Can feed ingredients make your horse more hot, hyper, or excitable? Can some ingredients actually change your horse’s emotions? Most horse owners have experienced the “elevated emotional state” that certain feeds can have on horses. We say the feed makes the horse hot, or hyper, or excitable, but can feed ingredients really change the attitude of a horse? The answer is yes; feedstuffs can alter the way a horse acts. “Emotional” Horse Feed Ingredients Horse feed ingredients can give horses needed energy. If that energy isn’t used in a positive pursuit, such as exercise, that energy can be expre ..read more

A young foal typically relies solely on the mare’s milk for all his nutritional needs. But what about when a foal is orphaned? Orphaned foals come with their own set of challenges – such as ensuring they are getting adequate nutrition. The milk a mare produces for her foal has a direct effect on the foal’s health and growth rate. Without it, it’s up to the foal’s surrogate caretakers to ensure the foal is getting all the nutrients she needs. The first few months, especially the first twenty-four hours, of a foal’s life are the most crucial when it comes to proper nutrition. During the first 24 ..read more

Do you know the difference in those colored blocks at the feed store and what they can and can’t do for your horses? As busy horse owners, we want to take the best care of our animals with a minimal amount of time wasted. The salt and mineral blocks in the feed store seem like a great way to give our horses, donkeys, and mules the salt and nutrients they need in a convenient package. We might be tempted to just get a block of every color and let the horses decide, but that’s not a great idea. Some blocks are meant for other species, and some don’t provide a sufficient quantity of other mineral ..read more

Understanding the options for treatment and prevention of equine ulcers can allow horse owners to better care for their horses. There are many ways that horse owners can help their horses avoid gastric ulcers and also differences in how you can treat ulcers. In part one of this two-part series of The Equine Connection Podcast, Dr. Rambo discussed the basics of equine ulcers. In part two of this two-part series, we talked about different treatments and ways that horse owners can help prevent gastric ulcers in their horses.  How To Treat Equine Ulcers The best treatment for ulcers will depe ..read more

When the decision is made to wean a foal, it is important that the foal is eating sufficient solid food to support its genetic growth rate. Some individuals will slow down their growth rate at 6 to 12 months, while others continue to grow rapidly. It is important to feed the horse’s physiological growth rate, not necessarily its chronological age. Many yearlings grow as fast as weanlings, and must be fed a diet to support such a growth rate in a sound manner. What To Feed Weanling and Yearling Horses A common belief is that high protein diets can cause developmental orthopedic disease (D ..read more

Ulcers can affect a high percentage of horses—up to 100%, depending on your horse’s job, stress, and breed.  Horse owners want to better understand equine gastric ulcers because they are so common in many horses. Even retired horses and broodmares that have an idyllic life out on pasture can develop ulcers. This is part 1 of a two-part article that goes along with The Equine Connection Podcast episodes! Spotlight on the Horse’s Stomach Even though horses can have issues throughout their gastrointestinal tracts, the focus of this article is the stomach. There are two important sections in ..read more

It can be overwhelming for any horse owner with the number of supplements available on the market. It has led to much confusion on which, if any, supplements to feed. It also has owners asking how they will benefit their horses. This is especially true with pre- and probiotics. Since they have arrived on the market for horses, many have asked what they are and if they even work. Fortunately, research studies are beginning to show the multiple benefits of feeding pre- and probiotics to horses. What Is the Microbiome in the Horse? Within the gut of animals (and humans!) resides microorganisms th ..read more

When owners reference their horses as either an “easy” or “hard” keeper, they usually mean that their horse has an easier or harder time maintaining their weight (body condition). Easy keepers can be difficult to manage because owners need to be careful of their horse’s energy (caloric) intake, while ensuring they are still meeting their essential nutrient needs. On the flipside, hard keepers can be difficult to manage because owners are trying to safely feed their horses enough calories to encourage weight gain. It is important to remember, not all horses should be classified as an ..read more

Just like in humans, choke in horses is a serious issue; however, because of the difference in anatomy between horses and humans, choke presents differently in horses. When a person is choking, there is something that is obstructing their airway, but in horses, the airway remains clear while the esophagus, the tube that runs from the mouth to stomach, is blocked. While a horse is choking, they remain able to breathe, making it a less dire situation, but choke is still a serious problem. How Can I Tell if a Horse Is Choking? In horses, choke occurs when a slug of feed material be ..read more

Have you ever found your horse eating manure? Your first thought is probably “ew”, closely followed by “why is my horse eating manure?”. Why Do Horses Eat Manure? Eating manure is also known as “coprophagy,” which is Latin for eating feces. For foals and young horses, manure eating can be natural and expected. However, for adult horses, the eating of manure can sometimes be indicative of problems. Why Do Foals Eat Manure? Young horses, by nature, are inquisitive. They tend to mimic their mothers and also explore their environments, including their dam’s feces. The main reason thought by many s ..read more