Feeding Before the Endurance Ride

Equinews.com - Full Article

By Dr. Peter Huntington · May 17, 2012

Information concerning feeding endurance horses is easily available and widespread. How to feed horses in endurance training and how to manage them after a competition is fairly well documented. But what happens before the ride itself, and how can this influence your horse’s performance?

There are some pretty significant changes in routine for a horse at ride base including the toll of the truck ride to get there, the lack of free grazing, being confined to a small paddock, the excitement and stress of all the other strange horses, people, and trucks, and the general hustle and bustle of a busy ride base. All of these things can impact your horse’s appetite, thirst, frame of mind, digestive health, and ultimately the horse’s performance in the ride.

In order to understand the best way to manage the horse before the ride, we must analyze any possible problems we might encounter and how we would deal with them if they arose as well as the basic plan of when to feed, what to feed, and how to feed.

Arriving at Ride Base: Management Before Start Time

You are probably tired from an early start and a long drive, and you can be sure that your horse is likely just as tired if not more from having to stand and balance constantly in the back of the trailer for the trip. If he is a nervous type of horse or a relatively new horse to endurance, he may have become stressed with the anticipation of arriving somewhere new and not knowing what to expect. If he is a seasoned endurance horse, he still may have become excited and arrive in a lather of anticipatory sweat...

read more here:
http://equinews.com/article/feeding-endurance-ride

Time of Feeding Before Competition

Equinews.com - Full Article

By Dr. Joe Pagan · February 24, 2012

One of the most frequently asked questions regarding feeding performance horses is when to feed before a competition.

To answer this, three experiments were conducted by Kentucky Equine Research (KER) to evaluate if feeding hay with and without grain affects glycemic response and hematological responses in Thoroughbred horses at rest and during a simulated competition exercise test (CET) on a high-speed treadmill. The first experiment evaluated how feeding forage along with grain influences plasma variables and water intake. The second experiment was conducted to determine whether these changes affect exercise performance. The third experiment was performed to determine how forage alone affects exercise response.

Feeding hay either before or with grain significantly reduced the glycemic response of the grain meal. Insulin production post feeding was also reduced. In addition, when hay was fed, total plasma protein (TP) became significantly elevated within one hour. Interestingly, feeding only grain resulted in essentially no change in TP, even though the level of grain intake was the same that elicited a large change when hay alone was fed. Water intake was significantly influenced by time of hay feeding...

Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/time-feeding-competition

Imprinting: The Great Debate

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Christy Corp-Minamiji, DVM
February 01 2012, Article # 19486

Horse ownership and parenting share a number of parallels. Everyone is happy for you, and everyone has advice. Articles, research, and anecdotes abound, and often they all seem to contradict. At no point does owning a horse feel more like parenting a child than after the birth of a foal.

Fortunately, owners of a new foal rarely have to consider nursing vs. formula, and the diaper debate is moot. However, when it comes to education (training), horse owners face as many conflicting viewpoints as new parents. Questions arise around the handling of the new foal: How much? How soon? Will handling the foal disrupt the bond with the mare or delay nursing? Will it make for a more tractable foal? What about imprint training?

The First Few Hours: Foal Brain and Needs

In The Lion King the hyenas gnaw happily on the haunch of a zebra. Zebras, antelope, cattle, and, yes, horses are prey animals. Their place in the circle of life is just above the grass. But unlike horned antelope and cattle, horses don't have much in the way of weapons. While the impact of a well-placed hoof can be significant, those hooves are better designed for gaining traction in flight than they are for fighting...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19486

Possibility of Gluten Sensitivity in Horses Examined

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Casie Bazay, BS, NBCAAM
May 09 2012, Article # 19990


While the exact cause of inflammatory small bowel disease (ISBD) in horses remains unknown, a group of Dutch researchers suspect that gluten intolerance could be a contributing factor of the disease. They recently tested their hypothesis and found that gluten sensitivity in horses is a possibility.

Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grains. Inflammatory small bowel disease is a condition that results in malabsorption and maldigestion of feed. Common clinical signs include poor body condition, weight loss or failure to gain weight; decreased appetite, increased gastrointestinal motility, a history of mild recurrent colic, and occasionally, diarrhea.

