With the heat soaring in many parts of the country one of the big questions from owners is, should I use electrolytes? With many opinions it can be confusing and leave more questions than answers. So, in order to help tackle some of these questions let’s take an in-depth look at electrolytes, what they are, what they do and how should they be used.
In simple terms electrolytes are minerals that when in their solid form bond readily with salts but when they are dissolved in water, breakdown into their component elements called Ions.
Some Ions have a + (Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium) or – (Chloride, Bicarbonate, Phosphate) charge. These charges allow the conduction of electricity. The electrical charges carry vital signals across cell membranes and along nerve and muscle cells enabling functions such as:
• Muscle contractions (including the heart and smooth muscle of the digestive system)
• Blood volume control
• Regulation of thirst
• Absorption of nutrients
• Body fluid balance
• Production of bodily secretions such as saliva, sweat, urine, mucus, digestive fluids
So, electrolytes maintain physiological balance in the horse’s body. If there happens to be an imbalance or a depletion of electrolyte levels, then processes are severely disrupted, and potentially life-threatening changes can occur. Electrolytes need to be provided in the diet as the horse cannot produce them.
Sweat contains electrolytes and so when a horse sweats he will lose electrolytes. Horse sweat is considered hypertonic, which means a greater concentration of electrolytes exists in sweat than in fluids circulating within the body which is why losses are a concern (KER, 2004). Interestingly human sweat is hypotonic, which means a higher concentration of electrolytes remains in the circulating fluids.
Although this may make sweating sound like a concern, sweating is a vital tool in helping the horse to stay cool.
Exercise requires energy and utilization of this energy produces heat, in fact 70-80% of the energy consumed by a horse is lost as heat (Marlin 2021). As exercise demands increase there is a greater utilization of energy, and therefore heat production increases. In fact, muscles of exercising horses generate enough heat that they can increase the horses core body temperature by as much as 1.8°F per minute. If a horse was unable to remove all this heat overheating would occur in less than 10 minutes (Marlin, 2021).
Heavy work can result in excessive electrolyte losses.
55-70% of heat generated by exercise is lost through sweating (evaporation) and 25% by exhalation and the rest through convection. Sweating in average ambient temperatures allows for fast evaporation and thus cooling of the horse. However, in humid conditions the ability to remove heat through evaporation and the respiratory tract is reduced, and convection only works if the horse’s body temperature is lower than the ambient temperature. So, in hot weather, with high humidity, the ability to dissipate body heat is reduced resulting in a body temperature increase which could lead to heat stress.
Horses can lose around 4-15 litres of sweat an hour (depending on factors such as environmental temps, how hard the horse is working and how fit the horse is). A 1100 lb horse consists of around 300 litres (80 gallons) of a water (both extracellular and intercellular) and so for example a loss of 10 litres (2 gallons) per hour during exercise would be a loss of around 3% of total body water per hour (Marlin, 2021).
Some studies have indicated that even a 1% loss of hydration can lead to a 4% fall in performance, however it does appear that horse tolerate loss of hydration well and it seems to be that performance is only more drastically affected at a loss of 5% or higher. Reduction in performance is not only due to the water loss but because of the large quantity of electrolytes (especially sodium and chloride) that are lost in horse sweat. Losing 10 litres (2 gallons) of sweat is the equivalent to loosing 110 g of electrolytes (Marlin, 2021).
In order to ensure adequate hydration its worth considering how you provide your horse’s water.
Studies have shown that water consumption varies according to how the water is given, for example when small automatic drinkers were used horses drank less compared with buckets and bigger troughs (Marlin, 2020).
Temperature also seems to play a role on how much a horse will drink. For example, in colder weather ponies drank 40% more water when the water was heated (18°c). But only if that was the sole source of water available. If there was icy water (0-3°c) available as well as warm, they drank almost exclusively from the icy water but drank much less.
Ponds can be a good source of water as long as they are clean and the bottom is not sandy.
A study on working horses by Butudom et al. 2004 showed that over the whole hour after exercise horses drank the most water when at 68°F (5.2 gallons drank) compared to 86°F (4.2 gallons) or 50°F (3.9 gallons). Therefore, ideally water presented to horses after exercise should be around 59-68°F, thus if you are providing buckets, they should be monitored in hot weather to ensure they don’t become too hot. Another reason for allowing horses to drink cool rather than warmer water, is that you’ll further help lower his body temperature.
Both soaking and steaming hays are good ways to get even more water into your horse. The amount of water that will be taken up will of course depend on the water content and maturity of the forage before being steamed or soaked. Earing et al (2013) found that steaming increased the water content of alfalfa-orchard grass mixed hay from 8% to 23%. In a 2h feeding period horses also ate 4 x more steamed hay than unstreamed. Similar hays when soaked (for 15-60mins) increased the water content from 9% to 17-21%. However, soaked hay does have the down side of a small amount of nutrient loss whereas steaming does not.
The electrolytes that we tend to focus on are Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride and Magnesium.
Sodium and chloride - These electrolytes are lost in the greatest amount in sweat. When sodium and chloride combine, they produce sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is also known as table salt.
Sodium is often considered the principle electrolyte as it’s the main regulator of thirst.
Regular table salt is an excellent source of sodium and chloride.
The thirst response in horses is a physiological prompt to drink to prevent dehydration and under normal circumstances is dependent for the most part on electrolyte balance. In cases of light water loss (such as water in feces, urine, exhalation a light sweating), water is released but the level of electrolytes lost is minimal leading to a higher concentration of sodium within the blood. This causes the body to seek out water to replace the loss, and thus the horses thirst response is triggered, and water is received.
However, when the horse sweats heavily and/or for long periods of time water and sodium are both lost and thus the sodium concentration in the blood is not so large and the horses thirst mechanism is effectively turned off. Therefore, some performance horses will not drink even though they are dehydrated.
Potassium - Healthy horses require potassium for muscle contraction and relaxation. During the muscle contraction phase, potassium leaks out of the muscle cell and is one reason that if blood is taken from horses recently suffering from severe tying-up high blood potassium levels may be found.
Magnesium - Vital component of body fluids and can assist in muscle relaxation.
Calcium - Essential for normal muscle function.
Electrolytes need to be provided in a well-balanced fashion as they work side by side. For example, movement of sodium across the nerve cell membrane is necessary for transmission of nerve impulses along nerve fibers. This in turn causes the release of calcium ions that are necessary for muscle contraction and then later, magnesium is needed for muscles to relax and so you can see how a balance of electrolytes is needed in order to assist in multiple functions.
The simple answer to this is both.
The key to a good supplementation program is to first provide a balanced diet comprising of correct amounts of forage and/or concentrates along with enough salt to meet the horse’s base sodium and chloride needs. Once this is in place if a horse is working harder or sweating due to environmental conditions for prolonged periods an electrolyte can also be added.
Horses cannot rehydrate just by drinking water alone, without electrolytes from feed and/or additional supplements the body cannot hold on to the water they drink and thus forage and feed need to be provided to ensure balance within the body.
The NRC (National Research Council) indicates that a 1100lb horse in no work (maintenance) requires 10g sodium, 40g chloride and 14g potassium per day.
If we have a look at the common feed stuffs, it’s clear that some supplemental electrolytes may be needed. For example, in forage, which should be the basis of every horse’s diet, levels of potassium are generally good with some hays containing around 1.75-2.5% which would be enough to cover the horse’s daily maintenance needs. However, they can be low (0.05-0.5%) in sodium and chloride (0.5-0.75%). Therefore, even if a 1100Lb horse ate 2% of its body weight per day and nothing else, he would only get around 5g of sodium.
Therefore, even just to meet maintenance sodium and chloride requirements horses must have access to a source of supplemental salt.
Feeding 2 tablespoons of table salt a day will meet an average horse's maintenance sodium needs.
When horses are in work their needs increase and the level of sodium increases to 17.8g and 53.3g of chloride per day for a 1100lb horse in medium level work. Environmental temperatures, individual variances in digestion, digestibility of feedstuffs all effect the amount needing to be consumed.
Regular table salt is approximately 61% chloride and 39% sodium and so 30g (approx. 2 tablespoons) of salt per day would be enough to provide 11.7g of sodium which would cover maintenance needs.
If the weather is causing the horse to sweat just standing around or he is working moderately hard then increasing the table salt to 4 tablespoons per day should be adequate.
Horses in higher levels of work are often fed fortified grains/concentrates and while these contain some salt it is not generally enough to meet the higher demands of the hard-working horse. For those horses working hard and/or sweating heavily for prolonged periods electrolyte supplementation is needed alongside their daily salt provision.
While salt can be provided via a salt block not all horses will utilise them enough to cover the specific amounts needed. Some horse may also over consume which is not ideal. Blocks are also hard to monitor and so for performance horses especially its advisable to add a measured amount while still making a block available.
When looking for a suitable electrolyte supplement be careful to check the ingredient labels. The first ingredient in many commercial products is dextrose or sugar. These products will not have sufficient levels of electrolytes to meet the horse’s needs. Ideally there should be at least 45% chloride and the sodium: potassium: chloride ratio should be similar to sweat at 2:1:3.8.
Electrolyte supplementation should be considered well in advance of competitions as increasing electrolytes in order to effectively “load” before competition is not worthwhile. If your horse has been on regular supplementation increasing suddenly will likely a) put the horse off its food/water at a time when it most needs it b) could cause digestive disturbances such as loose droppings and c) increase the amount that is excreted. If the horse isn’t losing the additional extras his body won’t use it. Rather wait until the workload, and rate of sweating increases to provide the extra such as during the competition.
Gatorade is not a strong enough electrolyte for horses but it may encourage drinking.
The same applies for horses not on electrolytes, adding them before competition won’t fix months of under supply and so rather assess your horse's diet well in advance to ensure that you are providing what is needed. A horse starting competition on depleted levels is more at risk of issues during competition.
The best way to provide electrolytes is in feed. Electrolytes can be given in water, but the volume the horse will readily consume will not allow a large electrolyte intake. Giving electrolytes in water should be a way of rehydrating the horse, not as a way of replenishing lost electrolytes. Human sport drinks such as Gatorade do not contain adequate electrolytes for horses. Their best use is for encouraging horses to drink, NOT for electrolyte replenishment. If electrolytes are placed in water be sure to always provide a separate bucket of plain water as well.
Replacement of lost electrolytes should come through diet and/or pastes as this encourages greater intake. Therefore, it’s important to note that full replacement of electrolytes can take several days. For example, a horse running a 120km endurance race could lose 500g of electrolytes. Replacing at an amount of 100g per day would thus take 5days for full replenishment after competition. Therefore, it is important that electrolytes be provide daily during and the days that follow hard work and not just during competition.
Holbrook TC, Simmons RD, Payton ME, MacAllister CG. (2005) Effect of repeated oral administration of hypertonic electrolyte solution on equine gastric mucosa. Equine Vet Journal. Nov:37(6):501-504
Earing, J.E, M.R. Hathaway, C.C Sheaffer, B.P. Hetchler, L.D. Jacobson, J.C. Paulson and K.L. Martinson. (2013). The effect of hay steaming on forage nutritive values and dry matter intake by horses. Journal of Animal Science 91: 5813-5820
KER, 2004 https://ker.com/equinews/pass-the-salt-endurance-horses-and-electrolytes/
Kristula, M.A.; McDonnell, S.M. (1994) Drinking water temperature affects consumption of water during cold weather in ponies. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 41: 155-160.
Martinson, K., Jung. H., and Sheaffer,C. (2011) The effect of soaking on carbohydrate removal and dry matter loss in Orchardgrass and Alfalfa Hays. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 32, Issue 6, 332-338
McDonnell, S.M.; Kristula, M.A. (1996) No effect of drinking water temperature on consumption of water during hot summer weather in ponies. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 49: 149-163.
Marlin., D (2019) www.davidmarlin.co.uk and Social media postings relating to the work done
Marlin, D (2020) https://drdavidmarlin.com/hydration-forage-hay-soaking/
David Marlin Electrolyte Webinar, 2021 https://drdavidmarlin.com/electrolytes-for-horses-never-be-confused-again-dr-david-marlin/
D., Marlin., Misheff., M., Whitehead., P (2018) Optimising Performance in a challenging climate preparation for and management of horses and athletes during equestrian events held in thermally challenging environments
Forage
Forage should be the foundation of every equine diet and should be carefully selected to cover as much of the horse’s daily requirements for energy, protein and fiber before a concentrate is even considered.
Fiber is an energy source that is often overlooked. Digestible fibers (cellulose and hemicellulose within the plant) are broken down by the microbial population in the horse’s hindgut into volatile fatty acids (VFAs) these are then used for energy or stored in the form of fat or glycogen. A portion of indigestible fiber (lignin) is included within the plant but is not useable by the horse. Lignin content increases with maturity and so the more mature a grass/hay is, the less digestible it will be, highlighting the need for careful selection of forages.
A constant forage supply is necessary to keep the microbial population of the gastrointestinal tract working optimally. Limiting or removing forage can result in issues such as colic and gastric ulcers. The average horse will require at least 1.5% of body weight in forage per day. Easy keepers may need a lower percentage where as hard keepers and those in higher demand life stages (such as a lactating mare) may require significantly more.
Forage Types
Forage includes many sources such as pasture, hay (grass and legume) and processed forages. A selection of forage types are available but most commonly horse owners rely on two:
Other forms of forage include processed forages. These include hay cubes, pellets, chaffs, compressed hay flakes/chunks, soy hulls and beet pulp. 
These forage alternatives can help stretch supplies of hay, especially during winter months when additional amounts are being provided in order to help keep horses warm while maintaining condition and can dwindle faster than anticipated. Having a small amount in the diet on a regular basis enables you to increase quickly without having to introduce something new, and so keep this in mind before going into seasons where hay availability may become an issue.
Some chaffs and pellets may even contain a flavoring which will help tempt fussy eaters but watch out for heavily molassed products if you have a horse with issues such as Laminitis, or Cushing’s where sugars need to be monitored.
Dried grass products can be higher in sugars and some products contain added sugars and/or additional grains to increase the energy density of a product. Contact your chosen brand for more information if this is a concern for your horse. Remember that NSC includes sugar and starch, and so even though a product may be advertised as “low sugar” it may still have a high starch content making it unsuitable for some and so be sure to look at the total NSC.
Forage Alternatives
Currently there is no standard marketing for manufactured fiber products and so whether the marketing notes them as a replacer, stretcher or extender they are there to do the same job, to provide additional fiber in the diet.
Fiber is a term referring to a collection of carbohydrates such as cellulose, pectin, and lignin, these fractions exist in pellets, cubes, chaffs just as they do in hay and so it is possible to meet the horse’s fiber need from pellets alone, but not all pellets/cubes are created equal.
When choosing a forage alternative be sure to look at the crude fiber content and check the ingredients list to ensure that it contains mostly hay. Some cubes can have added ingredients such as grain and thus the fiber portion of these types could be reduced to where it isn’t adequate. Cubes that are mostly hay will have a crude fibre content within the 20-30% range. That being said some complete feeds which may contain levels as low as 18% fiber can still be used as the sole diet as they will also contain additional vitamins and minerals. Another factor to consider is the digestibility of the ingredients included in a forage alternative. For example, alfalfa, timothy hay and soy hulls are highly digestible, whereas rice hulls and peanut hulls will increase the crude fiber value on the label but they are poorly digested by the horse and thus the horse will not gain the same benefit.
In general, its preferable that 50% of the horse’s daily forage amount comes from long stemmed hay. Long stemmed forage provides the horse with much needed chew time. Chew time not only mimics the natural feeding behavior of the horse but it also ensures adequate saliva is produced (horses only produce saliva when they chew unlike humans). Salvia helps to lubricate food swallowed and also helps to buffer the stomach acid. The more the horse chews the more saliva is produced and the more acid can be buffered which is ideal for those struggling with gastric ulcers.
Short stemmed and processed fiber feeds take less time to chew which can lead to boredom and stereotypical behaviors.
However, you may be able ti reduce the risk of these issues by:
Although research is still lacking it is thought that long stemmed hay can stimulate the hindgut better than short stemmed hay helping to reduce the risk of colic. Therefore, when selecting a forage alternative it's best to choose one with long coarsely chopped hay rather than fine powders and combining it with some longer stemmed roughage.
Examples of quids on the floor of a stall.
However, there are situations where long stemmed forage just cannot be utilized. For example, horses with loose, damaged or lost teeth could mean that the horse struggles to chew long stemmed forage such as hay. This is often characterized by “quidding” whereby food is continually dropped from the mouth.
It may be thought that chaffs are the most ideal in these situations as they closely resemble hay but for horses without teeth, cubes and pellets are often easier. This is due to the fact that the fiber length in these are smaller and easier to consume. They also lend themselves to soaking so that the horse can simply slurp it up and swallow. As these horses tend to be unable to consume much grazing (even though they may have their head down nonstop) generally they won’t be gaining much nutritional benefit or consuming as much as you may think. Due to this the water content of their diet can be reduced and so soaking also helps to supply more water.
Horses with issues such as COPD may not be able to consume hay due to its higher levels of dust and spores which can greatly effect such conditions. Steamers are a great option here as they significantly reduce levels of dust and small particles however, they can be expensive and so fiber alternatives can be a great option as they are typically less dusty.
It’s common in the high-performance horse that appetites for larger volume ingredients such as hay dwindle during competitions, and some horses when they are away may also not consume the amount of hay they do at home. Race horses that are fed larger amounts of concentrates may not consume enough hay to ensure an adequate fiber intake. Thus, a forage alternative such as a pellet, cube or beet product may be an ideal way of ensuring adequate fiber intake for the performance horse. Beet products are particularly useful as they can help to add additional water into the diet, ensuring adequate hydration but also since they are a super fiber, they contain more fiber per pound. Meaning that you can feed smaller amounts but get more out which is perfect for horses with small appetites. The other advantage is that they are higher in energy/calories making them ideal for horses that struggle with weight gain as well as performance horses susceptible to conditions such as Tying up or Gastric ulcers. The higher energy/calorie value means that you can replace some or all grain from the diet helping keep conditions at bay without effecting performance or condition. They are also easier and more convenient to transport and store making them ideal for the sports horse.
Soaked beet pulp.
