Horse Illustrated Magazine

Thumbs up: Supporting horse digestion this winter

The challenges of winter horsekeeping can wreak havoc on your horse’s hindgut. For digestive care and the peace of mind of ColiCare™, support your horse’s digestion this winter with one of our six ColiCare eligible supplements.

Thumbs down: Causing digestive upset with bran mash

While giving your horse a warm bran mash may seem like a tasty treat, you could be serving up trouble for his digestive tract. Visit SmartPak.com/BranMash to learn more about how this traditional treat may do more harm than good.

Winter Digestive Health Info

Ask the Vet: Is Bran Mash Good for Horses?

Q: Can I overdo bran mashes? I’ve been giving more with the long spell of subfreezing weather.
A: Unfortunately yes. As much as we love to prepare a warm, tasty bran mash with our horse’s favorite ingredients, this traditional treat may be doing more harm than good. Turns out bran mashes upset the nutritional balance of the diet and may not even prevent or treat the problems we’re giving it for in the first place.

Continue reading: http://blog.smartpakequine.com/2014/02/ask-the-vet-is-bran-mash-good-for-horses/

The Top 3 Colic Risks You Need to Worry About This Winter

Horse-keeping during the winter brings its own unique challenges, and those challenges can wreak havoc on your horse’s GI tract and increase his risk for digestive upset. But with the right care and support, you can help ensure your horse has everything he needs to maintain a happy and healthy hindgut.

Continue reading: http://blog.smartpakequine.com/2014/12/snow-isnt-the-only-winter-worry/

Horse Health in Winter: Winter Weight