"Concentrates designated for use in sport horses ... are containing an increased amount of (gluten-rich) wheat ... as we learned from representatives of the feed industry," noted Han Van der Kolk, PhD, DVM, a faculty member in the Department of Equine Sciences at Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, located in The Netherlands.

In their study, the researchers compared blood work from three groups of horses...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19990

Hoof Boot Inventions - Can the Past Help Us Invent the Future?

Easycare Blog - Full Article

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 by Garrett Ford

On July 31, 1790 Samuel Hopkins was issued the first patent for a process of making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer. The patent was signed by President George Washington. Hopkins was born in Vermont, but was living in Philadelphia, PA when the patent was granted.

The first patent, as well as the more than 6 million patents issued since then, can be seen on the Department of Commerce's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website at www.uspto.gov. The original document is in the collections of the Chicago Historical Society.

Hoof boots and hoof protection have been a popular subject with inventors from the United States and around the world since the early 1800's. In these early years horses were used for transportion, farm work and hauling heavy loads. People depended on their horses and protecting their horses feet was a necesity. The US Patent Office database is clouded with artwork and ideas from these early years. Clever strap on horse boots and shoes of all different types are found by the hundreds. These early inventors had some ingenious ideas for hoof protection and many of the sketches found in the database still have merit today...

Read more here:
http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/hoof-boot-news/hoof-boot-inventions-can-the-past-help-us-invent-the-future

Thyroid Glands in Horses

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Les Sellnow
July 01 1999, Article # 352

A properly functioning thyroid gland is highly important to a horse's good health. That much is easy. From there it gets more difficult and complex. Knowing when the thyroid gland is in a state of dysfunction is not easy to determine.

The problem or issue before the house, at least one researcher believes, is that the thyroid gland, in a number of instances, might be innocent of any wrongdoing and that some treatment protocols are creating problems they are seeking to remedy. That researcher is Nathaniel T. Messer IV, DVM, of the University of Missouri in Columbia. At the December, 1998, AAEP meeting in Baltimore, Messer, who conducted a good deal of research on the thyroid gland, also presented a paper that detailed the results of a study at two central Kentucky Thoroughbred farms involving low hormone levels in mares and foals.

Messer summarized the complexity of the thyroid debate with this opening statement in his presentation at Baltimore:

"There is a wide spectrum of equine clinicians with varying beliefs about thyroid disease, ranging from those who believe thyroid disease is common and often diagnose it in horses who are infertile, have laminitis, or race poorly, to those who do not even believe it exists.

"In adult horses, thyroid dysfunction is generally felt to be uncommon, and while it has been associated with a variety of clinical signs, a definitive diagnosis is often difficult. One of the reasons for this is that many endogenous and exogenous factors can affect thyroid function and sometimes test results. Serum levels of thyroid hormones vary over a wide range, and low baseline levels may be misleading, which may result in many euthyroid (normal) horses being diagnosed as hypothyroid...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=352

Effects of Food Deprivation on Horses' Cardiac Function

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Casie Bazay, BS, NBCAAM
May 04 2012, Article # 19969

A group of researchers recently evaluated how food deprivation affects a horse's autonomic nervous system and found that it slows the animals' heart rates, a conclusion opposite of the team's original hypothesis.

"We were interested in assessing ... whether fasting might reduce parasympathetic tone, (and in turn increase heart rate)," relayed James Jones, PhD, DVM, a professor of surgical and radiological sciences at the University of California, Davis. "We were concerned that fasting might result in an increased heart rate and also lead to gut stasis that can predispose a horse to colic."

The horse's autonomic nervous system (ANS), which controls a number of bodily functions, includes two subsystems that control cardiac function and digestion:

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which increases heart rate while inhibiting digestion; and The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which generally slows heart rate and enhances digestion. At rest, healthy horses have a high resting parasympathetic tone, meaning their PNS dominates their SNS, resulting in a slower heart rate...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19969

Hives in Horses: Symptoms and Treatment

by: A.C. Asbury, DVM
September 01 1998, Article # 539


Q: I noticed the other day that my Appaloosa gelding had hair standing up and welts on his skin. A friend suggested that he might have hives. What can you tell me about hives on horses? What kind of treatment should he have?