When selecting a forage alternative, you may find you need to look for different options based on the condition of the horse. For bad doers looking at fiber sources that contain alfalfa and/or beet products can be helpful as they will provide more calories per pound compared to traditional hays.
Also look for products that contain additional oils as these too will provide more calories to assist in weight gain.
For "good doers/easy keepers" look at perhaps replacing a portion of the forage ration with straw. This can help to keep chew time up whilst lowering calories. Keep in mind that good quality straw must be sourced and avoid this option should your horse struggle with issues such as colic.
Check labels and ensure you choose a product low in calories. Be careful not to assume that low starch/sugar products are also low in calories as often this is not the case as these products will often contain additional oils to replace the starch portion. Forage alternatives such as pellets are quite digestible due to their particle size and you may also find that the quality of hay used is higher than what you would normally feed and thus this could lead to good doers putting on weight, so in the case of the good doer replacing the full amount of forage with a replacer may not be possible.
If you are using a forage alterative as an addition to hay and concentrates, then it’s not vital that the alterative contains a vitamin and mineral pack and could be advantageous in avoiding over fortification. However, if you are feeding it as the sole forage source and/or without additional concentrates, look for one that is fortified or at least consider adding in a balancer to ensure your horse is covered in terms of daily essentials.
When assessing the horses forage intake be sure to weigh everything you feed. Not only will this ensure you are feeding the correct amount but help you to save costs in the long run by reducing issues of over or under feeding. Always feed by weight and not volume, for example a scoop of hay cubes may weigh 2-3lbs, but the same scoop filled with chaff may only hold 1-1.5lbs.
When looking at adding anything new into the diet it’s always worth having the diet assessed by a professional to ensure that everything in the diet remains balanced. Clarity Equine can assist you with this and offer a variety of competitive packages to suit your needs. Contact us at support@clarityequine.com for further info on how we can help you.
With winter finally upon us loss of weight is often a concern for many owners. Increased energy demands as a result of cold weather and the reduced nutritional value of pastures generally means horses may need more feed (this includes hay, grazing and concentrate feed) during winter than in summer in order to maintain body condition. Generally, we aim to have our horses’ winter ready prior to cold spells arriving however all is not lost and we can still make changes during the winter to try and prevent further condition changes.
How do horses keep warm?
Horses are warm blooded animals and therefore try to keep their core temperature as close to a constant 101 ˚F as possible. To keep their temperature constant the horse will use various methods to thermoregulate and maintain this constant internal temperature no matter the surrounding environment. In the winter this may be through one of the following:
How do I know if my horse needs extra calories?
All these processes require energy (calories) in order to work and so it makes sense that the diet will need to be closely looked at.
When looking at the horse’s diet in winter we need to consider what the horses Lower Critical temperature (when the horse would start to feel cold) would be. Studies have shown that for the average healthy horse the lower critical temperature (LCT) would be around 32°F to 40°F.
Research has shown that LCT can vary both within a breed and even between different breeds. For example, it has been indicated that pony breeds have a LCT of 34.5°F to 51.44°F but for Thoroughbreds the range is 28.22 to 46.22˚F and 25.88 to 45.32˚F for Warmbloods (Marlin, 2018). This might come as a surprise but it’s much easier to lose heat when your body size is small (larger relative surface area) and harder when the body size is larger so small animals have the advantage in warmer climates and big horses in colder ones. However, don’t forget that all types of horses can adapt to various ranges overtime but in general this theory applies.
Critical temperature can also vary depending upon the horse’s condition, age and if it is adapted to colder temperatures or not. Mature horses that are unclipped, have a thick coat and are accustomed to cold climates may have a critical temperature of as low as 5˚F. It’s also been seen that LCT may even change during the winter period itself once the horse becomes accustomed to the colder temperatures.
These critical temperatures are important as horses require a total feed increase in order to provide more energy/calories to produce the extra heat required as the temperature falls below these LCT. But how do you determine what your horse’s LCT is?
This may come from experience of your horse, for example does he normally keep condition well in winter despite cold temps in your area, then your horse’s LCT may be on the lower end of the scale. However, if your horse is new to you, or you recently moved to a new area then you may need to use the above average figures as a starting point and monitor over winter.
How many more calories does my horse need?
It’s thought that 15-20% more calories per day will be needed for every 10 ˚F below the LCT. So, for a 1100lb horse needing 16Mcal per day this would increase by 2.4-3.4Mcal per day. This would equate to around 2-3pounds of good quality hay per day for every 10 ˚F the temperature drops below 32 ˚F.
This amount would obviously keep on changing as the weather does and so it’s not uncommon to start with feeding a few pounds more at the start of winter and by the end you have increased it substantially. The average horse needs 1.5% of body weight in forage dry matter per day, in winter this total could increase to closer to 2-2.5% of body weight per day.
It might be tempting to simply increase the daily concentrate intake because it is the easiest way to add more calories. However, as the general concern in winter is ensuring the horse is provided with added calories to maintain temperatures (stay warm) providing a diet high in fiber is a good way to do that.
Forages such as hay require microbial fermentation in the hindgut to maximize their use in the digestive tract. This isn’t a completely efficient process, and fermentation results in energy being lost as heat. This heat helps your horse to stay warm, so rather than increasing concentrate feed we should always look at providing more roughage first to help horses in the winter months.
Added (over and above their normal amount) roughage will also provide additional energy/calories, with the added benefit of being healthier for the gut. If possible, look for more immature hay (characterized by soft stems and a larger portion of leaf matter) rather than overly mature (very stalky with little leaf) as this provides better nutritional value. This is important during the winter as winter forage often has a reduced quality which means more hay would need to be provided than in summer to ensure the same calorie value, so factor that in when purchasing.
Immature, leafy, hay, also has a water-holding capacity that more mature hay does not have. Impaction colic can be more common in winter when horses often drink less because of cold water that is not palatable or even water that is frozen and so this can help combat this. Also, if your horse is used to a predominately fresh forage diet (i.e. only grass) then normally he will be receiving more water from his forage. Changing to a predominantly conserved forage diet (hay) drastically alters this hydration status and so introduce forage slowly to reduce the risk of impaction colics. Salt is not only for the summer months and adding salt to the diet can also encourage more drinking during this time of year. One tablespoon per 500 lbs of body weight is a good rule of thumb for salt consumption year round.
For some (older, younger, poor doers) they may need more energy than can be provided from additional hay alone and so changes to concentrates may also need to be considered alongside additional forage. Horses that experience an increase/decrease in workload in winter may also need to have their energy levels adjusted also.
How do I add extra calories?
Adding extra energy/calories can be done in several ways:
For horses looking at a reduction in workload during winter, changes to the diet may also need to be considered and may be as simple as a slight reduction in concentrate feed. If the horse is a “good doer” and going from hard to no work, it may be time to decrease concentrates or remove completely and replace with a balancer type product to ensure that the daily essentials are still provided without the calories. For pooer doers who will be working less, reducing concentrates while increasing forage through the use of either more hay or perhaps a forage extender such as beet pulp is an ideal way to keep the calories while reducing hard feed.
For some, winter can be a great opportunity for weight loss as keeping warm uses extra energy and thus energy expenditure will be greater than what is consumed leading to a reduction in weight. So, keep that in mind for overweight horses when looking at diet changes.
Another great tool to have on hand for winter months is a forage extender. These are designed to replace a portion/or be used in addition to the horse’s daily forage in times when hay or grazing may be of poorer quality or not as available. Keeping some on hand is useful in case hay stocks run lower than expected due to storms or unusual drops in temperatures where you feed more than you planned to. Forage extenders are available in many forms such as super fibers (soy hulls and beet pulp) or conserved grass options such as hay pellets, chaffs and cubes.
Should I blanket my horse?
A common question from many owners’ is should I blanket my horse? The answer to this is possibly not. Here are some factors which may affect this decision.
WEATHER- the coldest condition for any horse would be low air temperature combined with strong winds and rain as the colder the air temp the bigger the difference between the horses’ skin/coat temp and the air, thus the faster heat moves from hot to cold. Add in wind, and heat is lost even quicker especially if the horse is wet. Therefore, if this is a concern in your area blanketing may be an advantage.
AGE- generally older and younger horses will not cope with colder temperatures as well as the average adult horse. Generally younger horses are smaller and have less body fat and older horses may be less efficient at controlling their body temperature, may have health problems and/or have less body fat. However much younger horses may also not be used to being blanketed and so keep this in mind.
COAT- clearly coat will play a big factor in the horse’s ability to retain heat, and whether a horse has a thick coat, hasn’t grown one yet or has been clipped should be considered before deciding on a blanket. Those that are clipped are going to need more help than those that have a thick coat.
SHELTER- obviously shelter plays an important role in horses needing additional help with keeping warm. If your horse has adequate shelter this may negate the need for heavy blankets.
Additional points to consider when blanketing:
BLANKETING GUIDELINES
| Outside Temperature | Unclipped Horses- blanket needs | Clipped Horses- blanket needs |
| 40˚F to 30 ˚F | None or lightweight (older, younger, poor doers) | Lightweight- med weight |
| 30 ˚F to 20 ˚F | None or lightweight-midweight | Heavyweight |
| 20 ˚F to 10 ˚F | Midweight to heavyweight | Heavyweight plus liner |
| Below 10 ˚F | Heavyweight | Heavyweight, plus a liner and neck cover |
If you have concerns or questions about how to ensure your horse goes through the winter maintaining weight reach out for a consultation. We would love to help.
Research information taken from Dr David Marlin 2018, https://www.facebook.com/233421046862124/posts/917577288446493
Whether you are travelling south for the winter to escape the cold or for competitions, travelling long distance can be stressful for the horse. Careful management and dietary adjustments can ensure that your horse arrives in peak condition.
Horses are often transported far and wide around the country, some manage this with no issues while others struggle with stress, weight loss and fatigue.
Weight loss during transport is a common problem for horses and some can lose an average of 4.4 pounds of body weight per hour (Marlin, et al 2002). A large proportion of this is due to loss of water and therefore for transportation of over an hour adequate water must always be provided or provided at an adequate number of stops. Dehydration can not only increase the risk of impaction colic but can also lead to early fatigue and thus poor performance on arrival.
Providing soaked hay can be one way of incorporating a little more water during long trips which can be useful if your horse is fussy about drinking away from home. It also has the advantage of cutting down on dust particles within the confined space which can have an impact on respiratory health.
Water sources can have a difference in taste and smell due to the various amounts and types of dissolved solids it contains. This can reduce your horse’s overall water consumption when away from home. Adding a flavoring (such as pure apple juice) to your horse’s water prior to travel, and then repeating when away from home, allows your horse to become accustomed to a familiar taste that doesn’t change and helps to mask any difference in smell or taste. However always ensure that both flavored, and plain water is offered.
Another way to ensure your horse stays hydrated is to add salt into the diet, as salt stimulates the thirst mechanism and the need to drink. 1 tablespoon per 500 pounds of body weight per day is generally recommended as horses rarely consume enough from a salt block.
Whilst most weight loss can be attributed to water loss have you ever thought of the amount of energy horses use whilst being transported?
Numerous studies on the subject, which included trailers and bigger horse boxes/floats, estimated that the amount of energy a horse uses during transport is in the region of an equivalent amount of walking. Therefore, 1 hours worth of travel could equal approximately 1 hour of extra walking. The implication of this is that transport is tiring for horses and thus expecting your horse to travel long distances and then compete is not ideal for performance.
So, does this effect the diet? In short yes, if the horse uses more energy than he is eating then weight loss is likely to be seen. Therefore, it’s worth factoring in how much extra energy the horse is going to need in order to cover his transport time.
Although every horse is different and fitter horses may use less energy, it’s thought that roughly one hours’ worth of walking would use in the region of 956 to 1,434kcal of energy for an average 1100-pound horse. Thus, if travelling is the equivalent of walking, then each hour of travel would use roughly 0.956 to 1.434 Mcal energy. This could be increased further if there is any thermal stress (extreme heat for example) involved. Some studies have revealed that travelling in a trailer uses more energy than travelling in a larger float/horsebox. However, using the energy ranges above as an estimate of what needs to be replaced, no matter the mode of transport, gives peace of mind that your horse is well covered.
As an example, if you travel for 4 hours prior to a show that’s around 3.8 to 5.7 Mcal of extra energy your horse may need to be provided with.
That is the equivalent of around:
7.2 pounds of extra good quality grass hay
5.8 pounds of good alfalfa
3.3 pounds of a concentrate feed (at an energy level of 1700mcal per lb)
5.4 pounds of a beet pulp
All changes to the diet should be done gradually but if you are simply providing more of a feed/hay that the horse already receives then you don’t have to make changes too far in advance and you can simply increase the amount.
If you are adding in an extra product that the horse doesn’t normally receive then do so ahead of time (at least 7-10 days) to allow the horse’s digestive system to adapt to the new changes without putting his digestive system at risk of any upsets. Should you be changing your horses feed on arrival, plan to take enough of his previous feed in order to make that change over slowly. Always ensure when packing for your trip that you calculate the amount of food your horse will need so that you don’t run short.
Should you travel out of state often, changing your food to a national brand has the added advantage of being available across the country. But be aware that feed manufactured in different mills can differ as ingredients, milling techniques and climate changes can alter the composition of a product, so speak with your manufacturer prior to selecting a feed so you know what to expect.
Ideally no horse should go any longer than 4 hours, during transport or competition, without something to eat, as this can increase the risk of colic or gastric ulcers. Saliva is a fantastic gastric acid buffer; however, horses only produce saliva when they chew. Thus, keeping them eating/chewing will ensure your horse has an extra added level of protection. Simply providing extra hay ad lib, will allow your horse to keep his digestive system healthy as well as simulating natural grazing behaviours. When travelling, consider the use of Alfalfa which also has an acid buffering capacity and can further help in reducing the risk of gastric ulcers.
Keeping in mind that travel is costly to your horse’s energy levels, and can place undue stress on the horse, adjusting his diet and management routine can go a long way to ensure that your horse arrives still with plenty of fuel in his tank, as well as maintaining his condition.
Marlin, D, Nankervis, K (2002) Equine Exercise Physiology p277.
As we head into the Halloween weekend it may have got you thinking about what seasonal treats you can prepare for your horse. Many owners often ask if its ok to feed pumpkin and the simple answer to that is yes, the traditional orange pumpkin available throughout the fall is suitable. Butternut, zucchini and acorn squash are also nontoxic to horses.
However be careful not to generalize all types of gourds, as green, yellow, white, striped, bumpy and smooth gourds can be potentially toxic and can lead to colic, diarrheas and gastrointestinal irritation.
The one thing to look at with any treat given, is what is the nutritional value of that feed item to the horse and could there be an issue?
The first area many people automatically consider is that of sugar content.
Pumpkin has around 1.7g per 100g as fed. If we consider this against other feed items such as carrots which have 7.4g per 100g and even grass which could have around 10g per 100g. Pumpkin therefore comes in fairly low.
The total NSC value (which is the sum of starch and sugars (water soluble carbohydrates)) of pumpkin comes in at around 10%, making it suitable for horses with conditions such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome, PSSM, Laminitis, Cushings etc. Its overall calorie content is also fairly low and therefore it can be useful in situations where calories are being monitored. However if your horse is on a calorie controlled diet, remember moderation is key and all the little treats add up over time so make sure you account for this when feeding.
One area of caution with pumpkin is that it provides 0.4g of potassium per cup. If we compare this to grass hays which provide around 8.5g per pound, this small amount per measured serving for the average horse, is nothing to be concerned about. However if you have a horse with HYPP (Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis), where limiting potassium intake is necessary, it might be wise to give the pumpkin a miss.
When preparing your pumpkin, fresh is always best. Don’t use pumpkins that have been decorated, have had candles in them or those that have been soaked/washed in solutions to make them last longer on the front porch and certainly not ones that have started to soften or rot.
Cutting the pumpkin into pieces can be useful for horses with poor teeth, whereas the average horse can probably cope with having the pumpkin put into the stall or field whole. Although ensure that the stem is removed as this can pose a choking hazard. Alternatively you could also cook and puree the pumpkin to add to your horses feed. Canned pumpkin can also be used but check the label and choose one that contains no additives, sugar or salt.
Pumpkin seeds can also be included and in actual fact they have some interesting properties. One study (Grzybek, et al 2016) looked into the use of pumpkin seed extracts in mice to control round worms and found significant decrease in fecal egg count worm burdens. However, there is no research in horses to show that pumpkin seeds can be used in place of dewormers.
Pumpkin seeds also supply nitric oxide. Nitric oxide exists as a relatively short lived gas in the body, and is manufactured using the amino acid, arginine. It has many important roles such as helping to keep blood vessels dilated and blood flowing smoothly, learning and memory, it assists in the release of insulin from the pancreas, is involved in ovulation and even the ability to smell.
Pumpkin seeds are higher in calories from fat (12g of fat per cup) with a higher level of Omega 6 fatty acids. Therefore larger amounts would not be suitable for all horses.
Remember introducing anything suddenly should be done with caution and so stick to feeding small amounts, around a small cup a day, to ensure your treat doesn’t turn into a trick!
For many, winter means darker days, more blankets, mud and much longer coats. It therefore may seem counterproductive thinking about your horse’s coat condition prior to spring. However, now is the best time, as good practices started early will allow for adaptations to take place for sparkling spring coats.
If you are concerned with your horse’s coat condition it may be worth a quick check with your veterinarian to rule out conditions that could affect the coat, such as gastric ulcers, internal parasites, and even Cushing’s disease.
While nutrition plays a part in horses having good quality coats there is more to it than that. As with all coat colors, dapples and coat condition in part, are controlled by genetics. Some breeds just simply develop a much thicker, longer, “scruffier” coat than others. Dapples themselves result from variation in the patterns of red vs. black pigment along the hair shaft, rather than changes in pigmentation across the skin. Therefore, they do disappear when you clip a dappled horse. Do keep in mind that some horses are just more likely to shine than others.
Even horses in good condition could be missing the essentials needed to support a shiny coat. Nutrients, such as omega fatty acids; trace minerals such as zinc and copper; essential amino acids and vitamins such as A, E, B must be present in the correct amounts to get a great coat.
