Horse Nutrition Articles

Can Excess Dietary Salt Affect Hoof Quality? Salt, or sodium chloride, is a necessary component of a horse’s diet and metabolism. However; too much salt will increase thirst and urination. Hoof quality can deteriorate from the additional urine and moisture in the environment. Horses that are confined for periods of… Read More

How to Choose an Equine Nutrition Supplement. There are so many supplements in the market. Unfortunately, it is easy for a manufacturer to enter the hoof supplement market with little or no credentials. That is why the following factors should be considered to choose a reputable nutrition supplement:1. Does the… Read More

Cushing’s Disease, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome and Low Calorie/starch Feedstuff. Cushing’s disease is caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland. The resulting metabolic disturbances stem from excessive levels of a hormone secreted by the tumor, which in turn leads to high blood cortisol levels and the development of insulin… Read More

Over Supplementation of Nutrients in the Equine Diet Excessive supplementation of any nutrient, even if the nutrient is not toxic, requires metabolic and organ functions in order to eliminate the nutrient from the body. This is a waste of valuable resources whether in the form of enzyme activity, energy, or… Read More

Factors that Affect Hoof Quality Genetics and nutrition are predominant factors affecting the quality of horse’s hooves. Environmental and mechanical factors, hormone imbalances and improper trimming and shoeing can be other contributing factors. Environmental factors that can contribute to poor hoof quality can include wet or dry conditions. Mechanical factors… Read More

Feeding Whole Oats to Horses with a History of Laminitis Updated October 31, 2014 Laminitis and colic are often the result of undigested starch entering the caecum of the horse where it is broken down and fermented by microbes. It is this fermentation process along with alterations in the gut… Read More

Early Nutrition and Dental Health Broodmare nutrition greatly influences the dental development of the unborn fetus. These early teeth created from connective tissue during fetal growth are the foundation for the horse’s dental health from weaning throughout life. Unlike the teeth of most mammals, horse’s teeth continuously grow from the… Read More

The "Hay Burner" Horse To understand how to feed and to manage equine nutrition, we must understand the digestive system of the horse and how the horse differs from other animals. Horses are ‘hay burners’. This means horses can convert cellulose (fiber) to energy in the pouches of their digestive… Read More

Feeding the “Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy” Horse Since Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy involves the deposition of a non-bioavailable form of glycogen into the muscle tissue, the best diet is one that minimizes glycogen formation. If the horse needs a calorie source in addition to the cellulose provided by pasture hay to maintain… Read More

Can You Love a Neglected Horse Too Much? The natural tendency is to over-feed the thin horse that has been neglected, especially if the horse is a Rescue and Rehab. It is important to note that these horses often have medical issues along with inadequate nutrition. The most common medical… Read More

Feeding the Horse Horses should be fed according to work requirements and body condition. Most idle horses should be fed a limited amount of hay or pasture and do not need any grain in their daily ration. Weight gain should be monitored by sight, body condition scoring, equine scales, or… Read More

Product Freshness Would you drink sour milk or eat stale bread? No, because product freshness is vital to the taste, safety and effectiveness of products consumed, not only for our families and ourselves, but for our horses as well. There are several ways to ensure freshness in the products we… Read More

Veterinarian and Farrier Relationship in Treating Laminitis and Founder “Laminitis and founder is a complicated systemic disease that severely affects a horse’s feet. For the best chance of success in the management and treatment of the disease, veterinarians and farriers must work together. The horse owner assumes the economic responsibility… Read More

Feed Supplementation for Laminitis and Founder Proper feed supplementation can help repair damage done during a laminitis/founder cycle. Many horses are being fed rations deficient in the nutrients necessary to maintain and rebuild their health after having suffered from laminitis and founder. Some hays are deficient in essential nutrients, especially… Read More

Vegetable Oil as a Source of Calories Vegetable oil may be fed to horses at the proper rates for the purpose of increasing calorie density for maintaining weight or energy levels. However, since the horse does not have a gall bladder he is unable to digest large amounts of oil… Read More

Guidelines for choosing Topical Hoof Dressings Many horse owners tend to overlook the fact that as tough as equine hoof horn may appear, it is 95% protein (similar to your own skin). One should avoid use of any product that will denature protein and affect the normal function of the… Read More

The amino acids Methionine and Cystine There are twenty amino acids known that make up the building blocks for mammalian body protein. Approximately one-half of the amino acids are essential (this means the body is unable to make those nutrients therefore; the nutrients must be ingested). Methionine is an essential… Read More

Recognizing Nutrition Related Hoof Problems I have worked with horses suffering from mild to serious hoof problems for the past 50 years. During that time I have determined that horses with hoof problems often are deficient in many nutrients that negatively affect changes in the dermal tissue structure. The hoof… Read More

Wet/Dry Hooves Summertime is when horses are most likely to be bathed and hosed off frequently. It is possible to keep your horse cool without damaging the hooves through the wet-dry cycle. Most importantly, do not use products on your horse’s hooves you would not use on your hands. Horse’s… Read More