A: The welts or wheals that you have noticed on your horse are indeed indicative of the skin condition known as hives. The condition's proper name is urticaria, and it is characterized by these bumps, which are really localized edemas or swellings in multiple sites. The swellings result when the capillaries beneath the skin leak a clear fluid from the blood into the tissue spaces below the skin's surface.

This condition in horses is similar to hives in humans. Most cases are allergic in origin, and there are many different causes of the allergic reaction. Hives can be caused by reactions to drugs, especially to antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Other causes include allergies to food, reactions to topical drugs or ointments placed on the skin, and seasonal reactions to pollen and molds in the environment. Occasionally hives are secondary to digestive disturbances.

The welts that you have noticed occur most often on the neck and shoulder, but occasionally they can be found all over the body, including the legs. Most cases of hives are mild, but it is possible to develop a more acute case and the swellings can converge, forming a larger area. If the situation should progress to this point, it can present a difficulty, especially if the swelling impairs the horse's ability to breathe.

Another symptom of hives is itching. You may or may not have noticed your horse rubbing various areas of his body on the fence or the barn or any other surface that will provide him some relief. The intensity of the itching will vary, from mild annoyance to severe scratching at any risk. If the itching should reach the latter stage, the attempts to relieve the itching could result in injury...

Read more here:

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=539

Feeding Management of Athletic Horses in Stressful Conditions

Equinews.com - Full Article

By Dr. Joe Pagan · March 1, 2012

Most performance horses train and compete under a variety of stressful conditions that adversely affect health and performance. Feeding management is of critical importance to reduce many of these problems. Additionally, pre-competition feeding can significantly affect performance. Feeding management affects a number of different aspects of equine health and performance including gastrointestinal function, hydration, electrolyte status, and substrate selection during exercise. This article will review these key areas of performance horse nutrition and give practical recommendations about how to feed horses under stressful conditions.

Horses have evolved over millions of years as grazers, with specialized digestive tracts adapted to digest and utilize diets containing high levels of plant fiber. They are capable of processing large quantities of forage to meet their nutrient demands. In an attempt to maximize growth or productivity, horses are often fed diets which also contain high levels of grains and supplements. Unfortunately, this type of grain supplementation often overshadows the significant contribution that forages make in satisfying the horse’s nutrient demands.

Horses are classified anatomically as nonruminant herbivores or hindgut fermenters. The large intestine of the horse holds about 80 to 90 liters (21 to 24 gallons) of liquid and houses billions of bacteria and protozoa that produce enzymes which ferment plant fiber...

Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/feeding-management-athletic-horses-stressful-conditions

Lush Grass: Good or Bad?

Equinews.com - Full Article

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · March 6, 2012

Horse owners and farm managers frequently use the word “lush” to describe the state of pasture forage as it begins to grow rapidly in the spring. Just exactly what does “lush” mean? Is this new grass good for horses, or dangerous for them to graze?

In defining “lush,” the dictionary uses words like “growing vigorously; lavishly productive; thriving; plentiful; delicious; savory.” Lush pasture, then, is a grazing area with plenty of abundant green forage that tempts horses to graze enthusiastically for hours on end.

Lush new spring grass, mature summer grass, and dried autumn grass contain the same basic ingredients--water, vitamins, minerals, protein, starch, and structural fiber among other things—but the proportions of these ingredients are far different depending on season. Spring grass grows very rapidly, containing a large proportion (up to 80% or more) of water. This grass is generally soft and easy to chew because the amount of indigestible fiber is less than in mature grass.

Because there is so much liquid in new spring grass, all the other components are found in lower proportions compared to mature grass, so the horse gets less starch per mouthful of grass than when grazing in the summer. However, because this soft grass is so palatable, horses tend to ingest a larger overall volume of forage, so their intake of all nutrients may actually be fairly similar in spring, summer, and early fall.

Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/lush-grass-good-or-bad

Equine Ulcers ... For Life?

by: Janice L. Holland, PhD, PAS
February 01 2011, Article # 17751

Thehorse.com - Full Article

There's no cure-all for equine gastric ulcer syndrome, but proper management and prevention methods can help your horse remain ulcer-free .

What could the following three situations all have in common?