Vitamins and Minerals
The best place to start is with your forage. Feed the best-quality forage you can, and make sure your horse is getting enough.
Vitamin A is a vital nutrient in the role of skin health, and while equine deficiencies are rare, they can occur if older hay is fed. Beta-Carotene is the precursor to vitamin A and is abundant in fresh forages. However, it is lost at a rate of 10% per month from hay. Therefore, by late winter/early spring hay may have lost 50% of its beta-carotene, and by the time hay is a year old it’s likely horses will need additional support to meet basic daily requirements.
Fresh good-quality grass pasture is also an excellent source of vitamin E. Diets lacking in Vit E can be a causative factor in dry skin, skin infections and allergic reactions.
A horse that is sustaining itself on good-quality grass pasture will be consuming significant amounts, however, because vitamin E is not heat-stable its levels in hay can decrease over time. Another consideration is that in winter months when fresh grass isn’t as plentiful the amount consumed per day will be less than in summer.
Both, Vit B7 (Biotin)which is necessary for skin health, and B6 which is a valuable component of protein metabolism, should also be noted for coat condition. A deficiency can be seen sometimes in older horses which results in thinning of the coat, bald patches and extremely dry skin and scaling.
Zinc and copper are two trace minerals that are worth paying attention to. Both are needed for melanin production, and so have an impact on coat color. If the hair contains inadequate amounts of melanin, it is unable to resist damage from ultraviolet light which can lead to damage and fading. Copper is also needed by the enzyme lysyl oxidase, which is necessary for the maintenance of the cross-bridges in collagen within skin. Without adequate copper these cross linkages are weakened, and the skin loses structural integrity.
Fatty Acids
Fats supply essential fatty acids (EFAs) which are a component of skin oils (sebum) that coat both the skin and hair shaft. The hair shaft is covered in cells that help to retain moisture. When there is a good coating of sebum these cells lay flat, giving off a good reflection which we perceive as shine. However, if damaged, moisture is lost from the hair shaft, and the hair becomes dry and these cells in a sense “stick up” and no longer reflect light with the same luster. Diets that don’t provide adequate amounts of EFAs could result in a dry coat that’s more prone to damage and a dull appearance.
Do take caution before adding fat as it may not be appropriate for all horses based on body condition. However, even fairly small amounts of fat should have a positive impact on coat quality without contributing too many calories.
Try to use fat sources that supply larger amounts of Omega-3 than Omega-6, as Omega 3 has anti-inflammatory properties which have been shown to have positive effects on skin quality and aid in the reduction of itching. Fish oils and flax are good Omega 3 options.
For coat condition 2 to 4 ounces per day for an average-sized horse would be ideal.
Dietary fats are also beneficial as they facilitate the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Protein
Hair is 90% protein and the hair shafts are made up of the protein keratin. Diets that provide inadequate amounts of protein or that lack essential amino acids (EAA) could result in poor hair growth. In modern diets generally its not a lack of protein that is an issue but a lack of EAA’s such as lysine. A simple way to improve the EAA level is to include a variety of hays including alfalfa and/or use an appropriate concentrate or ration balancer to ensure levels are met.
Besides diet, good grooming practices are vitally important for coat quality.
Professional groom Liv Gude, founder of Pro Equine Grooms, notes that “It boils down to environment, care, health, and diet. Your horse’s coat shows a little bit of what’s going on inside him, as well as just how dirty he likes to be on the outside. Daily currying and brushing is more than removing dirt, it’s skin care. Sebum, the natural oil produced by the skin, is antimicrobial, water-proof, and shiny. Your grooming skills are needed to maximize the benefits of healthy skin.”
To improve a horses coat “Get on board with spending a ton of time on curry combing. Grooming gloves are great for this, you can use two hands at once and really get down to it” suggests Gude, once done dirt can be removed with a stiff brush.
As we head towards winter the question many ask is, “Should I clip my horse or not”?
“There are plenty of reasons why you would need, or not need, to clip your horse”, says Gude. “Part of this is a personal preference. But, the largest and most important reason is to shorten your horse's coat for health and comfort”
“While it's commonly thought that climate and temperature dictate how much hair a horse will grow, it's actually the amount of daylight.” “The climate around you may not match what your horse grows! Clipping is a thoughtful way to help him stay comfortable” 
Liv Gude also notes that “when an exercise or training routine over winter creates a lot of sweat your horse may need help thermoregulating efficiently”
“One study discovered that clipped horses maintained their vitals well, while unclipped horses had longer exercise recovery rates. Another found that clipped horses showed less strain on the body's activity to thermoregulate and exercise more efficiently. A sweaty horse in winter also has to deal with a longer drying time”
“If there's a history of skin infections, like equine pastern dermatitis (EPD), rain rot, matted hair, sores, or other weird skin funk, you may want to consider clipping. Long hair on some horses is the perfect storm for a skin issue. Hair traps moisture, dirt, sweat, dander, mud, and sometimes even lice and mites. You can see the skin, clean the skin, and medicate it much more comfortably without a forest of hair. It's just that simple”
If you decide that clipping is for you this winter, check out Liv’s extensive guide to clipping. Whether you decide to clip or not, feeding the necessary precursors for a healthy coat through the winter months will give you the best chance of a beautiful shiny horse come spring.
Not sure if your horse is getting all these key coat nutrients in the correct amounts? We would love to help.
For everything you need to know about clipping your horse check out Liv's guide here.
As summer starts to fade and the beauty of fall emerges now is a good time to carry out some fall health and management checks to help prepare for the winter months.
VACCINATIONS: fall vaccinations will depend largely on location and horse’s risk level, so discuss options with your veterinarian to ensure your horse is properly covered.
PARASITE CONTROL: as grasses get shorter in fall, parasite loads tend to increase as horses graze closer to manure and this places even more importance on parasite control including deworming. Fecal egg counts are suggested to provide a program that works for your situation and geographical area as well as reducing the risk of drug resistant parasites.
DENTAL CHECKS: a yearly dental check is recommended for all horses and fall is a great time to do this, to ensure that going into winter your horse can chew correctly and thus make the most of his diet in order to sustain body condition over winter. Older horses and those with teeth issues may need more regular check ups
EVALUATE YOUR HORSES CONDITION: Asses your horses body condition so you can make changes before winter arrives. For horses that are underweight additional calories will need to be added for weight gain, this can be done in the form of higher calorie concentrates, higher calorie grasses such as Alfalfa, added fats and oils, or super fibers, such a beetpulp products which provide calories without excessive amounts of starch or sugar. Speak to a nutritionist to ensure the right option is selected for your horse.
For those that are overweight fall and winter can be a good time to help your horse drop. However, consider using a balancer to ensure all the daily essentials are provided without the calories, as even good hay and grazing can be deficient in nutrients.
PASTURE CONDITIONS: This can be largely dependent on your area, as for some, fall signifies the dwindling of grass growth while for others an increase in rainfall produces a flush of new grass before winter sets in.
In areas where grass is sparse consider introducing more hay to your horses in both their stall and paddock. When grazing is not as available horses tend to indulge in vegetation which may not be suitable and could lead to poisonings thus providing extra hay can help avoid this. Additional hay also helps to support the drop in nutritional value of pasture during winter months.
Pasture has a much higher water content than hay and so by adding more hay, water intake is reduced. Giving the horse time to change over slowly to a higher forage-based diet will give them time to alter their drinking habits in order to consume more and help reduce the risk of impaction colic. Including 1 tablespoon of salt per 500lbs of body weight is a good guide to stick to as including sodium helps to stimulate thirst and ensures your horse consumes enough water.
Research has shown that tepid water is drunk in much higher volumes and so when temperatures drop ensure your horses water is at a more tepid temperature to ensure they drink enough.
Calculate and ensure you have adequate supplies of hay as stocking up will not only help you avoid the higher winter prices but ensure you have enough to last you through the winter months. Horses should receive at least 1.5% of body weight per day in additional roughage. However, you may end up needing more to sustain your horses body weight in winter and so estimating on 2% of body weight per day per horse would give you a more accurate reflection of how much you need to buy. Due to drought and fires in many areas hay supply this year could run low and so if you feel this may be a concern think about adding additional roughage support to the diet by using chopped hay, hay cubes/pellets and or beet products. Ensure your storage area is pest free and protected from the elements to guarantee your hays longevity.
BEWARE OF LAMINITIS: For those living in areas where rains return in fall causing a flush of grass growth be aware that this grass flush can be as risky as spring grass for horses at risk from laminitis. Pasture grasses contain high levels of soluble sugars and NSCs during their active growth phase. When cold temperatures cause growth to cease, the sugar cannot be utilized as fast as it is produced and thus it accumulates in the plant in an attempt to fuel regrowth. For horses prone to laminitis, restrict or avoid grazing when night temperatures are below 40F, followed by sunny days as the colder nights will prevent the plant from using its sugars leading to higher levels of NSC in the day.
For all horses there is a seasonal increase of the hormone ACTH from mid-August through November. This rise is related to changes in hormone activity ultimately responsible for winter coat growth. However, in horses with Cushings (or undetected Cushings) this seasonal ACTH rise generates levels much higher than normal. This is a concern as ACTH stimulates the adrenal gland to produce cortisol and long-term elevated cortisol puts vulnerable horses at high risk for fall laminitis and/or insulin resistance. Its therefore advisable to test your older horse for Cushings during this time in order to avoid long term issues.
MATCH DIET TO EXERCISE: Ensure that your horses diet matches this workload. Horses may experience a drop in exercise in fall and winter and so the diet would need to be matched to ensure excessive weight gain and/or behavioural changes are not seen. For those still in work and performing regularly make sure your diet accounts for the drop in nutritional value of pasture and that additional supplementation is provided if necessary.
DO SOME HOUSEKEEPING: Address anything that needs fixing. Repairs ignored now will become much bigger problems once winter is in full swing. In cold areas ensure your pipes are insulted enough to avoid freezing and even have your barn checked for structural integrity to ensure it can withstand heavy snow falls. Assess areas of your pasture and yard that are known to become muddy and either ensure that the water run-off is adequate or place a covering (such as wood chips or a commercial pad or panel) to help manage mud in these areas. Check light fittings work and that you have enough for those darker days. Now is also the time to check blankets and ensure they fit correctly, are clean and ready to use.
If you have any concerns about your horse’s diet or condition this autumn do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help!
Competition season is upon us which means
transporting your horses long distances to shows. As tough as trailering can be on horses, there are a few things you can do to make their time in the little box more enjoyable.
Preparation
Wrapping your horse for travel can be a good way to protect his or her legs in the trailer. Shipping boots and standing wraps are two ways to do that, as long as they are used properly. You should make sure that the shipping boots fit your horse well, since they tend to not be available in sizes as variable as standing wraps. Standing wraps need to be done properly, otherwise they may do more harm than good. When wrapping, start at the front of the cannon bone and wrap towards the back of the horse, making sure all layers lie flat against the leg so that no pressure points are created. It’s important to wrap tightly enough so that they don’t slide down, but not too tight as this can cut off blood supply and damage the tendons. You should be able to fit 1-2 fingers inside the wrap. Using thick enough padding under your standing wraps is key to insuring correct wrap tension as this allows you to put enough tension on the wrap while at the same time not transferring excessive tension to the leg.
If you are trailering when it’s hot out, you should be aware that using shipping boots and wraps will hold in heat around your horse’s legs, which can be bad for tendons. Heat can increase swelling and fatigue of tendons, raising risk of injury. The decision to use either can sometimes be a calculated risk assessment. Bell boots can be used with standing wraps or alone but again may rub on long journeys especially in warm weather.
Hydration
Trailering is quite stressful on a horse’s body. Their muscles are constantly working to maintain balance for the duration of the trip, causing them to lose a fair amount of sweat and become dehydrated. We tend to not notice this as air movement in the trailer, especially if the windows are open, provide a breeze to dry their sweat. Dehydration and electrolyte loss from sweating can also cause fatigue, decreased function of nerves and muscles, alkalosis, and more. This can greatly affect performance, so if you’re travelling to a competition this may be especially important. In order to avoid dehydration from hauling, preventative measures should be taken in the days leading up to the trip. Electrolytes can be given in addition to daily salt either via grain or mixed in their water, in order to encourage your horse to drink more water and stay hydrated. Starting your trip with a well-hydrated horse will make a difference! Make sure your electrolytes are at least 60% salt, as sodium is the most important part of restoring ion balance. After trailering, be sure to offer your horse plenty of water and give more electrolytes if they aren’t interested in drinking. Always make sure that your horse has access to plain water if placing electrolytes in drinking water.
Air quality and tying your horse
Another very important consideration while trailering is your horse’s ability to breathe on the road. Firstly, if you like to provide your horse with hay on the road, consider the type and placement of your feeder. Nets are widely used as a way to keep horses busy on long hauls and have a few pros and cons. They act as slow feeders to keep a low, steady state of feed in your horse’s digestive tract thus aiding in ulcer prevention. Other alternatives like mesh corner feeders or hay bags with a small, netted opening are other options. It is important to alter these based on the height of your horse. Do not make them too low otherwise they may hang a hoof on them. Also try to avoid hanging them in such a way that the horse has no opportunity to move his head away from them. Having hay in the trailer can be a major source of dust and may cause breathing issues. This is especially true if your horse has to breath into the hay for the entire ride.
Research also illuminates interesting points about tying your horse while trailering. Untied horses choose to travel down the road hind-end first—essentially “backwards” of traditional practice. The “rear-facing horses have fewer… total impacts [with the trailer walls] and losses of balance” than those that are tied (Clark et al 1993). It is recommended that you practice this on a case-by-case basis. This method works in a stock trailer, box stall, or slant trailer with the dividers removed. Additionally, a study conducted by Stull and Rodiek 2010 found multiple compatible horses can safely travel untied, but practice this on a case-by-case basis.
Stull and Rodiek also found the levels of white blood cells and cortisol were higher in tied horses than untied horses. The number of white blood cells (often used as indicator of infection) during recovery were three times greater in tied horses than untied. This confirms the findings of many other studies linking elevated head posture to an increased number of tracheal bacteria. Horses need to lower their head for tracheal secretions to flush the area and prevent bacteria build up. Failure to do so can lead to pneumonia and other respiratory problems. If your horse frequently experiences respiratory issues after travel, you may consider loosening the lead rope (if safety permits), traveling with your horse untied, or making stops to let your horse drop his head.
Whether you are trailering for a show or a weekend trail ride, lessening the stress your horse experiences while on the road makes the trip more enjoyable for all. It is especially important to consider these tips before embarking on long hauls where horses undergo extended periods of stress and fatigue. Always hydrate and offer electrolytes post-travel. It is important to walk your horse to let them stretch their legs and assess soundness as well as to get the gastrointestinal tract moving. Happy travels!
Works Cited
Clark, Diana K., Ted H. Friend, and Gisela Dellmeier. "The Effect of Orientation during Trailer Transport on Heart Rate, Cortisol and Balance in Horses." Applied Animal Behaviour Science 38.3-4 (1993): 179-89. Web.
Stull, C. L., and A. V. Rodiek. "Effects of Cross-tying Horses during 24 H of Road Transport." Equine Veterinary Journal34.6 (2010): 550-55. Web.
Gross, W.B. and Seigel, H.S. (1983) Evaluation of the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio as a measure of stress in chickens. Avian Dis. 27, 972-979.
Every 3 months, you find yourself 
staring at a shelf full of dewormers with more questions than answers. More often than not, you grab for a familiar-sounding wormer such as an ivermectin like Zimectrin®, a fenbendazole like Panacure®, or a moxidectin like Quest®. Although each of these wormers have their own purpose, few know which anthelmintic to use at what time. It turns out, this method of routine worming has inadvertently led to problems with parasite resistance
Resistance on the Rise
Articles released by the American Association of Equine Practitioners and University of Florida’s Large Animal Clinic report startling information about the emergence of resistant parasites. Anthelmintic resistance essentially means parasites are able to survive a dose of a dewormer that will typically kill the given species. Furthermore, resistance is an inherited trait passed on to offspring (AAEP).
Around 40 years ago, veterinarians recommended regular deworming intervals as a way to control large strongyles—a very prominent parasite that posed a lot of problems at the time. The regular intervals essentially diminished the population by keeping larvae from growing into harmful adults. Now, after years of this method, the problem has shifted away from the less-prevalent large strongyles and toward other parasites (AAEP). In 2001, Kaplan, Klei et al. conducted a study to examine resistant parasites in Southern United States and found that small strongyles are creating a new threat to horses. They concluded small strongyles are showing resistance to fendendazole, oxibendazole, and pyrantel pamoate leaving only one anthelmintic drug class (avermectin/milbemycin) without resistance. This means that some horses (almost half of those in the study) only have one drug class left that will kill parasites.
Furthermore, small strongyles elsewhere in the world are showing resistance to avermectin/milbemycin (Kaplen, et al). The problem arises from horse owners today following parasite control recommendations from 40 years ago. If this continues, treatments will become less effective and give rise to greater problems.
Deworming Meets Modern Methods
Veterinarians are now recommending a new, method of parasite control that does not involve a “one size fits all” approach. They are shying away from using a routine calendar deworming schedule and now suggesting a more customized regime for a healthy and happy horse. Owners should treat their horses by targeting a specific parasite with its biology and lifecycle in mind using an affective anthelmintic to get the job done. This starts by having your veterinarian perform an FEC, a fecal egg count, to determine if your horse is in need of parasite control and if so, which kind of control. They can also test the horses to reveal which dewormers work and which dewormers do not work for your horse.
Most horses have low populations of worms at any given time. Although this makes many horse owners cringe, it is actually okay and makes for a healthy animal. Low levels of parasites stimulate immunity and very rarely cause any disease. Therefore, it is important to perform these tests regularly to know the healthy baseline for your horse and when populations need to be controlled.
The Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) can tell you if your horse’s strongyles or ascarids are resistant to a given dewormer (AAEP). A veterinarian performs a fecal egg count before deworming and then another fecal egg count 14 days after giving the dose. Those numbers are then used to calculate the change in parasites by using the FECRT equation. AAEP has guidelines of suggested levels of no resistance, susceptible to resistance, suspected resistance, and resistance. Your veterinarian may apply the result from the FECRT equation to these guidelines to get a better understanding of your horse’s parasites. If a horse has a higher than normal result, a veterinarian can provide you with the exact product and dosage to treat the problem efficiently and effectively.
