Feed & Nutrition

Social Stress Plays a Role in Equine Digestive Upset

Updated:

October 28, 2016

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Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany studied possible causes of the formation of fecal liquid in otherwise healthy horses. Fecal liquid (or fecal water, as the researchers denote it) is not diarrhea. Instead, horses afflicted with this condition have normally formed fecal balls, followed by excretion of water from the anus. Not only does this soil the tail and legs, but the excretion causes skin irritation and lesions. Fecal liquid production is not only unpleasant; it also deprives the horse of important minerals and electrolytes.

A New Take on Hoof Care

Updated:

October 17, 2016

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Anyone out there remember the typewriter? You know, that noisy mechanical gadget that slowly tapped out letters on a piece of paper. This relic of communication technology was really a remarkable invention, but hands-up everyone who is glad we don’t have to use it anymore!

Equine Supplement Solutions

Updated:

September 14, 2016

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The world of equine oral supplements can be intimidating for the average horse owner. With so many different products containing so many different ingredients intended to target so many different problems (and at so many different price points), how does one decide?

Added Fat Improves Horse Behaviour

Updated:

July 15, 2016

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By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. - Diet affects behaviour. This makes sense. A well-fed horse is healthy. And a healthy horse feels good. Conversely, a poorly-nourished horse is suffering. A variation in hormone levels, for example, can have a temporary effect on how the horse sees the world. Just as reaction to sugar intake varies in humans, so it does in horses. Horses may feel ill or “off” from an overindulgence in sugar/starch, and they certainly have been reported to exhibit “sugar highs and lows” caused by the sudden surge and subsequent drop in blood glucose from a high carbohydrate (sugar/ starch) meal.

Reconditioning Your Horse After Winter

Updated:

April 1, 2016

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As we welcome the transition from winter to spring, we are eager to get back in the saddle and start riding regularly again. Canadian winters are not sympathetic to outdoor riding, and without access to indoor facilities many horse owners have not been able to ride or exercise their horses as much as they would like during the winter months. Bringing horses back into work after their winter vacation must be done gradually by starting at a lower level and increasing the duration and intensity of workouts. At the same time, the horse’s feed should be adjusted to address his present body condition (too thin or too fat) as well as nutrient requirements for the increased workload.

How to Safely Transition Feed in Your Horse’s Diet

Updated:

March 17, 2016

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When transitioning your horse to new feedstuff – either to a new batch of hay, new pasture or new concentrates – you need to do so slowly to give bacteria in the horse’s digestive tract a chance to adapt to the new feed.Bacterial populations change according to what the horse is eating, and time is required for different bacterial species to colonize the horse’s digestive tract in this new environment. If there is not enough time for the population to adapt, it can cause digestive disturbances, which can lead to colic.

The Effect of Diet on Equine Stereotypic Behaviours

Updated:

March 2, 2016

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Cribbing is a compulsive behaviour or stereotypy that is bothersome to many horse owners because of the damage it may cause to both the horse and the farm itself. While cribbing, the horse places his upper incisors on the surface of the object, flexes his neck, pulling against the object, and sucking in air. There are many beliefs as to why horses begin and continue to crib. Most believe that horses crib in response to boredom or frustration. Others feel these stereotypies are learned behaviours. While there is evidence of a heritable component to cribbing, studies have shown that very few cases are a result of watching other horses perform these behaviours. A decrease in gastric pH has also been shown to increase the frequency of cribbing in horses.

Spirulina for Horses

Updated:

January 29, 2016

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A Mighty Immune Modifier - A few billion years ago there were stirrings in the womb of a brand new planet. Earth was coming of age and producing her very first life forms. It is almost impossible to imagine how scientists learned of Earth’s microscopic firstborn, but somehow under the dust and rock of more than 3.6 billion years, the ancient little graves of Spirulina were uncovered.

The Lowdown on Fat Supplementation for Horses

Updated:

January 6, 2016

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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 improve skin and coat condition. Feeding fat has also been reported to decrease excitability in nervous horses.

The Challenges of Chronic Weight Loss

Updated:

April 10, 2015

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Equine weight loss is simply a result of more calories being used by the body than are being consumed. There are several potential causes of chronic weight loss in horses. These causes include poor quality or limited feed supply, health and disease problems, as well as social interaction and competition among horses. Chronic equine weight loss can also be the result of starvation. Equine starvation can be caused by intentional neglect, ignorance, economic hardship of owner, disease, dentition, pecking order, parasites, or seasonal variation in availability of pasture. Remarkably, horses can survive chronic weight loss.