You return home from a horse show after a disappointing weekend. Your elite performance horse, usually high in the ribbons, did not place well. He occasionally looks at his sides and appears uncomfortable. You have a young, excitable filly that was recently weaned. A normally robust and outgoing foal, she is now standing in her stall, uninterested in either interacting with humans or eating her grain. Your mature gelding that lives on lush pasture recently went through a mild bout of laminitis. He's always been a stoic fellow and rarely shows when he's in pain. Now, his hair coat is dull, and he seems to be "depressed." What might be surprising to some is that while these clinical signs could point to a number of problems, all three of these horses could be diagnosed with the same condition: equine gastric ulcer syndrome.

History and Signs

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome includes not only ulcers found within the stomach (usually in the esophageal region, or upper portion), but also ulcers found at the duodenal part of the small intestine, which is the portion closest to the stomach. Ulcers occur when the pH of these gastrointestinal tract areas becomes too acidic, and cells of the lining are damaged. The primary acid of digestion in the stomach, hydrochloric acid, is produced and released continuously into the stomach of the horse, unlike in humans, where it is produced only when food is present. Horses produce almost 1.5 liters/hour of this acid because they have evolved as continuous eaters, or grazers...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=17751

Soaking Hay: How Effective Is it at Lowering Carbohydrates?

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By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 3, 2012

If your horse needs a low-carbohydrate diet, you can reduce the sugar concentration in hay by soaking it in water prior to feeding. While this has nearly become common knowledge, there is a lot of confusion about the best procedure to follow. How long do you soak the hay? In hot water or cold? By the half-bale or the fluffed-up flake? How much sugar is actually lost? And do all types of hay respond the same way to soaking? A study in England revealed some answers.

Nine types of hay were used in the study, and widely varying results were found between the types. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) including fructans, glucose, fructose, and sucrose can be dissolved by soaking in either hot or cold water, though they dissolve more quickly in hot water. This study used cold water for periods of 20 minutes, 40 minutes, three hours, or 16 hours...

Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/soaking-hay-how-effective-it-lowering-carbohydrates

Starting the Endurance Horse Prospect - Part 1

Hought.com - Full Article

by Eric Hought

The commonly accepted practice of starting the purebred or part Arab endurance horse prospect at ages 4-6 years is one for debate. The main concern: are the legs properly developed to support a rider’s weight.

Much can be done with the young horse at 2-3 years of age as long as the rider uses common sense and safe practices. Groundwork is very important. There are many methods available from today’s clinicians, so select an approach from one whose methods best fit your preferred style of preparing the horse.

No harm will be done through groundwork, saddling, ponying and standing tied to “soak” for a couple of hours. It goes without saying the facility must be safe for a horse standing tied before and after a ride. The use of leg protection is the rider’s option. The girth should be pulled only as snug as needed so the saddle will not turn while the horse is tied and moving around.

Why stand tied? The horse learns patience and to wait for the leader. I saddle and stand my young horses for up to 2 hours per day for at least 4-5 days per week. Look for the horse to demonstrate that this practice has become “just what we do.” This is a valuable routine he will experience for the remainder of his life. He may not be tied as long at home, but there will be times in the future in unfamiliar settings where having learned this patience will help him manage the situations and time factors.

This is how I start 2 year olds. I give each horse my total focus and commitment. Typically, I saddle and stand him a couple of hours before I ride. I will usually do this before each ride for about 3-4 months. By the 3rd month of riding, standing saddled for an hour is fine.

I ride at the walk with some trotting for 60-90 days. During this time, I focus on foot, face and body control. When I am riding in an arena, I time each ride for exactly 15 minutes. The short time factor keeps the horse’s mind working and avoids boredom for both horse and rider. I am fortunate to have access to riding areas outside the arena on dirt roads, single track trails, hills, uneven ground, walkovers and water crossings. These rides are about 1-1 1/2 hours. I am careful not to do any sustained trotting on any unprepared surface because it takes time and miles to begin to develop leg fitness. This is by far the best setting for starting young horses. Of course I do not just sit like a sack of potatoes. I work on foot, face and body control. Leg and body development are occurring simultaneously while keeping the rider’s and horse’s minds working...