Deworming Schedules for Different Horses
For those curious about a “typical” deworming schedule, Colorado State University and the Association for Equine Practitioners outline a few guidelines for adult horses, pregnant mares, and foals. After a vet performs a fecal egg count, they will know the eggs per gram of manure (EPG). Based on CSU’s Equine Recommended Deworming Schedule, adult horses will fall into either of three categories: Low Shedders (less than 200 eggs per gram), Moderate Shedders (between 200 and 500 eggs per gram), and High Shedders (greater than 500 eggs per gram). Your veterinarian can then determine if deworming is needed and the correct dosage. If deworming is needed, Colorado State University suggests these products and times based on the EPG from a fecal egg count:
Adult Horses
| Shedding Rate | EPG | FEC Test Time | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
| Low
Shedders |
<200 | Test in spring and fall | Ivermectin
Moxidectin |
N/A | Ivermectin
Moxidectin with praziquantel |
N/A |
| Moderate Shedders | 200-500 | Test in spring and fall | Ivermectin
Moxidectin or double-dose fenbendazole for 5 days |
Pyrantel Pamoate
Fenbendazole |
N/A | Ivermectin w/ praziquantel
moxidectin with praziquantel |
| High Shedders | >500 | Test in spring and fall and look for resistance | Ivermectin
Moxidectin Or double-dose of fenbendazole for 5 days |
Pyrantel pamoate
fenbendazole |
Ivermectin with praziquantel
moxidectin with praziquantel |
Pyrantel pamoate
Fenbendazole Oxibendazole |
Pregnant Mares
For pregnant mares, Colorado State suggests deworming the same as an adult horse. However, they suggest giving her ivermectin with praziquantel or moxidectin with praziquantel when vaccinating before foaling.
Foals
Many horse owners have questions about if, and when they should deworm foals. The American Association for Equine Practitioners notes that horses under the age of 3 should have a different parasite program because they are at a higher risk for infestation. Colorado State University recommends deworming foals as follows:
| 2 Months | Ivermectin |
| 4 Months | Oxibendazole—Pyrantel pamoate at 5 months |
| 6 Months | Moxidectin with Praziquantel |
| 8 Months | Pyrantel pamoate—Fendendazole at 9 months |
| 10 Months | Ivermectin |
| 12 Months | Fenbendazole |
It is important to note that dosage will depend on a couple factors. A horse’s susceptibility to parasites varies depending on: their lifestyle, living arrangements, resistance to anthelmintics, time of year, weight, age, level of egg shedding, etc. (AAEP). Therefore, make a point to discuss a plan with your veterinarian.
The cost of a FEC test varies by vet but should only cost around the same price as a tube of dewormer. During your next check-up, be sure to do your part in preventing parasite resistance and ask your vet about a fecal egg count test. Together we can make healthier and happier horses.
Works Cited
Kaplan, Ray M. These Ain’t Your Father’s Parasites: Dewormer Resistance and New Strategies for Parasite Control in Horses (n.d.): n. pag. Large Animal Clinical Services University of Florida. Web.
American Association of Equine Practitioners AAEP Parasite Control Guidelines (n.d.): n. pag. AAEP Parasite Control Subcommittee of the AAEP Infectious Disease Committee Web.
Colorado State University (n.d.):n. pag. Equine Recommended Deworming Schedule CSU Web
A New Method for Deworming Horses by Summit Equine Nutrition is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Now that we are moving into spring, competition season is upon us!
Prepare your horse or keep up
their fitness by incorporating some endurance and speed work into their training schedule.
Once your horse has a good foundation in long slow work, training may proceed to phase 2: endurance work. This type of exercise allows your horse to work up to the anaerobic threshold. Lactate, the chemical that causes muscle fatigue, builds up in the muscle during anaerobic work. At a certain point, levels start to rise at a faster rate. This point is considered the anaerobic threshold (also called the lactate threshold) where the body moves from aerobic to anaerobic energy. The anaerobic threshold can be used as a measure of fitness. Horses that are more fit will have a higher anaerobic threshold, as their bodies can work longer in the aerobic domain, producing less lactate. Meanwhile less fit horses will have a lower anaerobic threshold, as their bodies accumulate lactate much quicker. Endurance work allows horses to improve their fitness by working at the level of their anaerobic threshold, and thus gradually raising it.
This type of exercise can come in many forms. Hill work and underwater work (i.e. swimming or underwater treadmill) are particularly effective as they are both higher-resistance work than regular flat work, and thus provide a more intense workout in the same amount of time and space as a regular workout.
Finally, once the horse has a good base in long slow work and endurance work, fast work may be added. This type of exercise is really only necessary for horses that will be participating in sports requiring speed work, such as showjumping, thoroughbred and quarter horse racing, eventing and certain western events such as barrel racing.
When training for these types of jobs, there are two different training approached that may be taken. In the first, continuous speed training, generally the horse is not run at the goal distance or speed, but instead at a higher intensity for less time, or lower intensity for more time. For example, if it is desired that a racehorse will run at 600 meters per min (mpm) for 4 minutes, then the horse will be trained at 500 mpm for 7 minutes and 700 mpm for 1 minute.
The second training approach is interval training, which involves a longer exercise period with short breaks dispersed in between. For example, a 6-minute gallop set may be completed in 2-minute intervals, with 30-second walk breaks in between each interval. This strategy allows a horse that may not yet be able to complete a 6-minute gallop set at once to still get the same amount of exercise, and may actually decrease risk of injury. Although there are not any studies linking decreased risk of injury with interval training, it is known that risk of injury increases dramatically with fatigue. Interval training decreases a horse’s fatigue during exercise by allowing short breaks to recuperate, thus potentially decreasing the risk of injury. It is important to note that this type of training significantly reduces muscle glycogen stores, which is a major cause of fatigue. Thus, this type of exercise should not be done too frequently.
Gearing Up For The New Season With Endurance and Speed Word by Summit Equine Nutrition is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Minerals
Chloride, copper, iodine, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and calcium all have an increased requirement for the last trimester. Most hays are high in iron and potassium and the majority of horses are having their requirements met in excess so adding these nutrients to the diet as a supplement is typically not necessary. Similarly if your mare is receiving adequate salt and any alfalfa in the diet the additional sodium, chloride, iodine, magnesium and calcium requirements are also likely being met.
Copper and zinc tend to be low in most hays, and it is not unusual for a typical diet to be deficient in one or both of these. Alternatively, the diet may be so high in iron that the iron out competes the copper and zinc for absorption leading to copper and zinc deficiencies even though there may be enough copper and zinc present in the diet. Therefore it is a good idea to provide a supplement that will provide additional copper and zinc throughout the pregnancy. This is particularly important for last trimester mares because copper is required for elastic connective tissue and collagen formation the main component of bone matrix.< While not the only cause of developmental orthopedic diseases (DOD) in foals, there has been research that suggests that foals born to mares that were given supplemental copper had lower incidents of osteochondrosis even if the foals were given supplemental copper after birth (NRC, 2007). It is thought that supplementing the pregnant mare may promote repair of developing osteochondral lesions in the foal. Therefore it is very important that the mare’s diet provide adequate trace minerals that are correctly balanced to assure absorption and utilization. There are many products on the market containing copper and zinc but many provide insufficient amounts to result in correct trace mineral balance in the diet. You may wish to discuss your supplement choice with a nutritionist who can help you decide whether the supplement you have chosen will bring to the diet what your horse actually needs.
Vitamins
There are two classes of vitamins water soluble (A,D,E and K) and fat soluble (B and C), all but vitamin A and E can be made by the horse. Both vitamin A and E have implications for the brood mare and foal. One of the body stores for vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A) is the ovary and namely the corpus luteum where it helps control progesterone secretion and therefore ovulation and embryo implantation. As a result, inadequate beta-carotene in the diet may lead to issues with ovulation and pregnancy maintenance. While beta-carotene in hay may be adequate to maintain vitamin A in the body, it may not be adequate to maintain ovarian stores of beta-carotene. The plasma beta-carotene content of mares fed pasture is 8 to 13 times higher than mares fed hay (Lewis, 1995). In fact, hay has been found to lose 9.5% of its vitamin A per month so that by 6 months after cutting, more than 50% of the vitamin A will have been lost. At the same time winter pastures have less vitamin A and beta-carotene than summer pastures and therefore even on pasture mares may have vitamin A insufficiencies (Greiwe-Crandell et al., 1995). In this same study, foals with respiratory infection were found to have reduced vitamin A status. It was unclear whether the infections caused the low vitamin A status or visa versa, but as foals are born without vitamin A stores and rely on transfer of vitamin A in colostrum from their mothers, it would seem a sensible precaution to insure the mares vitamin A status is adequate prior to foaling. This could be especially true for mares that foal early before spring pastures and new hay become available. NRC requirement for vitamin A is 60 IU/kg body weight for mares and 45 IU/kg body weight for foals.
Vitamin E is not heat stable and levels in hay are therefore very low compared to those in fresh pasture. Research has shown improved immune status (higher IgG levels) in foals born to mares supplemented with 160 IU vitamin E per kg dry matter consumed. It was not confirmed that these foals in fact had improved health, but resistance to systemic infections and respiratory diseases is dependent on the amount of colostrol IgG absorbed (Lewis, 1995) and so it would seem good insurance to assure that mares are consuming adequate vitamin E prior to colostrum production which occurs in the last month of gestation. This is especially true for mares receiving most of their diet as hay.
Summary
Mares should be fed as much of their nutrient requirement in the form of good quality hay and pasture as possible. Supplemental grain should be fed as necessary to maintain condition. Quality protein should be provided to insure adequate essential amino acid intakes and supplemental copper, zinc and vitamin E should be supplemented along with vitamin A if there are concerns about the vitamin A status of the diet. Several manufacturers make products that provide fortified minerals and quality protein at approximately 12 or 30% of the product, the lower protein level being ideal for mares receiving some alfalfa and the 30% products being ideal for mares on grass hay. These products are made to be fed at approximately 1-2 lbs per day. Should more calories be required for weight gain than provided by these feeds, a feed specifically manufactured for brood mares and growing youngstock may be fed in higher amounts. You should read the manufacturers feeding instructions to find out the amount to feed and whether the product should be combined with a more fortified feed if fed below their recommended feeding levels in order to insure adequate vitamin and mineral intakes. Alternatively, it is possible to formulate a vitamin and mineral supplement to specifically balance your hay. This may be fed in conjunction with a commercially available fortified grain or with straight grains such as oats.
If you are unclear as to the best approach for feeding your brood mare during the last months of her pregnancy and as she transitions to lactation you may want to consider working with a specialist independent equine nutritionist who will be able to evaluate your horse’s specific needs and help you put together an optimal diet. Providing for your late gestation mare’s dietary needs will insure that her foal is in vibrant health, skeletally strong, and has a robust immune system. Additionally your mare will be in the best health producing enough milk to feed her foal while being reproductively able to breed again should you so desire.
Fowden, A.L., A.J. Forehead, K.L. White and P.M. Taylor. (2000). Equine uteroplacental metabolism at mid and late gestation. Exp. Physiol. 85:539-545.
Greiwe-Crandell K.M., D.S. Kronfeld, L.A. Gay and D. Sklaty (1995). Seasonal Vitamin A Depletion in Grazing Horses Is Assessed Better by the Relative Dose Response Test than by Serum Retinol Concentration. J. Nutr. 125:2711-2716.
Lewis, L.D. Equine clinical nutrition: feeding and care. Philadelphia.Williams and Wilkins 1995.
National Research Council. Nutrient requirements of horses: 6th Revised Edition. Washington D.C. National Academies Press. 2007.
Reynolds, L.P., C.l. Ferrel, D.A. Robertson, and S.P. Ford. (1986). Matbolism of the gravid uterus, foetus and utero-placenta at several stages of gestation in cows. J. Agric. Sci. 106:437-442.
Van Neikirk, F.E., and C.H. van Neikirk. (1997a). The effect of dietary protein on reproduction in the mare: III. Ovarian and uterine changes during the anovulatory, transitional and ovulatory periods in the non-pregnant mare. J.S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. 68:86-92.
Van Neikirk, F.E., and C.H. van Neikirk. (1997b). The effect of dietary protein on reproduction in the mare: I. The composition and evaluation of digestibility of dietary protein from different sources. J.S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. 68:78-80.
Pregnant mares must consume 
enough nutrients to both maintain their own body weight throughout the pregnancy and also to create new tissues, those of the fetus and those that support the pregnancy such as the placenta. Due to the very small amount of tissue deposition in the first months of pregnancy, providing the mare is in good weight and not working, she can be fed as a horse at maintenance for the first 4 months. However, due to the development of the tissues supporting the pregnancy, starting in month 5 her nutrient requirements change.
Energy
Fetal growth is greatest during the last 60 days of gestation and therefore traditionally it was not felt necessary to increase energy intake until the 3rd trimester. However, while fetal growth is greatest in the last trimester, more recent research (Reynolds et al., 1986 and Fowden et al., 2000) has shown that during the 2nd trimester there is an increased energy requirement for development of placental tissues. Therefore, the guidelines laid out in the 2007 National Research Council’s (NRC) Nutrient Requirements of Horses recommends that energy in the diet be gradually increased starting at the 5th month of gestation with a greater rate of increase in the last 3 months (See Table 1).
Table 1: Energy requirement of the 500kg (1100lb) mare by month of gestation.
| Month of Gestation | Energy requirement in Mcal digestible energy (DE) per day |
| Less than 5 month | 16.7 |
| 5 months | 17.1 |
| 6 months | 17.4 |
| 7 months | 17.9 |
| 8 months | 18.5 |
| 9 months | 19.2 |
| 10 months | 20.2 |
| 11 months | 21.4 |
It is expected that mares should be seen to gain weight during the last 3 months reflecting the increasing weight of the foal. Over the entire pregnancy mares can be expected to gain 12-15% of their non-pregnant weight and foal birth weight is estimated to be 9.7% of the mare’s non-pregnant weight. So a foal born to a mare whose non-pregnant weight is 1100lbs will weigh around 107lbs at birth. Mares who do not gain weight during the last trimester will be utilizing their own body energy stores to support fetal growth. This puts the mare at a disadvantage after foaling when she will need those body energy stores for milk production. Mares who do not receive the necessary energy during this time may foal late in an attempt to have their foals be at the correct weight at foaling. If the mare did not enter gestation with a body condition score (BCS) of 5 or above these energy intakes would need to be increased further in order for her to gain weight and have a BCS of 5 by the 9th month.
The best starting source for the extra energy requirement is from hay, however as the fetus grows the amount of space within the body cavity for the digestive tract becomes proportionally less. Your broodmare may not be physically able to eat the amount of hay that would be required to meet her energy requirement. This is especially true if you are feeding a lower quality hay with a higher proportion of non-fermentable fiber. Ideally, as for all horses, hay fed to mares and foals should be analyzed for all nutrients including the hays neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) content which are measures of hay quality. NDF estimates the amount of cell wall material in the hay at the time of cutting. The more mature the hay is at cutting the greater proportion of cell wall material, and while NDF does not appear to be the sole determinant of voluntary dry matter intake in horses some studies have shown that as the proportion of NDF increases intakes decrease. Hays with an NDF proportion greater than 65% should be avoided, especially for broodmares and youngstock, a desirable NDF is 55% or less. ADF (cellulose and lignin) increase as the plants in the hay become more mature, the higher the percentage ADF the lower the digestibility of the hay. ADF values over 45% are of little nutritive value and ideally the ADF proportion should be below 32% for broodmares and youngstock. It should be noted that maturity is not a reflection of the cutting (1st, 2ndcuttings etc) it is a reflection of the maturity of the plants when they are cut.
If your mare will not physically eat enough hay to meet her increasing energy needs then you will need to turn to other more energy dense feeds such as grains or commercially compounded feeds. The benefit of starting this before foaling is that the mare will have adjusted to this type of diet before reaching the very demanding metabolic state of lactation. As we saw in table 1, in the last month of gestation the 500kg mare requires 21.4 Mcal per day this increases to 31.7 Mcal once the foal is born and the mare is in the first month of lactation!
Protein
Protein is needed to increase lean body mass so it comes as no surprise that the mare’s protein requirement increases during the last trimester. Interestingly there have been studies (van Niekerk and van Niekerk 1997a) showing that feeding diets deficient in protein may lead to a slower return to ovulation possibly due to lower progesterone concentrations post foaling. This is an important consideration if you are planning on re-breeding your mare. In early pregnancy low protein levels have been linked to lost weight and early fetal loss (van Niekerk and van Niekerk 1997b).
The crude protein requirements of the 500kg pregnant mare are shown in table 2.
Table 2: Crude Protein requirement of the 500kg (1100lb) mare by month of gestation.
| Month of Gestation | Crude protein requirement in grams of crude protein per day |
| Less than 5 month | 630 |
| 5 months | 685 |
| 6 months | 704 |
| 7 months | 729 |
| 8 months | 759 |
| 9 months | 797 |
| 10 months | 841 |
| 11 months | 893 |
If the 500kg mare (not accounting for extra weight gained during pregnancy) is fed 1.5% of her body weight per day as grass hay (just over 17.5 lbs) with a crude protein level of 10% she will be consuming 800g of protein, enough to meet her requirement through the 9th month. If we assume that she does not eat any greater amount of grass hay in her 10th and 11th months then she would need some protein supplementation from some other source. A lot of people feed their broodmares some proportion of their hay intake as alfalfa because of alfalfa’s higher protein content. If the grass hay intake of our 500kg mare was reduced to just over 14 lbs and just over 3 lbs of a 18% crude protein alfalfa was fed the total crude protein intake would be 920g exceeding the 11th month requirement. As you can see feeding the common practice of feeding 30-50% of hay as alfalfa easily insures protein needs are met.
However, hay is generally thought of as a low quality protein source containing fewer of the essential amino acids per unit mass. Therefore to meet the horse’s essential amino acid requirements a greater amount of crude protein needs to be eaten. So excess protein may insure these amino acid needs are met. However much of the non-essential amino acids will need to be excreted and this excess nitrogen increases urea output which can lead to high ammonia levels in stalls and reduced respiratory health. This along with the fact that eating more hay may not be physically possible makes feeding a supplement or concentrate that provides essential amino acids an attractive alternative.
