Insulin Resistance
When starches and sugars are consumed, the body releases insulin, a hormone that cues absorption and storage of sugar from the bloodstream. Overfeeding starch and sugars can make horses “insulin resistant,” meaning the body cannot absorb glucose properly...
Hay
When purchasing hay for your horse, assess its freshness; it should not be dusty or smell moldy or musty. Moldy hay contributes to respiratory ailments in horses. The more mature the hay is when it’s harvested, the more stemmy...
Grazing
Good-quality pasture is a wonderful source of energy, protein, fiber and vitamins. Horses enjoy grazing and are designed to move around, eating grass in a herd situation. In most areas, however, pasture space is limited and careful maintenance is...
Fiber
Unlike humans, horses are able to extract energy from the fiber in their diet. The fiber is converted to volatile fatty acids (VFAs) by a bacterial fermentation process in the hindgut; the VFAs are then used to synthesize glucose...
Q: Can you feed a purebred Arabian straight alfalfa? I have an 8-year-old Arabian mare who is underweight. The vet said to put her on alfalfa and grain, but the owner of my boarding stable says that straight alfalfa...
What do you do when your horse comes in from the pasture with a loose shoe? You might be tempted to leave it alone and hope that it stays put until your farrier can make a trip out to...
To help your horse overcome his trailering fears, you have to look at it from his perspective. As prey animals, with a flight or fight response, horses prefer to be in big, open spaces where they can easily see...
Points, hooks, waves and ramps…they may not sound connected, but all four are common abnormalities that equine dentists regularly address in their four-legged patients.These issues are corrected in a routine process known as "floating” (also known as "equilibrating”)...
Q: My horse has been diagnosed with severe ringbone. I know he’ll never be ridden again, but I want to keep him pasture sound. Is there any medicine to help keep him comfortable? I don’t want to keep him...
Equine influenza is a respiratory virus that is very common in horses. Highly contagious, this disease can be avoided with a proper vaccination program.The influenza virus family is made of three different types: A, B, and C. Types B...