Read more here:
http://www.hought.com/hp.start-end-horse-part1.html

Researcher Evaluates Bit, Rein Interaction with Equine Mouth

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Christa Lesté-Lasserre
April 13 2012, Article # 19877

Having a better understanding about the mechanics of riders' hands' interactions with the horse's head can improve your horse's performance, comfort, and well-being, noted one researcher at a recent equitation science conference. Hilary M. Clayton, BVMS, PhD, Dipl. ACVSMR, MRCVS, Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University, explained that bits, nosebands, and headpieces all exert pressure on horses when we place pressure on the reins, which can vary considerably.

But new biomechanical findings in equitation science can help riders make more informed decisions about equipment use and also dispel certain myths about bridles, bits, and reins.

According to Clayton, soft tissues such as the tongue, for example, are better suited to handling pressure than hard tissues like the nose bone and the palate (the roof of the horse's mouth). "The horse's tongue can be very sensitive but it can also withstand a lot of different kinds of pressure," she said during her plenary lecture at the 2011 International Society for Equitation Science Conference, held Oct. 26-29 in Hooge Mierde, The Netherlands.

"From my point of view, I would be a lot more concerned about pressure directly on the hard tissues (and) the bones, rather than the soft tissues which have a lot more ability to absorb the forces," she said.

Using radiographs (X rays) and fluoroscopy (real-time radiography) of a horse's head while wearing a bridle and bit, Clayton evaluated the position of the bit in a horse's mouth with and without tension applied to the reins...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19877

Round Bale Feeder Design Affects Hay Waste and Economics

Equinews.com - Full Article

By Dr. Kathleen Crandell · February 13, 2012


Using round-baled hay is attractive to horse owners because this forage form is less labor-intensive, more convenient, and less expensive than feeding hay in square bales. Some of the drawbacks are excessive hay waste, overconsumption, and weight gain among horses. Several round-bale feeders have been designed to address some of the drawbacks, especially wastage of hay, but to date there have not been any published comparisons.

Researchers in Minnesota conducted an experiment that would measure hay wastage from nine round-bale feeders of differing designs as well as the economics of how long it would take before the feeder would pay for itself in savings related to less wasted hay.

Twenty-five mature Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred mares and geldings with free-choice access to water and a trace-mineralized salt block were fed orchardgrass round bales in nine different commercial round-bale feeders. To test the feeders, the horses were divided into groups of five and then exposed to one of nine different round-bale feeders, or the control of no feeder, for four days. When the horses were switched to a different feeder, they received a new round bale. During the time each group was housed with the hay in the feeder, all the hay on the ground was collected daily, and at the end of four days all the hay left in the feeder was dried and weighed...

Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/round-bale-feeder-design-affects-hay-waste-and-economics

More Debate on Beet Pulp: Is it Toxic?

Equineink.com - Full Article

December 13 2009
Posted by Liz Goldsmith

I like it when people comment on my posts. Sometimes they agree; others have challenged what I’ve found and caused me to do more research. A question from a reader prompted me to look into whether feeding whole flax seed was indeed a good idea and resulted in, Update on Feeding Flax Seed.

So, when I received this comment on Beet Pulp: Fact & Fiction, I thought it deserved to be answered.

I felt I had to add a post because I do not agree with it. First of all I and my family have been breeding, racing and competing horses for generations. I would never recommend or use beet pulp one of the reasons why is because of the process it goes through. When seperating (sic) the sugar from the pulp chemicals and bleaches are used ie. it is the whitening process, and the left over scrap is the pulp. I love my horses and I would never feed them this. I give my horses natural products that are not GM and no chemicals thank you. Alfalfa pellets/bales, Carob, Hay, and fruit treats are a great way to feed your horses naturally! There is also very little nutritional value in Beet and it is only a filler. If you cannot afford to buy the right natural products for your horse then you should not have a horse. I have never had a problem with any of my horses, and they also keep their teeth to a good old age.

I’ve seen some of this before . . . especially the “just a filler” argument. To be honest, I’d never thought about whether processing the beet pulp left a chemical residue. So, I started to do some research. I think I found where this person got their information.

In my search I came across another condemnation of beet pulp from Lorrie Bracaloni. Readers might remember that I recently reviewed her DVD and Workbook “How to Identify and Release your Horse’s Pain Points.” Her article is entitled, Is Beet Pulp Toxic to Horses? The Real Story. In it, she re-iterates the issue about pesticides but adds some additional claims that make beet pulp look like the absolute worst feed possible...