Fowden, A.L., A.J. Forehead, K.L. White and P.M. Taylor. (2000). Equine uteroplacental metabolism at mid and late gestation. Exp. Physiol. 85:539-545.
Greiwe-Crandell K.M., D.S. Kronfeld, L.A. Gay and D. Sklaty (1995). Seasonal Vitamin A Depletion in Grazing Horses Is Assessed Better by the Relative Dose Response Test than by Serum Retinol Concentration. J. Nutr. 125:2711-2716.
Lewis, L.D. Equine clinical nutrition: feeding and care. Philadelphia.Williams and Wilkins 1995.
National Research Council. Nutrient requirements of horses: 6th Revised Edition. Washington D.C. National Academies Press. 2007.
Reynolds, L.P., C.l. Ferrel, D.A. Robertson, and S.P. Ford. (1986). Matbolism of the gravid uterus, foetus and utero-placenta at several stages of gestation in cows. J. Agric. Sci. 106:437-442.
Van Neikirk, F.E., and C.H. van Neikirk. (1997a). The effect of dietary protein on reproduction in the mare: III. Ovarian and uterine changes during the anovulatory, transitional and ovulatory periods in the non-pregnant mare. J.S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. 68:86-92.
Van Neikirk, F.E., and C.H. van Neikirk. (1997b). The effect of dietary protein on reproduction in the mare: I. The composition and evaluation of digestibility of dietary protein from different sources. J.S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. 68:78-80.
Feeding the 3rd Trimester Mare, Part 1 by Dr. Clair Thunes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
As long as your stallion is in good
weight and is receiving a balanced diet, supplementing additional vitamins and minerals above requirement has not been conclusively proven to have any positive effect on fertility. However, there is a nutrient that stands out as having a positive
impact on the viability and motility of sperm, especially those stallions that battle with sub-par fertility when their semen is cooled or frozen.
Cooling and freezing semen causes cellular level injury in sperm, disrupting membrane lipids. Additionally motility, viability and freezing capacity can be affected. Many livestock species have their semen collected in these ways, and not all species sperm are as impacted by cooling and freezing. This is thought to be due to differences in sperm membrane structure, the major difference being the amount of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid.
Sperm also contain docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), an omega-6 fatty acid. Both DHA and DPA are examples of polyunsaturated acids (PUFA). High DPA to DHA ratios have been linked to infertility with higher DHA being linked to increased fertility, and species with naturally higher levels of DHA handle cooling and freezing with less negative effects.
Research in other species has shown effective transfer of dietary PUFA to sperm. However, due to the types of fats, grains and forages commonly fed to horses, many rations are high in omega-6 fatty acids, precursors for DPA. This may lead to a lowering of the ratio of DHA to DPA in sperm membranes causing a decrease in fertility. Research published in 2005 from Texas A & M looked at the effects of feeding a DHA enriched nutriceutical to 8 stallions to see if they could improve sperm quality. They found that the supplemental DHA resulted in a tripling of semen DHA levels, and a 50% increase in the ratio of DHA to DPA. While motility in fresh semen was unaffected, and total and progressive motility were not impacted after 24hrs of cooled storage, they did see a higher velocity and straighter projection. Furthermore, after 48hrs of cooled storage, improvements were seen in total, progressive and rapid motility.
Perhaps of most interest were the results from a subset of the stallions who had progressive motility of <40% after 24hrs of cooled storage when receiving no DHA supplementation. With supplementation, these same stallions showed a dramatic improvement in progressive motility at 24 and 48 hrs of cooling. Similar results were seen on freeze thawing of semen. For these stallions it was speculated that supplementation could improve semen quality by a factor great enough to make them candidates for cooling and freezing.
More recently researchers from Uruguay performed a similar experiment feeding 30g of DHA per day for 80 days and found an increase in total sperm number per ejaculate, motility, and a reduced percentage of dead and abnormal sperm in comparison with the control treatment. Again, the greatest increase in these parameters, and improvement in morphology was in those stallions whose semen had initially been of poor quality.
For stallions that already have high fertility and handle cooling and freezing, supplementing DHA is likely unnecessary. If you are unsure as to whether your stallion would be a good candidate for DHA supplementation you may wish to ask your veterinarian or stud manager. Good sources of DHA include fish oil and some algal preparations. When choosing a DHA supplement, with the goal of improving the DHA to DPA ratio, choose one that specifically contains DHA and overall contains predominantly omega-3 fatty acids. If there is more omega-6 than omega-3, little impact will be made on the DHA to DPA ratio. It has been speculated that even more dramatic effects may be seen if supplementation is done in conjunction with modifying the main fat content of the diet. A qualified equine nutritionist can help you to determine whether the balance of PUFA's in your stallions diet are optimal, as well as helping you find a suitable DHA supplement.
Lastly a word of caution. If trying to influence sperm quality do not expect immediate results. Spermatogenesis (the cycle of sperm formation) takes approximately 60 days. This means that the beneficial results of omega-3 supplementation may take up to 2 months to be noticeable. Therefore starting supplementation before the beginning of the season is advised.
References
Brinsko SP, Varner DD, Love CC, Blanchard TL, Day BC, and Wilson ME. Effect of feeding a DHA-enriched nutriceutical on the quality of fresh, cooled and frozen stallion semen. Theriogenology 63 (2005) 1519-1527.
Elhordoy DM, Cazales N, Costa G, and Estevez J. Effect of dietary supplementation with DHA on the quality of fresh, cooled and frozen stallion semen. Animal Reproduction Science 107:3 (2008) 319.
At the barn where my daughter 
rides we seem to be in the thick of abscess season. I have a few clients whose horses are suffering the same affliction too. Abscesses are one of the most common causes of acute lameness in horses, especially during the winter. This is a problem that almost all horse owners have dealt with, and if you haven’t, I can assure you that the first time it happens you will probably freak out when your horse comes up suddenly and violently lame. Abscesses are initially caused when bacteria enter the horse’s hoof. However, the horse does not show any lameness from an abscess until the infection reaches the sensitive part of the hoof and then they may act as though they have some horrendous injury.
So what exactly is an abscess? In simplest terms a hoof abscess is an accumulation of pus within the horse’s hoof. They can be relatively minor causing only mild lameness, or they can cause major discomfort due to the build-up of pressure in the horse’s hoof resulting in a horse that won’t put its foot on the ground.
Why does it seem that abscesses are more common during wet and muddy conditions or when the weather changes and what are other causes of abscesses?
Changes in weather conditions are one of the most common causes of an abscess. Wet conditions following dry weather often lead to abscesses. In dry conditions, the hoof is hard and often has small cracks in the sole. Once the weather becomes wet and muddy, the hoof expands and these small cracks in the hoof become a perfect place for bacteria to gain access which may lead to infection and an abscess.
An injury to the hoof can often predispose an abscess. If a wound penetrates the hoof wall or sole and allows the introduction of bacteria into the hoof capsule, these bacteria can lead to infection and an abscesses. However, the hoof doesn’t have to be penetrated. A bruised hoof can also cause an abscess. Bruises can turn into abscesses if the pocket of blood becomes infected by the bacteria forming an abscess.
Shoeing errors such as a hot nail. This happens when your farrier places a nail too close to the sensitive lamina tissue in your horse’s foot. This can introduce bacteria into the horse’s foot, resulting in an abscess.
Unsanitary conditions, such as dirty stalls or muddy pastures filled with urine and feces can also result in a hoof abscess. These conditions can soften and weaken the sole, making it more susceptible to bacterial penetration and infection.
Low grade laminitis. If your horse suffers from repetitive abscesses, it is worth discussing with your vet whether your horse may have on chronic low-grade laminitis. Or perhaps your horse tends to get abscesses in the fall, which may correspond with the seasonal rise in ACT hormone. This is especially elevated in horses with Cushing’s disease, which can lead to mild to severe laminitis. In laminitis the sensitive laminae are dying, which essentially results in dead tissue inside the hoof capsule that can result in the formation of pus and an abscess. If your horse gets repetitive seasonal abscesses, or just repetitive abscesses, it is worth checking with your vet to insure nothing more sinister is going on.
Treating the Abscess:
Ultimately, it is important to contact your veterinarian or farrier if you suspect that your horse may have an abscess for a proper diagnosis. In some cases, you may have to pull your horses shoe or have your vet or farrier pare away the hoof to give the abscess a better opportunity to drain. More commonly, the abscess will erupt on its own either out of the coronary band or the sole. However, here are some common practices, which may help the abscess erupt more quickly.
Prevention
Prevention is always the better choice! While in some cases it won’t be possible to prevent an abscess from forming, there are steps you can take: make sure stalls and runs are well mucked out and ideally graded so that they do not become too muddy, have a dry area where you horse can stand, be sure to pick out feet and check for injuries every day, and insure that your horse’s diet is well balanced especially for trace minerals. Zinc plays a vital role in the quality of hoof horn and diets are often low in zinc and have poor trace mineral balance. Insuring that there is a source of quality protein in the diet will also help hoof health as methionine, an essential amino acid, insures strong cross linkages in the horn.
Anyone who has dealt with a hoof abscess before knows that while it is frustrating to have your horse be out of work and in pain, there is also a sense of gratitude that it is just an abscess. Horses really can be a roller coaster of emotions and hoof abscesses are no exception!
Managing Hoof Abscesses by Summit Equine Nutrition is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This time of year can make for some miserable riding. Whether it is freezing cold or pouring rain it can seem that there isn’t much opportunity to do much more than walking and trotting, often around an indoor arena. It can be hard to imagine you will ever be ready for that first competition of the season. However these often tedious rides may in fact be some of the most important work you do in the run up to the new competition season.
This work creates the base of your horse’s fitness. When you consider your conditioning program imagine it as a triangle. A triangle with a wide base is more stable than one with a narrow base. You do not want your triangle to be taller than the base is wide. Long slow work creates that base. It is the foundation on to which you build endurance and speed work.
The triangles below are a visual example of how a horse’s fitness should be developed (Figures 1, 2). The base of the triangle is long, slow distance work (Figure 1: phase 1), the center is endurance work (Figure 1: phase 2), and the top of the triangle is fast work (Figure 1: phase 3).
So what exactly is going on during this long slow work period? Walking and trotting are generally low in intensity and aerobic in nature. They help strengthen soft tissues and build up bone density. While cardiovascular fitness can be built up relatively quickly the conditioning of the muscular skeletal system takes far longer. Rushing over this period of the conditioning program could very well come back to haunt you later in the season in the form of a soft tissue or bone injury.
Working aerobically means that enough oxygen is supplied to the muscle to enable the use of that oxygen to produce energy (ATP) for work. Both fat and carbohydrate can be used as fuels when working aerobically. Initially carbohydrates are used as they are readily available circulating in blood as well as stored in muscles tissue and quickly result in ATP production. However if fat is utilized as an energy source a far greater yield of ATP is possible, it just doesn’t happen very quickly. A key component of the early stages of a conditioning schedule is to teach the horse’s body to utilize fat as an energy source thus saving stores of carbohydrate for when they are really needed during anaerobic exercise.
Fit horses are less likely to fatigue when they are working aerobically than they are when working anaerobically. A horse working aerobically has plenty of fuel available in fat stores, whereas glycogen stores can run out which can expedite fatigue. A major goal of conditioning is to train a horse to remain working aerobically as long as possible. If you can train your horse to spend more time working aerobically and utilizing fat as an energy source he will have more carbohydrate available for when it is really needed.
The base of your conditioning triangle should consist of low-speed work such as walk/trot for extended periods of time. Horses new to conditioning may need 3-12 months of this type of work, whereas previously trained horses may only require 1 month. The amount of long slow work required by your horse is determined by the “height” of the triangle, i.e. how much speed work or anaerobic work your horse will have to do. A typical amount of long slow work can be up to 1-1.5 hours, but few horses require more than 2 hours per day of this type of work.
During early training, long slow work may be the daily routine to build up this type of fitness. Later in training, this type of work may be decreased to 3 days per week to allow for other types of conditioning (i.e. endurance work and speed work), and eventually may be used only for behavior and mindset instead of adding any fitness.
So embrace the winter weather and all that walking and trotting because it could be the key to a successful summer season.
Probiotics or direct-fed-microbials (DFM’s) 
are living microorganisms typically bacteria or yeasts that when administered in adequate amounts, provide some benefit to the recipient. Typically they are beneficial bacteria that already exist in the digestive tract. Their use may be beneficial for horses displaying signs of digestive upset for example loose manure, inefficient ability to utilize the diet, after deworming, after antibiotics or at any time when intestinal microflora are thought to be compromised. Feeding them daily may help stabilize the hindgut microbial population and can be viewed as a good insurance policy versus waiting for disruption to occur. However, before deciding to purchase a probiotic it is worth understanding our present level of knowledge.
While there is much anecdotal evidence, currently there is not enough scientific evidence to conclude that probiotics are beneficial to horses or whether the correct strains of bacteria are being used. The number of organisms that would be necessary to be of benefit is likely to differ by the type of organism and has not been adequately investigated. Anecdotal evidence does suggest that probiotics may help some horses and if administered they are unlikely to be harmful. Classified by the FDA as a supplement and “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS), probiotics do not require any demonstration of efficacy and adverse effects are rarely reported. However, it may be wise to avoid Enterococci as they have been proven to transfer a gene responsible for antibiotic resistance, and probiotic use in foals should be avoided in the first 24 hours due to potentially reducing antibody absorption.
If you do decide to buy a probiotic, looking at the label can help insure that you are purchasing a quality product. The label should state the organisms that are included at least to the species level, for example Lactobacillus and better yet they should give the strain, for example Lactobacillus acidophilus, or Lactobacillus casei. The label should indicate the number of viable organisms (typically given as colony forming units or CFU) and ideally will guarantee that this number will still be viable at the expiration date. Live bacteria are not particularly stable and therefore products should be maintained in airtight containers and kept at a cool temperature.
Some products state that “fermentation products” of a certain bacteria are included or “yeast cultures”, this does not guarantee live bacteria are present and by definition if live microorganisms are not present it cannot be a probiotic. Rather these are prebiotics, substrates that are of benefit to existing intestinal tract bacteria. Other examples of common prebiotics include mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) and fructooligosacchrides (FOS).
Assuming that bacterial strains included in a product are beneficial, Dr. Scott Weese of the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in Canada and an expert in probiotics estimates that the minimum number of CFU’s per dose should be at least 1 × 1010 CFU/d (10 billion viable organisms per day). Keep in mind that in one study performed by Dr Weese only 15 of 25 products studied provided expected bacterial numbers on the label, and only 4 of the 15 met or exceeded their label claims.
Personally I have had good experiences feeding probiotics and consider them for horses needing to gain weight, older horses whose digestive systems may not be as efficient and horses who are stressed for any reason. However I am cautious of using them for the very young, very weak or immune compromised as such individuals may be more susceptible to risks of infection and therefore I do not recommend probiotics without the owner seeking veterinary input first.
Given exciting research in human medicine showing probiotics being of benefit to patients suffering from asthma and immune disorders probiotic use for horses has much promise. However for now understand the limitations of our knowledge, be sure to read product labels and make product selections carefully. If you decide to try a probiotic with your horse, always discuss the idea with your veterinarian or qualified nutritionist.
Probiotics - to feed or not to feed? by Dr. Clair Thunes PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://summit-equine.com/probiotics-to-…or-not-to-feed/
When adding fat to the diet for weight gain it is important
to insure that the diet remains well balanced. Therefore the most nutritionally complete way to add a fat source to your horse’s diet is to use a higher fat fortified commercial feed fed at their recommended daily intake level. These feeds often have 10-12 % crude fat, not only adding fat to the diet but also essential vitamins and minerals, protein and other nutrients. Oils are a great way of adding fat calories to a ration but provide only calories. Depending on what the rest of the diet is made up of, it is possible when supplementing oil to provide your horse with adequate calories but create a diet that is deficient in other key nutrients especially minerals and vitamins. This could hinder weight gain as these essential nutrients are necessary for proper functioning of metabolic pathways. Another benefit of using fortified high fat feeds is that they tend to contain sources of highly digestible fiber such as beet pulp and almond hulls so you have the benefit of adding cool calories from two different sources; fat and fiber.
Rice bran is a popular choice due to a fat content of >20% on a dry matter basis. Rice bran should be stabilized and typically has added calcium carbonate to balance the otherwise high phosphorous content. However, few rice brans are otherwise fortified so are unlikely to help with the overall provision of other necessary essential nutrients. Some better quality rice bran products will have added vitamin E. This in part helps maintain the shelf life of the product but also horses with higher fat intakes have higher vitamin E requirements.
It is tempting to pour oil over an existing diet and this will certainly increase calorie intake, however large amounts of oil can back fire. If you overwhelm the small intestine’s ability to digest and absorb fat it will pass into the cecum and large colon where it can disrupt fermentation of fiber. This could actually result in weight loss as the horse would not be able to get as much nutritional benefit from the forage in the diet. Oil should be introduced slowly over 10 to 14 days. An 8 fluid oz measuring cup holds about 10% of a 500 kg horse’s maintenance requirement and is comparable to the energy provided by just over a pound of oats. Even though the horse’s natural diet is relatively low in crude fat horses appear to utilize fat, however it is best to keep supplemental oil intake at no more than about 2 cups per day for an average sized horse.
Oils all have different compositions of fatty acids and recently omega-3 versus omega-6 fatty acids have gained a lot of attention. This is because these fatty acids play important roles in cell membrane fluidity, inflammation and immunity. Both are necessary for these important functions, however relative amounts of each may influence overall response. As a result corn oil is no longer as desirable as those oils with higher omega-3 contents such as canola oil. Flax oil and camelina oil provide more omega-3 than 6 fatty acids and are good choices however in large amounts cost may be inhibitive.
