect any member of the equine family...

The show horse is required to have excellent conformation, gait, athleticism, concentration and obedience. The appearance of the show horse needs to be impeccable, so nutritional factors affecting coat, skin, mane and tail, hoof and body condition are extremely...

Versatility would be the best way to describe horses used for eventing, the horse must possess athleticism, concentration, agility and stamina. Making sure that your event horse is getting all the nutrition they need from their diet will help to ensure they can...

What is it? Equine gastric ulcers are caused because gastric acid (hydrochloric acid secreted by parts of the stomach lining), and, to a lesser degree, the digestive enzyme pepsin, irritating the lining of the stomach, causing ulceration.  Gastric ulcers are common in...

It is not uncommon to hear of individual horses that may be in their upper 20’s or early 30’s. Why are horses living so long? Several potential reasons exist including improved internal parasite control, better nutrition, advances in veterinary care, and less...

During the winter season, temperatures typically fall below that necessary for pasture grass to grow. Pastures become rapidly depleted of natural forage and horses must increasingly rely on their owners to provide them with a nutritionally adequate diet. To properly...