Read more here:
http://equineink.com/2009/12/13/more-debate-on-beet-pulp/

Equine Ulcers...For Life?

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Janice L. Holland, PhD, PAS
February 01 2011, Article # 17751

There's no cure-all for equine gastric ulcer syndrome, but proper management and prevention methods can help your horse remain ulcer-free .
What could the following three situations all have in common?

You return home from a horse show after a disappointing weekend. Your elite performance horse, usually high in the ribbons, did not place well. He occasionally looks at his sides and appears uncomfortable.
You have a young, excitable filly that was recently weaned. A normally robust and outgoing foal, she is now standing in her stall, uninterested in either interacting with humans or eating her grain.
Your mature gelding that lives on lush pasture recently went through a mild bout of laminitis. He's always been a stoic fellow and rarely shows when he's in pain. Now, his hair coat is dull, and he seems to be "depressed."
What might be surprising to some is that while these clinical signs could point to a number of problems, all three of these horses could be diagnosed with the same condition: equine gastric ulcer syndrome.

History and Signs

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome includes not only ulcers found within the stomach (usually in the esophageal region, or upper portion), but also ulcers found at the duodenal part of the small intestine, which is the portion closest to the stomach. Ulcers occur when the pH of these gastrointestinal tract areas becomes too acidic, and cells of the lining are damaged. The primary acid of digestion in the stomach, hydrochloric acid, is produced and released continuously into the stomach of the horse, unlike in humans, where it is produced only when food is present. Horses produce almost 1.5 liters/hour of this acid because they have evolved as continuous eaters, or grazers...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=17751

Feeding Beet Pulp

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Karen Briggs
May 01 1999, Article # 314

Q: I've been told I should feed beet pulp to help put weight on my skinny Thoroughbred. But I'm worried about the stories I've heard about beet pulp expanding in the horse's stomach and causing colic -- or worse! Is beet pulp a good addition to my horse's diet, and if so, how can I feed it safely?

A: Beet pulp is the fibrous material left over after the sugar is extracted from sugar beets. It's an excellent source of digestible fiber, with a relatively low crude protein content (averaging 8 to 10%), comparable to good-quality grass hay. Its digestible energy is somewhere between that of hay and grain. In terms of other nutrients, it's not a stand-out--it has a relatively high calcium content and very little phosphorus, is low in B vitamins, and has virtually no beta-carotene (the precursor of vitamin A) or vitamin D. Its chief value is as a soft, easily digestible supplement to your horse's roughage (fiber) intake, and as such it's a useful addition to the diet of many types of horses.

Consider feeding beet pulp if your horse is a "hard keeper" (it's very good for encouraging weight gain), if he has dental problems that make chewing hay difficult, if the quality of your hay is poor, or if you have a geriatric horse who has trouble chewing or digesting other types of forage. It can be fed in addition to, or instead of, hay. Beet pulp's excellent digestibility also makes it a great choice for a convalescing horse--one recovering from illness or surgery, for example. It even can be fed warm in the winter months, just like a bran mash (and nutritionally, it's a better choice than bran)...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=314

Equine Electrolyte Use and Gastric Emptying (AAEP 2011)

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Nancy S. Loving, DVM
March 15 2012, Article # 19740

A horse’s prolonged sweating during athletic activity or travel means a need for fluid and electrolyte replacement, and horse owners commonly turn to electrolyte products for this purpose. A team of equine researchers examined one electrolyte supplement’s (ES) effect on fluid replacement and performance, and Michael Lindinger, PhD, associate professor at the University of Guelph, presented the results at the 2011 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Nov. 18-22 in San Antonio, Texas,

Dehydration significantly impacts the cardiovascular system, exercise performance, and recovery, as well as affecting thermoregulation (the horse’s ability to cool its body during exercise). Dehydration also affects mental acuity. Thus, effectively replacing fluids lost through sweating is of utmost importance in maintaining peak levels of health and performance. Lindinger pointed out that horse sweat contains significant concentrations of ions, such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium and these are sustained during exercise...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19740

Does Your Horse Really Need A Low-Starch Diet?