Lastly it is worth considering whether increasing fat is actually the best feeding option for preventing weight loss in winter. Many horses lose weight in the winter due to the additional calorie expenditure used to keep warm. Feeding extra hay not only increases calorie intake but also generates internal heat due to the fermentation process necessary for digestion in the horse’s hind gut. Therefore increasing forage for horses that have good dentition is always my first choice.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates come in many forms some of 
which are structural and found in plant cell walls and others which are non-structural and found inside the cells. Structural carbohydrates help give the plant strength as it grows and are more complex in nature. As a result they cannot be digested by enzymes in the horse’s small intestine, and instead require microbial fermentation in the hindgut. Conversely non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) include starch and sugars that for the most part are broken down via enzymes and absorbed in the small intestine.
Non-structural carbohydrates
Starch and simple sugars enter the blood stream resulting in an increase in blood glucose and in turn insulin. For horses that are sensitive to readily available carbohydrates such as horses with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) or that suffer from an insensitivity to insulin (often referred to as insulin resistance), a history of laminitis, or have equine metabolic syndrome minimizing changes in blood glucose levels through the regulation of NSC intake is a vital component of successful management. Therefore knowing the NSC level of the forages you are feeding such horses is important.
Generally it is advised that these individuals should be consuming forages with an NSC of no more than 12% on a dry matter basis. When you look at the analysis results you receive from the lab you will often see two columns of numbers one labeled “as-is” or “as-fed” and the other labeled as “dry matter”. All feeds in the form that they are in when fed contain some level of moisture (represented by the as-fed values) and while this is what the horse is eating it makes comparison between feeds difficult so nutritionists compare feeds on a dry matter basis, without the water fraction.
Your forage analysis may not give you a value for NSC but if they provide you with values for percent starch and WSC (water soluble carbohydrates) you can calculate NSC by adding the two together. Water soluble carbohydrates are exactly as the name suggest, soluble in water. This means that if your hay provides more than 12% NSC and you are feeding a sensitive horse you can somewhat lower the level by soaking the hay in water before feeding it. Soaking for 30 minutes is generally enough to lower the WSC without leaching out other desirable nutrients however the amount of WSC removed varies. To be sure soaking has removed enough of the WSC fraction to make it safe to feed, a soaked sample should be tested by the lab.
You may also have heard of ether soluble carbohydrates (ESC). These are the simple sugars that along with starch enter the blood stream from the small intestine, they are a component of the WSC although do not comprise the entire WSC fraction. Because the ESC and starch fraction directly impact blood glucose levels some experts pay more attention to their levels in forage than the amount of WSC and starch recommending that the ESC plus starch should be 10% or less for sensitive horses.
The difference between the WSC and ESC fractions can be used as an estimate of the fructan content. Fructans are sugars but due to their complex structure they are not digested by enzymes in the small intestine instead going through microbial fermentation in the hindgut. This process is similar to the fermentation of the structural carbohydrates however fructans are very easy to ferment which can cause problems such as gas production and changes in the hindgut environment for some horses. While fructans in cool season pasture grass are of greatest concern in sensitive horses (especially those with a history of pasture laminitis), it is still advisable to choose hay with low NSC for these horses.
Structural Carbohydrates
Neutral and acid detergent fiber values are measures of structural carbohydrate and therefore their levels increase as the plant matures making them an indicator of the hays maturity at cutting. Neutral detergent fiber a measure of the plants cell wall content increases as the plant matures and is an indicator of how palatable the hay will be. As the plant matures the proportion of cellulose plus lignin (ADF) increase and the plant becomes less digestible. NDF levels below 40% are excellent and over 65% are unlikely to be eaten. ADF values over 45% have little nutritive value and below 31% are excellent. Horses working hard, broodmares and youngstock will benefit from hay with excellent NDF and ADF values and easy keepers will be able to consume more hay if it has slightly higher NDF and ADF content.
Other analysis
Much more information is also provided on the analysis sheet including the levels of numerous minerals, which can be very beneficial in helping to determine which feeds and supplements will compliment your hay and insure a balanced diet. Knowing what to do with this data can be confusing and working with a qualified equine nutrition professional is advised.
In conclusion
Forage is so much more than just bulk—it makes up the majority of your horse’s ration and is therefore a major source of nutrition it probably one of your biggest ticket purchases each year. While it can seem unreasonably expensive, making informed decisions and paying for good quality forage will save you money in other areas. Analyzing hay can help you make good purchase decisions and once purchased will help you make appropriate additional feed and supplement choices.
Get More from Your Hay Analysis Part III by Dr. Clair Thunes PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://summit-equine.com/hay-analysis-part-iii-carbohydrates
Feed sack showing julian date of 21915 or the 219th day of 2015.
The tragic death of several horses in the California Central Valley due to ionophore contaminated feed serves as a reminder to all of us that feed quality is of the utmost importance. There are a number of steps you can take that will help to ensure that you are feeding your horse quality sack feed, and that will also help to protect your horse in case of a feed recall. (more…)
Deciphering the analysis results
So you've had your hay tested and have the results back. Now what? What does it all mean? There are a number of ways to judge the quality of your hay, but some of the easiest results to look at to assess quality are the relative feed value (RFV), digestible energy content (DE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) content, water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), starch and crude protein (CP).
Relative Feed Value
Relative feed value is a method of measuring hay quality that takes into account the expected consumption and digestibility of the hay as a factor of its maturity. The system was designed for use in ruminants however it still has use for assessing hay for horses. As the RFV increases over 100 quality increases and an RFV below 100 indicates lower quality. Comparing RFV’s of different hays is an easy way to quickly assess which is of higher quality.
Digestible Energy
Digestible energy (DE) for horses is not calculated by every lab so ensure that you send your sample to a lab that performs equine-appropriate analysis. The DE per pound will indicate how many calories per pound your horse will receive. Performance horses, brood mares and youngstock will benefit from hays with higher DE values (more than 0.9 Mcal/lb) versus the easy keepers who may benefit from a lower DE (less than 0.9 Mcal/lb). By feeding easy keepers lower calorie hay you will be able to keep more hay in front of them which is good for reducing boredom and for their gastrointestinal health.
Crude Protein
Crude protein (CP) in the hay is a crude estimate of the actual protein content. Legumes typically have high crude protein contents (18.5-23.5%) while grass hays have moderate levels (7-15%) with grain hays generally having the lowest (5.5-11%). Level of maturity at cutting impacts protein content with more mature hays having lower crude protein. If a large enough amount of low protein hay is fed it is still possible to meet a horse’s protein needs. Alternatively when feeding a lower protein grass or grain hay a legume hay may be added to the ration to increase the overall protein level.
Young growing horses have the greatest need for protein in their ration, again making them candidates for the higher quality less mature cuttings. While it is possible to meet most horse’s crude protein needs even when feeding a lower protein hay, the quality of that protein may not be adequate to meet all of their requirements and it may be necessary in those situations to feed a source of good quality protein such as those found in many commercial ration balancing feeds.
Next time
In a future blog post we will discuss the carbohydrate fractions seen on a hay analysis and how to determine whether your hay or forage is a good choice for your horse especially those with metabolic issues.
How to Sample Your Hay for Analysis Part II by Dr. Clair Thunes PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://summit-equine.com/how-to-sample-your-hay-for-analysis-part-ii/
Example of a hand cranked hay probe used for taking samples.
Regardless of the horse, forage should be the foundation of their ration. Even those with the best pastures will find that at some point in the year they will likely need to substitute another form of forage and the most common form of pasture replacement is hay. With forage as the foundation, all other components of the diet should build on the forage adding what may be lacking and improving the overall balance of certain nutrients.
While forages can be assessed visually, the only way to accurately know the nutrient content of your forage is to have it tested by a lab. This is easier and cheaper to do than many people realize and is worth considering if you buy large quantities of forage at a time. In fact if the hay is analyzed before purchase and you know how to decipher the analysis you can determine whether that hay is an appropriate investment.
Here I’m going to share with you how to take a good sample for analysis and in future blogs, I will cover what some of the analysis results mean so that you can decide whether a certain batch of hay is right for your horse’s needs. (more…)
‘Tis the season 
of Cupid and love and who doesn’t love their horse? In fact some of you have told me that you love your horse more than your significant other but don’t worry, I won’t tell. While I have no qualms with you loving your horse more than your significant other, some of you are loving your horses so much that you may be loving them to death. Literally.
Here is a direct quote from a Facebook post from someone who I know is not alone in their affliction “I wish I could give up my crazy need to give grain 2 times a day also, but food is love for me.” This statement suggests to me that this owner knows that her horse doesn’t need the grain but she gives it anyway because it makes her feel good. At the start of a consult I am commonly given a list of things that a client feeds their horse which often includes several forms of treat or a random pound of some feed or another. Often it is clear the person is embarrassed as they give me their laundry list. When I ask the purpose the reply is commonly along the lines of “well I just like to give him a treat”, or “I feel bad if I put him away without giving him something.” Notice that that these responses are about the owner, not the horse.
That sideways look they give us, those pricked ears and bright eyes are enough to instill guilt in anyone. I get it! But the problem is that when you give a treat or some feed out of guilt it likely isn’t a need. A few years ago when I became a parent I read an article about how to know if you are spoiling your child. The author offered a very simple check. If you are purchasing your child a gift from a place of love then you are not spoiling them with that gift. However if you purchase the gift from a place of guilt then you may be spoiling them. I have used this multiple times over the years as I’ve reached for an item on the store shelf and I always check-in and ask myself where the urge to purchase comes from. It is interesting when it is motivated out of love and when it comes from guilt.
Does it really hurt your horse though if you feed him that treat because you feel guilty that he has to spend his days in a stall instead of a pasture or whatever your guilty reason is? That depends. You may end up with a horse or pony that develops a nasty habit of nipping or mugging you for treats which becomes a safety issue but beyond that when we are driven to treat our horses from a place of guilt it is hard to stand back and be objective about their needs.
Just like us, every calorie consumed if it is not needed will be stored for later as fat and when you are unable to stand back and objectively assess your horse you may one day look up and realize that he has gained a whole lot more weight than you realized. This is where the real issue of showing your love to your horse through food can become a life of death situation. We used to think that body fat was a benign if not rather unsightly thing and yet now we know that it is so much more than that. Body fat is actually a metabolically active organ that can cause inflammation in the body. The inflammatory cytokines that are released by fat tissue interfere with glucose uptake promoting insulin resistance. Horses with insulin resistance are at greater risk of developing laminitis which can be a death sentence. 
We as a horse owning population have become accustomed to over-weight horses being the norm, so much so that people condemn owners of fit performance horses as being under fed and abused. Yet being overweight is far more likely to be a death sentence than being athletically lean and fit. We need to readjust what we see as being an ideal weight and see it for what it often is, overweight and at risk of metabolic disorders.
So this Valentine’s day, if you love your horse (and I now you do), step back and take an objective look at body condition. Pick up a copy of the Hennecke condition scoring chart and put your hand on your horse and assess condition. Then the next time he looks at you with those doughy eyes or you go to put him away after a ride and you reach for that treat or random pound of senior feed, ask yourself how much you love him and whether you might just be killing him with kindness. If the answer is yes leave out the feed and give him a good scratch in his favorite tickle spot and a pat and walk away. Sometimes tough love is the best kind of love you can give.
Happy Valentines day!
Are you loving your horse to death? by Dr. Clair Thunes PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://summit-equine.com/are-you-loving-your-horse-to-death.
Those of us in Northern California are battening down for what may be the 
largest storm in 6 years. With predicted rain in the valley of 2 to 4 inches with more than that in the Foothills and Coastal areas concerns of flooding, landslides, power outages etc are valid. With the drought we have had the past couple of years our concerns have been more towards fire risk than flooding so what does storm preparedness look like?
Last night a client of mine Carolyn McMullen posted some great pictures on Facebook of what she has been doing around her barn to prepare and she has generously allowed me to share them here. Why are these pictures of particular interest you might ask? Well it just so happens that prior to focusing more on her fabulous equestrian property, Carolyn made her living in the field of Emergency Management and Disaster Planning. So let's take a look at some of the things on Carolyn's check list and see why the items might be important.
Have sandbags readily available. ~ Credit Carolyn McMullen
heeting that makes great temporary tarps and is what is used in levees to protect them from wash out. Staging emergency supplies is important because when you need it you don't want to be wasting time trying to find that shovel! Sandbags can be purchased at hardware stores or may be available from your city. Check your local resources. Sand is something we typically have at horse barns, steal it out of the arena, you can put it back later!
Elevate property that may be damaged by flooding. ~ Credit Carolyn McMullen
Down spout extenders help move water away from buildings. ~ Credit Carolyn McMullen
When it comes to feeding horses during these wet winter storms your best bet is to increase hay intake and insure they are consuming salt to keep them drinking. Hay is digested through a process of microbial fermentation which is not very efficient and results in a lot of heat production. This helps keep your horse warm from the inside out and is far more effective than a warm bran mash which just warms the mouth for a moment. To learn more on how horses stay warm and how you can help read out 2 part series on how horses thermoregulate part I and part II.
I know there are other things that could be added to the list I've given so let's hear how you prepare. Share your strategies and tips in the comments below. Stay dry and be safe.
Tips For Weathering A Storm by Dr. Clair Thunes & Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.summit-equine.com/contact.
Feed before fast work? Well yes actually! I grew up hearing that you should not feed before work and especially not fast work but when it comes to equine gastric ulcer prevention this is all wrong!
Unlike us, horses constantly secrete stomach acid which sits in the lower portion of the stomach and the cells there are protected from it because they secrete mucin a substance like snot. However when the horse moves, especially at speed, the acid splashes up and hits the cells in the upper portion. These cells are not supposed to come into contact with gastric acid and therefore do not produce mucin. Not surprisingly it is in this upper portion of the stomach where a good number of gastric ulcers are found.
In a horse that has a good amount of fiber in the diet a nice mat forms on the top of the stomach acid like a raft, think of those natural fiber doormats. This mat helps to reduce the risk of acid reaching the unprotected upper portions of the stomach. The horse’s stomach takes about 6 hours to empty and therefore when access to feed, especially forage, is restricted and the horse has not eaten for several hours the mat is reduced and gastric ulcer risk is increased.
So what can you do to reduce this risk? First off insure that your horse’s diet contains as much roughage as possible. 24 hour access to grazing where realistic is ideal otherwise numerous small meals of long stem forage. If the amount of forage fed is restricted consider using slow feeders that prolong the length of time your horse takes to eat the same amount of forage. Numerous slow feeder options exist but my clients report that they have good luck with Freedom Feeders and nets made by Cinch Chix which are both affordable options.
If you arrive at the barn to ride and it is apparent that your horse has been without feed for some time I recommend feeding either a couple of pounds of hay in a net or hay pellets while you are grooming. The more your horse has to chew the more saliva is produced and saliva contains bicarbonate which acts as a buffer to stomach acid. So by feeding hay/hay pellets right before you ride, not only are you building that fiber mat you are also neutralizing the existing acid. Feeding the hay or hay pellets dry will stimulate more saliva production.
If your horse is able to have some alfalfa this would be my first choice of hay to feed in these instances. This is because alfalfa has high calcium and high protein both of which have been shown to act as a buffer. Triple Crown Feeds have a chopped alfalfa product called Alfa-Lox specifically for horses that are at risk of ulcers and feeding it before exercise would be a good choice.
Feed before work? Well yes actually! by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
I am truly grateful for all the wonderful people I get to work with here at Summit, and am thankful that the majority of our business comes to us by referral, one of the biggest compliments that we can receive. I want to share my gratitude and it is therefore my pleasure to introduce you to our gratitude program.
Each time you refer someone to Summit who becomes a client we will award you $25 in gratitude credits that you can use against the cost of any of our services. Gratitude credits are good for 12 months from the date of reward and multiple credits may be added together. That means that if you refer multiple
people your next service with Summit might be free!
Here is another great thing about our Gratitude program, you do not have to be a current client to receive gratitude credits. Yes that is right ANYONE can be awarded gratitude credits.
Better yet not only will we thank you with gratitude credits, the person you refer will also receive a gratitude credit of equal value as a welcome gift for joining the Summit family. It is a win win all around!
Read on for more program details and for ideas of how to earn your gratitude credits.
Kind regards
Clair
Because you receive your gratitude credit once your referral becomes a client you want to make sure you refer people who are the most likely to need our services. Over time we have identified some of the common themes that seem to motivate people to seek out our services and become clients.
Our clients;
If this describes someone you know you can now be the friend who helps them get the advice and support they need.
How to refer a friend: It is really very simple, when you come across someone who you feel would benefit from what we offer here at Summit encourage them to contact us for help. Explain that because they know you they will be granted a $25 credit off any of our services. Next contact us to let us know that you have referred someone and share with us their name so that when they become a client we can be sure to grant you your credit.
Using your credits: Credits last for 12 months from the date of award. When you contact us to set up a service let us know that you wish to use some or all of your gratitude credits.
May I gift my credits? : Yes. This is about spreading gratitude. If you have a friend who could benefit from your credits you may gift your credits to them. You need to contact us ahead of time and notify us that you wish to gift some or all of your credits and provide the name of the person to whom you wish to gift them. Then have your friend contact us and be sure to have them remind us that they are using your gratitude credits.
Do you need to be a current Summit client to be awarded gratitude credits? No this program is open to everyone so if you think you might have a need for our services down the road, you can earn credits now for use within the next 12 months.
When I was a kid I used to ride my pony Timmie in the Best Veterans classes at the local shows. These were for horses 15 years and older and were judged on condition and way of going, they were like hunter classes. The entrants (horses) were normally in their late teens and there would typically be one or two horses in their early twenties and these would typically win. Timmie and I were active members of the local Pony Club, competing in all disciplines and fox hunting often more than 10 days a season. I grew out of him when he was 19 at which point we leased him to a local family who used him for Prince Philip cup games which he excelled at. He later returned to us and continued to teach numerous pony clubbers the basics and hunted a least a couple of days a season until he died age 24. This was a good age then. Today horses are commonly active well into their twenties; my subsequent pony club horse kept going to 30 and took my mother on adventures most weekends.
While there are many vibrant active older horses there are equally as many who look tired, whose coats no longer have luster and who act as though they are biding their time. Whether your older horse is still full of life or not looking quite as he did in his youth, winter is probably the older horse’s toughest season. Not only do older horses have a harder time keeping warm, they may have dental problems and their bodies are not as efficient at utilizing food as they used to be so they can often be hard to keep weight on. On top of that, once they have lost condition it is particularly hard to get it back. Add to this the fact that their immune systems are likely not what they were so they are perhaps more at risk of picking up respiratory conditions and may not have the defenses to fight them. It is pretty clear that the older horse takes very careful management. The management corners you were able to cut in your horse’s younger days will have far greater consequences in old age.
