“Why all the hype about Body Condition Scoring? I’ve been a horse owner for a long time now and I think my horse looks just fine!” Fine is fine, but could your horse look and feel better? Could your horse perform better and recover quicker? As horse owners we have a responsibility to provide the best care, nutrition and maintenance … Read More
The Horse Owners Survival Guide to Fly Season
Whether it’s the common house fly, deer fly, horse fly or blow fly, we can all agree that they are one of the biggest frustrations of horse ownership. Flying insects are a nuisance for sure, but more than that, they are bearers of disease. In North America alone, there are 16,000 types of flies. Some of them eat by vomiting … Read More
Hey, Where’s the Hay?
We’ve all heard the saying “forage or hay is the most important part of a horses diet”. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of forages and feeding methods that will not only keep your horse healthy, but your pocketbook happy too! As herbivores and “hindgut fermenters”, horses are designed to graze from 15 to 20hrs … Read More
Why 30% Protein?
Protein deficiencies in horses can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. The most notable outward sign of protein deficiency is muscle loss or “wasting” across the topline (back, loin and croup). Additional deficiencies may include poor development in young horses, slow growing hooves, energy deficiency and lack of appetite. Protein is essential for milk production in lactating broodmares and … Read More
What is the BEST Feed?
In recent years, feeding horses seems to have become more and more complex. I receive dozens of questions from horse owners weekly that start with “What is the BEST _____?” Feel free to fill in the blank with feed, joint supplement, digestive aid, types of forage…..you get the point. My answer is always: “depends on your definition of the BEST … Read More
Is My Horse Too Fat or Too Thin?
As an equine nutrition consultant, I see hundreds of horses each year and spend countless hours teaching the latest metrics for equine nutrition evaluation. Today we have some very exciting tools to help us understand where our horses are and where we want them to be. In addition to Body Condition Scoring*, we also have a metric for muscle development … Read More
How Old Is This Feed?
When you shop in the grocery store, do you reach to the back of the dairy section to find milk with the longest ‘best by’ date? If you’re like many of us, you probably check dates and make sure your family is getting the freshest product on the shelf. Shopping for horse feed is a little different. Manufacturers are not … Read More
Horse Show Goals
Fall has arrived! Horses are getting fuzzy, the unbearable summer humidity is in the distant past and the “Last of The Mosquitoes” has died! As Winter approaches, the Midwest show season is wrapping-up. We give thanks to friends and family who supported us along the journey and thanks to the wonderful horses who put up with the polishing, the washing and countless hours of preparation. … Read More