Equinews.com - Full Article

By Dr. Kathleen Crandell · May 4, 2011

Horses derive dietary energy from a multitude of sources. A combination of fiber, starch, and fat is generally the best way to fuel performance, whether it is in the breeding shed, on the trail, or in the show ring. Over the last several years, the market has become flooded with low-starch feeds, and horse owners are responding by purchasing more and more.


Yet, low-starch feeds are not appropriate for every horse. Certain groups of horses require starch for optimal performance—growing youngsters and many equine athletes, for example. What lies behind the current low-starch craze?

What is starch?

Starch is a long, complex chain of sugar molecules. Within the plant, it represents the energy storehouse and is found in particularly high levels in grains. Starches are considered nonstructural carbohydrates because they are found within the cell wall. Fiber, on the other hand, is considered a structural carbohydrate because it lends support to the plant.

During digestion starch is broken down by enzymes into minute sugar molecules so that it can be readily absorbed. At this point, starch and sugar in the diet are handled similarly. Sugar in the diet can come from the cell contents in grass, molasses from feeds, and certain treats. These sugar molecules cross into the bloodstream and end up as glucose, which gets distributed to cells for use as energy throughout the body. The hormone that helps clear glucose from the blood and into the cells is insulin. This distribution method of getting glucose to the cells for energy, glycogen-building, or adipose storage is part of the energy-generation system of the working horse. The harder the horse is working, the more important the system is...

Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/does-your-horse-really-need-a-low-starch-diet

New Insulin Resistance Test Method for Horses (AAEP 2011)

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Nancy S. Loving, DVM
March 20 2012, Article # 19759


An obese horse is often—though not always—an insulin-resistant one, and detection methods for insulin resistance can be tricky to time, not to mention labor-intensive. François R. Bertin, DVM, a resident at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital described a new testing technique that he has found useful for identifying insulin-resistant horses at the 2011 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Nov. 18-22 in San Antonio, Texas.

The pancreas' beta-cells are responsible for secreting insulin to stimulate glucose uptake by glucose receptors. The glucose is moved into muscle cells where it is either used immediately or stored as glycogen for later access. An insulin-resistant (IR) horse has a decreased sensitivity to insulin (as a result, higher amounts of insulin are released than normal in response to ingestion of starch and/or sugar) along with a decreased maximal response to this hormone. High levels of circulating insulin in the bloodstream could put such a horse at risk for development of laminitis.

The recommended insulin-response test requires a veterinarian to take several blood samples over four hours. Bertin described an alternative testing procedure able to produce information on suspect IR cases, especially those horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). While a cresty neck and fat pads at the base of the tail can be signs of EMS and indicative of a probably IR case, he emphasized that a definitive test is necessary for an accurate IR diagnosis...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19759

A New Navicular Vantage

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Nancy S. Loving, DVM
January 01 2012, Article # 19415

Technological advances such as MRI have given veterinarians a closer look at navicular syndrome.
The great thing about technological advances is that they provide new perpectives on old problems. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for instance, has given equine veterinarians an improved vantage point for examining the underlying disease process in navicular syndrome cases. Historically, the term navicular syndrome referred to lameness resulting from pain in the podotrochlear apparatus in the back of the foot that includes the navicular bone, bursa (sac cushioning the navicular bone from the deep digital flexor tendon), supportive ligaments, and deep digital flexor tendon.

"Everybody used to think that navicular disease meant the problem related to degeneration in the bone and surrounding structures. That's because on radiographs all we could see was the bone," explains Robert Schneider, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, professor and equine orthopedic surgeon at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Veterinarians began recognizing, however, that this process involves more than just the navicular bone. The lameness that started out being called "navicular disease" was renamed "navicular syndrome" and later called "caudal heel syndrome."

"Even still, there were a variety of treatment failures and opinions about what and why things happen and how and why to treat this 'syndrome,' including various shoeing strategies," says Stuart Shoemaker, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, owner of Idaho Equine Hospital, in Nampa...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19415

Feeding Protein to Performance Horses

Equinews.com - Full Article

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 9, 2012

Hard-working horses need dietary protein to increase muscle mass, maintain muscle fibers, and repair tissue damage caused by the demands of strenuous exercise.