Your older horse may require things that he has never needed in the past. Do not think that just because he did not need it in the past that he does not need it now. For example, you need to take extra precautions to insure that your horse is warm and this may mean using blankets even if you have never needed to use one in the past. If he is no longer an easy keeper consider feeding good grass hay free choice. Sugar beet pulp, rice bran, flax, are all good feeds for older horses, those who are still working may need the added benefit of feeds such as oats, barley and senior feeds.
Senior feeds are often “complete” feeds meaning they can be fed without the need of hay if fed in the quantities recommended by the manufacture. This is typically only necessary if you have a horse with serious dental problems meaning that it is unable to eat long stem hays. The cost of senior feeds makes such feeding strategies inhibitive for most people unless absolutely necessary. Plus, eating hay as the roughage source is preferable for maintaining good gut health. There is also the concern that some senior feeds contain high levels of molasses and grains. Older horses are more susceptible to cushings disease which is a chronic progressive disease of the intermediate pituitary gland of older horses. Horses with this disease also tend to suffer from hyperinsulinemia and therefore should not be fed feeds that contribute substantial amounts of glucose to the blood stream, which grains and molasses do. (Note that horses may suffer from hyperinsulinemia often called insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome or syndrome x, without having cushings). The National Research Council in 2007 stated that it may be prudent to feed older horses diets lower in these types of ingredients. Strangely enough despite the name sugar beet pulp, if un-molassed, is actually a great feed to feed horses with this condition as it has a very low glycemic index.
Another option for horses with poor teeth is to feed hay cubes or pellets that have been soaked in water to make them soft. Extruded and/or micronized feeds are good for older horses. The nutrients are more easily digestible which is good for their less efficient digestive system. If straight barley or corn are fed as a grain source they should have been heat-treated in some way to make the starch more available.
An older horse’s internal organs may not function as effectively as they did so feeding diets that do not put a lot of strain on them may be wise. While feeding a diet high in excess protein is of no great concern (although it has been shown to reduce performance) as excess protein is broken down and processed by the kidneys, and contrary to popular belief I have found no research stating that such diets cause kidney issues, it stands to reason that if your horse has kidney issues such a diet is inadvisable. This is just one reason why annual blood work in older horses is a good idea. You may be able to catch issues before there are obvious clinical signs and then feed in such a way to prevent them getting worse.
The process of breaking down protein also takes energy (that is one of the principles of the Atkins diet) which is something you do not want if your older horse has a hard time maintaining weight as you need him to conserve as many calories as possible. It has been estimated that the older horse’s energy needs are 10% higher than that of a younger horse.
The older horse’s digestive tract may not absorb nutrients as well as it did in the past so making sure nutrients are high quality and easy to absorb is important. Feeding chelated or proteinated minerals (minerals attached to a protein or amino acid) are important along with high enough levels of essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine.
Dental check-ups are a particularly important part of your older horse management and should be performed once a year or more often if your horse has a problem. Older horses are more likely to have missing teeth or not enough tooth to be able to chew their food adequately. If they have not received regular dental care during their lives, sharp edges may have built up on the teeth at the back of their mouths that may dig into and lacerate their cheeks. All these can make eating a hard or even painful process.
If you watch your horse eating and notice he is dropping food out of the sides of his mouth, known as “quidding”, it is a sure sign that he needs dental work and you should call your vet or equine dentist. Even if he is able to keep food in his mouth, if the food is not adequately chewed before it is swallowed he may be at a higher risk for compaction colics. Check your horse’s feces and see how large the hay particles are. If you see hay that looks like it was not adequately chewed, call your vet and/or equine dentist to get teeth checked and to discuss the potential need to feed pellets or cubes. For more info on senior horse dental care check out this blog post click here.
As to what constitutes an older horse, the National Research Council (2007) considers 20 to be the threshold for old age in horses, although there will be variation around the number based on the individual horse; in some it may be as young as 15. The National Animal Health Monitoring System estimated that in 1998 7.5% of the total US horse population (total estimated at 7 million) were 20 years or older. Having an older horse often means more work for you, and yet you will be richly rewarded for your efforts with a horse that has a wealth of knowledge and experiences to share with you. Plus, your careful management may just buy you more time with your special friend.
Some Special Considerations For Getting Your Older Horse Through The Winter by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
In my last blog post I discussed management techniques for keeping your horse warm as well as ways horses keep themselves warm. Today I will share how you can use nutrition to support your horse during the winter cold.
The critical temperature mentioned in part I can be used to determine what your horses nutritional requirements are relative to ambient temperature, wind chill and wet hair coat. According to an article by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “estimates for the lower critical temperature (LCT) for horses are between 30 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit depending on hair coat, body condition, wetness and windchill”. They go on to give the lower critical temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit based on hair coat as follows, wet or short hair 60, moderate length hair coat 50, heavy coat 30. Once the average temperature reaches the LCT human intervention is required such as shelter, a blanket and or extra feed.
In our blog post “10 things to do now to prepare for winter” I suggested making a plan on how you will keep track of the weather over the winter in order to make good management decisions. This is because you not only need to know if there is going to be a significant drop in ambient temperature but also what the temperature will be with wind chill, as movement of air across skin causes increased heat loss. Sometimes you will see on weather forecasts a temperature and then a “feels like” temperature. This is the temperature accounting for wind chill. The National Weather Service has a wind chill chart that shows for any given ambient temperature and wind speed combination what the wind chill temperature will be. For example when ambient temperature is 35 degrees Fahrenheit and wind speed is 10mph wind chill temperature is 27 degrees Fahrenheit, and when ambient temperature is 35 degrees Fahrenheit and wind speed is 25mph wind chill temperature is 23 degrees Fahrenheit. Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit so without accounting for wind chill these examples are above freezing, but with wind chill both drop the temperature below freezing.
So how do you adapt your feeding regime to insure that your horse has enough energy when the temperature drops? It is estimated that for every 5 degree drop in temperature below the horses LCT an additional 1 Mcal/day are necessary which roughly equates to an additional 1 lbs of grass hay. It is not only safest to make relatively quick changes in diet through alterations in hay in order to avoid colic and laminitis, but when we want to raise internal heat production, increased hay consumption is best.
Hay is digested by bacteria/microbes in the horse’s cecum and large intestine and this microbial fermentation actually produces heat which warms the horse from the inside. If we think back to the 1100 lb example horse from our previous post, he needed 16.7 Mcal/day for maintenance and if we say that he has a medium hair coat and therefore a LCT of 50 degrees Fahrenheit, then when the temperature drops to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, he will need 18.7 Mcal/day. Assuming 1 Mcal/lb of grass hay this is a change from 16.7 lbs to 18.7lbs. Most horses will happily eat 2-2.5% of their body weight per day in dry matter if fed free choice, which for this horse would be 22-27.5 lbs per day of hay. So a horse at maintenance should easily be able to consume all the energy needed to stay warm and maintain body condition from hay alone. However, if a horse is working and needs energy not only for maintenance and warmth but also work, then the energy requirement will be greater and it may not be possible to meet this need from hay alone although as much of the need as possible should be met from hay for the reasons previously mentioned.
If you follow the weather forecast and know a storm is coming and what the expected temperature will be it is relatively straightforward to make the necessary changes in hay intake necessary. Ideally these changes should be made in the 24 hours leading up to the expected lower temperature and maintained throughout the cold spell.
Horses do adapt to cold over time, according to Dr Cymbaluk of the ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Ontario Canada, horses typically require a 10-21 day adaptation period. A horse’s ability to adapt depends on the duration of the cold weather and the horse’s energy intake. A horse isn’t going to be able to adapt to a sudden winter storm and will require more intervention. However, energy intake is more critical. Well-fed horses adapt better than those who are underfed. Adaptation should be considered when contemplating a horse’s lower critical temperature. A horse who has spent a good amount of time in Arizona where the average summer high is around 95 degrees Fahrenheit and average winter low is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit may hit its lower critical temperature at a relatively higher temperature than a horse who lives in Maine where the average summer high is only around 70 degrees Fahrenheit but the average winter low is around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. For the horse from Arizona the lower critical temperature may be 60 degrees even with thick haircoat.
The age of the horse is also worth considering. Older horses are generally less efficient at both digestion and thermoregulation and so are more susceptible to extremes in temperature. They will therefore need a diet that is more easily digestible and may require intervention earlier than their younger counterparts to stay warm. Young horses especially those under a year of age are also less able to handle cold weather in part due to the large amounts of energy that are being utilized for growth. They should be provided with good shelter and ample access to good quality hay.
Your horse will tell you if he/she is cold, pay attention to the warning signs and make adjustments to hay intake and overall management as necessary to insure that your horse comes out of the winter in good condition.
How Do Horses Thermoregulate When It Is Cold? Part II by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
I just got back from a trip to England and it is colder here in California than it was there! I don't know about where you are but it is pretty chilly here. Okay it isn't as cold as say Minnesota but relatively speaking, it's cold. While I was in England I took a walk up onto Dartmoor, home of the native Dartmoor pony. Although beautiful, it can be a pretty bleak landscape when the weather does blow in. I took the picture of the Dartmoor pony on the right while I was on my walk. These ponies are out in all weather, never wear blankets and eat whatever they can find. So how do they stay warm in the winter? How does your horse stay warm in the winter? Read on to find out.
Horses are mammals and as such are warm-blooded just like humans and so when the air around them is colder than their body temperature, heat transfers from them to the environment and they get colder. To survive they must regulate this heat loss, however such heat loss is not always detrimental, for example if the horse is too hot and needs to cool down. This is why horses are in danger of overheating when worked in hot conditions. Their body temperature rises due to energy released from exercise (or when it is very hot, heat absorbed from their environment) and they need to move that heat to their surrounding environment. They cannot do that though if the surrounding environment is as warm or warmer than they are. So the environmental temperature and body temperature determine the extent to which heat must be conserved.
If the horse remains in its comfort zone or “thermo neutral zone” little needs to be done to regulate temperature. Once at the bottom of this comfort zone the horse reaches its critical temperature and the body speeds up chemical reactions within the body in order to burn more calories and to create more body heat. This requires an increase in dietary energy intake, if there are not enough calories in the diet to meet the additional needs for maintaining body temperature the horse will utilize its body energy reserves (fat). If this deficit continues for too long body condition will be compromised and the horse will lose weight. (See previous blog posts Understanding Energy Balance and Body Condition Scoring). Exercise produces heat from energy burned by muscles so moving is another way the horse has to stay warm but the energy for movement has to come from somewhere, either the diet or body energy reserves. This may be one reason why horses seem to run around more when the weather is cold. Muscle contractions don’t just occur though as a result of the horse physically changing locations they also occur as a result of shivering. The energy produced from these muscle activities raises the horse’s core temperature. Other sources of heat that don’t require feed or body energy reserves are the sun and such things as heat lamps.
There are of course also ways of conserving energy and heat in order to stay warm. Just like us, horses can reduce the blood flow to their extremities such as their ears, muzzle and legs. This is why it is often said that to tell if a horse is cold one should touch its ears. If you think you might use this as a barometer I suggest feeling them when the horse is not cold so you can tell the difference. Trying to figure out from the ears whether a horse is cold when the whole horse is wet from standing in the rain for several hours is not as easy as it sounds, everything just feels damp and often you wonder whether you can’t feel any heat because you are cold as well!
the hill was the location for part of the filming of the movie War Horse
Also like us horses can make their hair stand-up, which is called piloerection (think of goose bumps), which acts to increase their hair depth and traps air next to their bodies creating an insulating layer. It is because of this function that you might hear people say that well cared for horses are quite alright out in the cold as long as it is dry. Once their coats get wet the hair is unable to stand up and create this insulating layer. They then rely on the oils in their coat to prevent their skin from getting wet, which is why you should not bathe a horse that lives out in the winter or use a body brush which drags the oils through the coat, as they need the oils to stay near their skin to act as a protective barrier. Horses living outside need to have access to adequate shelter such as a 3-sided shed as such shelter has been shown to reduce heat loss by 20% not only because it allows their hair to stay dry but it also reduces heat loss from wind chill.
Before we get to wind chill I want to mention that piloerection is also why some people do not believe in using blankets and actually think blankets can cause a horse to be colder. This is certainly true if the blankets do not contain adequate insulation for weather conditions. A blanket flattens the horse’s hair and prevents piloerection. If in turn the blanket is not thick enough to adequately insulate or it leaks, the horse it will be cold and will not be able to use piloerection to stay warm. This is not to say that blankets should not be used, if you have a horse who does not carry much weight, with a thin hair coat or decide to clip your horse because it is in heavy work, a blanket will be necessary.
A quick word of caution against thinking that by bringing your horse into a stable (box stall) during cold dry weather that it will be warmer, this may be true but also consider that in a stable there is limited space for movement, there are no other horses to huddle up with, air is often still and cold, and there is less heat from sunlight available. In my experience during such dry cold conditions, stables (box stalls) are often colder than outside. Often the coldest part of the night is around 6am, as the sun comes up areas reached by sunlight warm up quickly compared to those areas still in shade such as the inside of stall, so horses in stalls are subjected to cold for far longer than those horses that can get out into the sun. This can cause a real conundrum in spring and autumn when your stabled horses are blanketed at night and you need to take their blankets off early in the morning before you go to work because later in the day they will be hot. In these instances you have to know your horse and know whether it is better for them as an individual to be too hot or too cold. The hard keeper who is lean, gets cold and is stressed easily would probably be better left with the blanket on versus the horse carrying more condition who won’t be at any great detriment if he is a little chilly for a couple of hours.
So how can you support your horse nutritionally during cold weather? We will cover this in part II.
How Do Horses Thermoregulate (Maintain Body Temperature) When It Is Cold? Part I by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Photo courtesy of Topline Training Inc.
Simplistically stated, when energy in equals energy out, body condition is maintained. This means that if the energy content of the diet you feed your horse exactly meets your horse’s energy requirement it will maintain a constant weight. This is called being in energy balance it’s a state of equilibrium. Conversely, if the energy in the diet is less than the horses energy requirement the horse will lose weight, and if the dietary energy is greater than the requirement the horse will gain weight as fat. The same is true for humans; it is the basic rule of energy metabolism.
Knowing this, the question then becomes, what factors affect a horses demand for energy. These factors include; reproductive state (pregnancy, lactation), level of activity, age, overall health status, and weather (ambient temperature, wind chill, humidity). A horses lowest energetic state is called maintenance and applies to horses and ponies that are not in work, are not pregnant or lactating, are in good health and do not have to deal with major climatic demands. Dietary maintenance energy requirements differ by the size of horse as obviously it takes less energy to maintain a Shetland pony than it would a Shire horse.
The equation used to calculate average maintenance requirements is as follows:
Digestible Energy (Mcal per day) = body weight in kilograms x 0.0333
To convert your horse’s estimated body weight from pounds to kilograms divide the weight in pounds by 2.2. For example, a 200 kg (440 lb) pony has a maintenance requirement of 6.7 Mcal (for explanation of Mcal see The Skinny on Energy Units and Terms) per day compared to 16.7 Mcal per day for a 500 kg (1100 lb) horse. Assuming an energy density in hay of 0.8-1.0 Mcal/lb their Mcal for maintenance approximately equals the numbers of lbs of hay needed per day to meet that requirement.
Each time you add a factor such as work, your horse’s energy demand increases, and therefore to remain in energy balance, the diet must include more energy or the horse will lose body weight and condition. As was mentioned above, weather can be such a factor. Cold weather requires that the horse burn more energy to keep warm and therefore less energy is available to maintain other functions unless dietary energy intake is increased to compensate. This is why horses tend to lose weight over the winter.
So how do you know if your horse is in energy balance? The best way is to assess his/her body condition and fat deposition is through use of a body condition scoring system. This involves manually palpating and visually assessing certain areas of your horses body that are known to be locations of fat deposition, namely; the loins, ribs, tail head, the side of the wither and neck and behind the shoulder. By running your hand over these areas and paying attention to what you feel, you gain a much more objective sense of your horses overall fat cover. This is particularly important in the winter when a horse’s hair coat can be long and give the illusion that the horse is in good weight when in fact they are not. There are 5, 9 and 10 point scales the most widely used being the 9 point scale developed by Hennecke et al in 1983. The scale used is less important than the fact that the same scale be used each time and be used on a frequent, monthly, basis allowing constant assessment of body condition over time. Details of the 9 point condition scoring system and methodology can be found here.
Photo courtesy of Watchman PRE Horses
The best thing you can do to insure that your horse comes out of the winter in the condition you want is to insure they go into the winter in good condition and then provide enough energy in the diet to meet requirements. As was mentioned above, during the colder winter months, horses have to expend extra energy to keep warm and that means that the maintenance requirement we talked about earlier increases. Fat acts as an insulator and so a modest covering of fat going into the winter will actually help your horse use less energy to keep warm. Plus, should the dietary energy levels fall below their requirement they can burn their fat stores as an energy source until the dietary energy levels increase. This is potentially useful for horses that need to lose weight, and mirrors horses in the wild that lose weight over the winter and regain it in the spring when the grass returns.
The key is not to lose so much weight that an undesirable condition results. So the horse that condition scores now at a 5 or 6 is going to have an easier time staying warm and maintaining a desirable body weight than the horse that goes into the winter with a score of 4. As a general rule, to raise the condition score of a horse from a 4 to a 5 over a 90 day period requires an increase in energy intake per day of about 25%. So our 200 kg pony from earlier would need 8.4 Mcal each day and our 500 kg horse would need 20.9 Mcal per day over the 90 day period. Of course there are those horses that have to work intense jobs over the winter who need to be at a condition score of 4 and they will require particularly close management to insure that they do not drop more condition.
It is possible to successfully maintain body condition but it takes a close eye and constant assessment. So I strongly encourage you to start a monthly plan of body condition scoring so you can catch changes in body condition and take action sooner rather than later. To regain that lost condition scoring point come spring can literally take months.