A research project conducted in Bristol, Virginia, investigated the impact of time of feeding protein prior to exercise. Researchers concluded that when protein-rich feeds are offered an hour before exercise, the amino acid levels in the blood will be adequate to support muscle protein synthesis in the important time span of two to three hours post-exercise.

It’s tempting to think that if a little protein is good, more must be better, but this is not the case for horse feeds...

Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/feeding-protein-performance-horses

Why You Should Consider a Gaited Horse for Trail Riding

Myhorse.com - Full Article

So you’re looking for a new horse for trail riding…but you’re only considering your tried-and-true walk, trot and canter candidates?

Maybe you should broaden your horizons!

If you don’t know anything about naturally gaited horses, well, have we got the primer for you.
It’s a series of questions based on myths and misunderstandings about gaited horses, posed by real horse people.

Sort of like myth busters–the horse version. Who knows, maybe after reading it, you’ll start looking for something gaited as your next trail-riding partner.

10 Gaited-Horse Myths: Busted!
By Jessica Jahiel PhD

Myths and misunderstandings about smooth-gaited horses abound. Here, we’ll bust 10 common myths, taken from real questions posed by horse owners from around the country. We’ll explain why each assumption is wrong – and why you should consider a gaited horse for trail riding.

Myth #1: Smooth gaits are artificial.

“The walk, the trot, and the canter are normal gaits for normal horses. Gaited horses bother me, because their smooth gaits are manmade and artificial. I’m into natural horsemanship, and I want my horse to enjoy our trail rides. I could never ride a horse that was forced to perform an artificial gait!”

Busted! Relax. You can safely enjoy gaited horses, natural horsemanship, and trail riding – these three things go together very well. The show ring and the trail are two very different places. Good trail gaits aren’t created by special tack or riding techniques; they’re bred into the horses and brought out by sensible, sympathetic training.

Myth #2: Gaited horses are high-headed nutcases...

Read more here:
http://myhorse.com/blogs/horse-breeds-information/horse-breeds/why-you-should-consider-a-gaited-horse-for-trail-riding/

Want to Get Your Horse in Shape? Try Parelli Fluidity-Hill Therapy

Myhorse.com blogs - Full Article

Does your horse have a scrawny neck? A hollowed-out back? Does he move with short, choppy strides?

Pat Parelli and his wife, Linda Parelli, offer what they call a Fluidity Program for horses. It involves you, your horse, a long line and a small hill. In six weeks, they say, your horse will be transformed into a more muscular creature with better posture. Here’s how to do it.

Parelli Fluidity—Hill Therapy
by Linda Parelli

Studying the posture, musculature and movement of horses is an important component of our Fluidity Program. Horses that have been ridden often look very different from horses that have never been ridden, and unfortunately they usually don’t look better!

In ridden horses, here are some of the common issues:

Posture:
• “Down-hill” (hips are higher than the withers)
• Small or flat withers (mutton-withered)
• Sway, hollow or dipped back
• Strung-out hind legs
• Rotated scapula
• Rotated sacrum (“jumper’s bump”)
• Short neck / long back
• Ewe neck
• High tail set (instead of low and sloping)

Musculature:
• Poor top line, muscle wastage on crest, back and rump
• Irregular muscling, some are under-developed and some are overdeveloped
• Thin withers
• Overdeveloped underline (under neck, lower chest, forearms, gaskins, and top of hip)
• Dropped belly
• Thin neck

Movement:
• Short, choppy strides
• Heavy on forehand
• Hind legs weak, “disengaged”, can’t come under the body, are strung out behind
• Inability to ‘collect’ or engage
• Stiff in the body or neck
• Stiff in the legs, doesn’t bend joints well
• Doesn’t use whole body
• Pulls itself along with the forelegs vs pushing with hind legs

As you can imagine, on-going issues like this can lead to a horse breaking down in the long term, usually in the areas they over use to compensate for not sharing the load through the entire body such as the stifle, lower back, suspensories, hocks, and not to mention the knee joints from landing heavily on the forehand...

Read more here:
http://myhorse.com/blogs/horse-trainers/pat-parelli/want-to-get-your-horse-in-shape-try-parelli-fluidity-hill-therapy/?utm_source=Week35&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Week-Review