Understanding Energy Balance by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Body condition scoring (BCS) is an objective method of evaluating a horse’s level of condition by palpating and visually assessing the degrees of fatness over certain areas of the horse’s body. A numeric value is assessed which can allow comparison of the horses condition over time, or between multiple horses. It is often difficult for horse owners to recognize changes in body weight and this can result in over or under feeding. The level of fat identified in the areas is dependent on the balance between the energy the horse consumes and that which is lost due to activity. If the horse is in a state of relative negative energy balance (less energy consumed than used) fat deposits in these areas will be diminished, and body condition will be lowered. The opposite is true if the horse’s diet provides more energy than the horse utilizes.
Energy balance is affected by such factors as level of activity, reproductive status (pregnancy and lactation), weather (humidity, wind chill, ambient temperature), age, and health status. The regions of the body that are assessed for fat cover to create a body condition score are; along the neck, along the withers, the tail head, over the ribs, behind the shoulders and the crease down the back.
While a horses use may dictate a slightly fleshier body condition (breeding mares) or slightly less fleshy condition (race horses), in general, the ideal body condition is typified by the following; a neck that flows smoothly into the shoulder and that rounds out the withers, a level back, a layer of fat over ribs (ribs can be felt but not seen) and hip bones that cannot be felt on palpation. On a 10 point scale this is scored a 5 and on a 5 point scale this is scored a 3. It is possible that a horse may be awarded different scores for different body areas. If this is the case, the score for each body area are averaged to give an overall score. There is also a range between scores and these may be given half scores i.e. it is neither a 2 nor a 3 and is thus given a 2.5.
To condition score your horse, stand the horse squarely on level ground and use the flat of your hand with fingers together and when facing the rear of the horse use the hand closest to the horse (i.e. on the left side of the horse use your left hand). Place your flat hand on the area to be palpated and run your hand over the area pushing your weight evenly into your hand and paying attention to what you feel. Read the descriptions below for each of the areas and along with your visual assessment of the area assign your score. Work through all 6 areas as seen in the picture below (neck A, withers B, behind shoulder F, loin C, ribs E and tailhead D) assigning a score that best describes what you feel, note half scores e.g. 5.5 if the horse is neither one score nor the other i.e. between a 5 and a 6 can be awarded.
If condition scoring is performed regularly for example once per month, you will start to build up an objective view of your horse’s condition and will also catch changes earlier than you might by visual assessment alone.
What do you think the neck in the top right picture should be scored as? Leave us a comment with your thoughts below.
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Body Condition Scoring by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Ever wonder what a calorie really is? It’s the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1gram of water by 1o C. But did you know there is also a Calorie with a capital C? This is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1kg of water 1o C so it’s a thousand times more energy than a calorie. To help reduce some of the confusion you will more commonly see it referred to as a Kcal or kilocalorie. In the metric system kilo anything is 1000; kilometers, kilograms, kilocalories.
The energy requirement for a horse is referred to in megacalories or Mcal which is equal to 1000 Kcal or 1 million calories (think M for million or mega). On human food labels you will see that foods nutrition facts are based on a 2000 calorie or 2 Kcal per day diet. So if the average mature human requires approximately 2 Kcals to sustain body weight what about a horse? A mature 1100 lb (500 kg) horse that is not doing any work requires 16.7 Mcals per day to sustain body weight. That’s 8.35 times more energy than the human being.
So know we know that the unit used to measure energy is the calorie (note the Europeans use joules but that’s a whole different post) and that a horse needs a lot more calories each day than we do. However not all the calories you feed will end up in your horse because your horse is not able to fully utilize all the calories provided in each meal.
The total energy content of a feed is referred to as its gross energy (GE). This is calculated in the lab setting but putting the feed in what is called a bomb calorimeter which is a chamber inside of which the feed is combusted. Temperature change is measured and the gross energy content calculated.
Because digestion is not 100% efficient, some of that gross energy passes out of the digestive tract in the feces. What is digested and absorbed is referred to as the digestible energy (DE) content of the feed or ration. Once absorbed out of the digestive tract, some energy is lost in urine and some in gases. What remains is the metabolisable energy (ME), that which is available for metabolism. During the process of metabolism energy is lost in heat. None of the energy lost in feces, urine, gas of heat is available to your horse for maintaining body function, growth, reproduction, milk production etc. What you are ultimately left with for these purposes is known as net energy (NE).
While it would be ideal to create feeding programs around the net energy content of feeds, here in the US we build rations around the digestible energy and state a horse’s energy requirement in Mcal’s of digestible energy. Europe and in particular the French work more on a net energy basis. Why don’t we use the net energy system given it would be more accurate? This is an area of much debate in the Animal Sciences and in some livestock systems we are starting to see a shift. Getting all us professionals who are comfortable with the DE and system to shift to an NE system is going to take some time after all it can be hard to teach old dogs new tricks, but more importantly we just don’t have complete data available on the net energy content of feeds for horses in the US. So for now the National Research Council who set the nutrient requirements for horses in the US have decided to stay with the digestible energy system.
Why should you care about all this? You really don’t have to, but now when you see references made about the energy content of a feed in Mcal of DE per pound you will have some idea of what that actually means. Plus it is a great topic of conversation when you need to get out of talking to someone during the up-coming Holiday parties. Their eyes will glaze over and while they are looking completely baffled, you can make a hasty exit.
elvinphoto / 123RF Stock Photo
The Skinny on Energy Units and Terms by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Every year numerous scientific meetings occur where those working in specific fields get together to discuss their research. These meetings are where the very cutting edge of our knowledge are shared as works presented have often not yet been published although abstracts are typically peer reviewed prior to presentation. I keep an eye on what comes out of the meetings relating to the field of equine nutrition and make a point of trying to attend at least one such meeting each year in order to stay on top of what is new and may be of importance to my clients.
In 2011 the first Equine Endocrinology Summit was held. Endocrinology is the study or hormones and in its first year the summit focused on the condition of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction; what you and I call cushings. This year the summit’s focus was Equine metabolic syndrome. Many of you I know have horses that are afflicted with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome and are concerned about the potential for laminitis so I wanted to share with you a brief interview conducted by the Animal Health Foundation (AHF) and that organization’s founder Dr. Donald Walsh about what they learned this year. Some of the speakers at the Summit included AHF-funded researchers Melody De Laat from Oklahoma State, Nicholas Frank from Tufts and Philip Johnson from the University of Missouri.
Before I share the interview I just want to share that from my experience as a project manager in a research lab at UC Davis I can tell you that finding funding for research these days is getting harder and harder. With fewer funding opportunities the competition for grants to get funded is tougher than ever. If this is an area of research that matters to you please consider contributing to the AHF. They have provided financial support for international laminitis research for more than 20 years and their research funding can be thanked for many breakthroughs in the understanding of the disease. AHF is dedicated exclusively to funding laminitis research and to educating people about the disease. Please visit http://www.ahf-laminitis.org/p/donate.html to make a direct donation.
More information from the summit will be available at the AHA website.
Presentations and resources from the 2011 summit are available here, 2011 Summit.
Here is the interview.
AHF: Why, with all the other conferences, would this meeting be needed?
Dr. Walsh: We met to discuss the latest research findings and to shape opinion regarding the future research most needed to prevent horses from developing this type of painful laminitis. These gatherings allow for researchers who may have only known someone as a name on a manuscript to meet and interact with each other on a very informal basis. Ideas are exchanged, questions asked, friendships made, and collaborations often occur.
AHF: Did you talk only about metabolic problems? What about laminitis?
Dr. Walsh: Although Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) was the main subject, some time was delegated to hearing the latest information regarding PPID (Cushing’s Disease). Both conditions are extremely relevant to laminitis, since so many affected horses develop laminitis. To understand this type of laminitis, research is exploring endocrine (hormonal) processes that may initiate laminitis. While EMS and PPID were the area of great interest this year, the Summit previously also covered other endocrine disorders.
AHF: What does this group hope to achieve?
Dr. Walsh: The general direction and driving goal of the group is to find ways to diagnose both EMS and PPID earlier, before horses develop the crippling disease laminitis.
AHF: What was this meeting's most important new development relevant to the Animal Health Foundation's interest in laminitis research?
Dr. Walsh: One of the most widely agreed upon ideas, regarding a diagnosis of EMS, was the use of a test to reveal an abnormally large insulin and/or glucose response seen in the blood measured 75 minutes after an oral dose of sugar is given.
Those horses and ponies that test positive are at high risk of developing laminitis and will require special husbandry practices and, in some cases, drugs to maintain normal levels of insulin and normal feet. AHF is integrally involved in this research project (see upcoming article on AHF website) with Dr. Nick Frank at Tufts University.
AHF: What does this mean to our horses that are at risk for EMS-type laminitis?
Dr. Walsh: I can imagine that, in the near future, we might include an oral sugar test as part of the annual physical exam. It might work like this: the owner gives the horse two ounces of common household Karo syrup before the veterinarian arrives. Then the veterinarian takes a blood sample 75 minutes later to test the insulin and glucose levels. If the horse has any symptoms of PPID (Cushing’s Disease), a test for ACTH can also be done.
AHF: How does that relate to laminitis?
Dr. Walsh: We know that both EMS and PPID can result in laminitis. The changes start to occur when insulin levels are elevated for a prolonged time, causing alterations in the growth pattern of the foot. This results in abnormal rings on the external hoof capsule and a separation in the hoof wall at the toe, when seen from the bottom of the foot. Early recognition and correction of the insulin level is essential to prevent laminitis.
Equine Endocrinology Summit Summary 2012 by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
A little forethought now will make your winter so much more pleasant. Think back to last Winter what worked, what didn’t and are there things you could change now to make life easier in the dark days of January? Here are 10 things I came up with but I am sure there are others I’ve forgotten so be sure to add to my list in the comments below.
Image credit: designpics / 123RF Stock Photo
10 Things To Do Now To Prepare For Winter (in no particular order) by Dr. Clair Thunes and Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Last week in our blog post our friend Dr Alana McQuarry shared some measures you can take to help keep your horse safe from infectious disease and some signs to look out for that might suggest your horse may be suffering from an infectious disease. (Click here to read last week’s blog post). As many of our readers will know, in 2011 we experienced a large outbreak of the neurologic form of EHV-1. This outbreak caused many equestrian events to be shut down and sadly the loss of several horses.
EHV-1 is one of a number of what are known as “reportable diseases”, diseases that if your vet believes your horse is suffering from they are required to notify government authorities. The thought of having the government involved with your horse strikes fear and anxiety into many people. What exactly is their purpose in these situations? What will they expect of you? What will happen to your horse? A lot of fear in such situations comes from not understanding what will happen or be expected of you.
Dr McQuarry spent time working as a vet for the state of California and here she is going to share with us what the role of such a vet is as well as explaining in more detail what reportable diseases are and what will be expected from you if your horse is thought to have contracted one.
This is a large and important topic, much larger than we can cover here. So on Wednesday April 25th at 5pm PDT Dr McQuarry and I will be holding a teleseminar discussing this topic in more detail and answering any questions you may have. Do not miss out on this great opportunity to learn more about how you can keep your horse safe. Click the orange button to be taken to the registration page for the teleseminar.
The role of state level veterinarians such as those with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) as well as those at the federal level with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in regards to animal health is to minimize the risk of disease spread to people and animals; their goals are to promote their states / United States animal agriculture (both nationally and internationally) and to promote human health and safety. Particularly in the current environment of limited government staff and funding, these agencies are focusing on diseases that have the greatest potential economic or public health risk.
The state veterinarians that work in the field to investigate possible disease do not want to make life difficult for you, they do not want to restrict animal movement or quarantine animals just for the fun of writing out the paperwork. I have worked with state and federal veterinarians throughout California and found them to be a practical and logical bunch, primarily interested in safeguarding animal agriculture and human health. They do not want to interrupt the flow of business unless it is absolutely necessary.
Additionally, if the state does come out to investigate a possible reportable disease, they will not charge you for their time, experience or testing. It is a great deal to have a state veterinarian come out because you get to take advantage of the cumulative experience of everyone in the Animal Health Branch (CDFA) without it costing you anything but some time.
Reportable diseases are generally diseases that:
Great examples of reportable diseases that can affect humans are Brucellosis and Tuberculosis. These are both bacterial diseases that can be contracted by having direct contact with infected animals; however, a more common route for most people to be exposed is from eating/drinking unpasteurized dairy products (raw milk, fresh cheese).
Diseases of particular concern are those that are not native to the US (foreign animal diseases), spread rapidly and sometimes before clinical signs are widely observed, and are likely to dramatically impact the financial security of US Agriculture for example Foot and Mouth Disease. California has different categories of reportable diseases: Emergency Conditions (report within 24 hours of discovery), Regulatory Conditions (report within 48 hours of discovery), and Monitored Conditions (reported monthly by diagnostic facilities). The delineations are based on how fast the disease may spread and how severely the disease may affect the people, animals or related financial interests.
WHO MUST REPORT: In California any licensed veterinarian, any person operating a diagnostic laboratory, or any person who has been informed, recognizes or should recognize by virtue of education, experience, or occupation, that any animal or animal product is or may be affected by, or has been exposed to, or may be transmitting or carrying any of the reportable conditions, must report that information to their local CDFA Animal Health Branch Office. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/pdfs/CA_reportable_disease_list_poster.pdf
High morbidity (sickness) or mortality (death)
Unusual or Unexplained Illness
Both trace forwards and trace backs are parts of a disease investigation where the investigator is trying to figure out where the disease came from (trace back) and where the disease may have spread to (trace forward). The extent of a disease tracing investigation depends on how the disease is spread (aerosol, oral, fomite, vector, direct contact) and how severe the consequences of ongoing spread may be. The goal of tracing is to identify all possible contact premises in a timely manner after identifying infected premises.
“Trace Forward” refers to tracing locations of animals that have left infected premises
Trace forwards involve the efforts to find and follow any animals that have left infected premises during the critical period (which is defined by the disease of concern) when they may have been in contact with infected animals. These animals may be spreading the disease to new areas so that the premises to which they have gone must be identified and investigated.
“Trace Back” refers to tracing the origin of animals brought onto infected premises
Epidemiological trace backs involve finding and following the origins of animals brought onto the infected premises before the disease was noticed. These may be the source of infection. Their origin must be identified, together with any other locations that they may have infected during transit.
I would suggest keeping information in a couple places (think about access during a natural disaster):
Some example of records that you should be keeping include;
Animal Identification – very important if you are separated in a disaster
Vaccination and deworming records
Medical history Include any past medical problems (colic, lameness…)
Travel history – include when/where, make special note if any sick horses were encountered
Diet records
What information would someone need to be able to step in and take care of my animal in exactly the same way I have been caring for it if I am suddenly unavailable? You cannot have too much information.
There is a lot of good information and a lot of misinformation available on horse care, veterinary medicine and disease. One of my favorite phrases, given to me by a professor in veterinary school was, “You miss more by not looking than not knowing.” Pay attention, know your horse, and know who to ask for help or information if something seems off about your horse.
If I can be of help, never hesitate to contact me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HappyTrailsVet) or via email at DrAlanaDVM@gmail.com. If you live in Northern California (Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter or Yuba county), please contact Dr Alana to schedule a house call or clinic.
Preventing Infectious Disease: Part 2 by Clair Thunes PhD and Dr Alana McQuarry DVM is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
With news of another neurologic EHV-1 case in Southern California at the end of March it is clear that we are going to keep hearing about EHV-1 for some time to come. I am someone who tries to find the positive and opportunities for growth in all situations and if there was a positive to last year’s EHV-1 outbreak it was that it has made people give more thought to how they can prevent diseases in their own horses.
Having spent almost 7 years working in the field of epidemiology I can say that I have seen a lot of poor biosecurity practices both day-to-day in barns but particularly away from home at events.
Certainly at the time of the outbreak there was a lot of talk online from people about how they were going to change their ways but a year later have they remembered or will they slip back into old habits? After all, does it really matter if you grab a stiff brush from your friends grooming box?
Your horse’s nutritional status has a lot to do with how robust their immune system is and how well they will be able to defend themselves against the threat of a pathogen. Building a healthy immune system through a balanced diet is just part of the biodefense system you should be creating to keep your horse healthy.
With the summer fast approaching and all of us wanting to get out and play more there are some things you should know that will help keep your horse safe. I asked Dr Alana McQuarry DVM MPVM to share some things you need to know to avoid infectious diseases. You will find the first installment of this valuable information below.
Additionally with her background working for the California Department of Food and Agriculture she is a great person to explain what exactly happens during an outbreak of a reportable disease and how you can help the state agencies to help protect your horse. You will find some of this information below with more to come next week.
Once you’ve read Dr McQuarry’s great information be sure to download the pdf version and additional links and to register here for our teleseminar with Dr McQuarry on April 25th where she will be able to answer your personal questions.
Before we start let’s define the terms infectious disease, biosecurity and fomite.
Infectious disease – Any disease caused by the entrance, growth, and multiplication of microorganisms in the body; a germ disease (A disease caused by a microorganism or other agent, such as a bacterium, fungus, or virus that enters the body of an organism.). It may not be contagious from one animal to another.
Examples of infectious and contagious disease: EHV-1, influenza
Example of infectious but not contagious disease: ascarids (roundworms)
Biosecurity – A somewhat scary sounding word that really just means taking steps to prevent spread of disease in and outside of your barn. Biosecurity embodies all the cumulative measures that can or should be taken to keep disease (viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, parasites) from a farm and to prevent the transmission of disease (by humans, insects, rodents, and wild birds/animals) within an infected farm and to neighboring farms.
Fomite – An inanimate object or substance that is capable of transmitting infectious organisms from one individual to another. Common fomites for horses: food/water buckets, brushes, tack, owners, veterinarians.
Clinical signs of infectious disease will vary depending on what the disease is and how severely affected the horse is. Most important to disease recognition and treatment is knowing your horse’s normal behavior; anything out of the ordinary should encourage you to check your horse over thoroughly and call your veterinarian early if concerned.
Signs of definite concern:
Don’t panic! There are many conditions, particularly when caught early, that are easily treated or managed. In the rare instance that your horse contracts something more severe, there are many resources available to provide medical care or guidance.
During the veterinary visit, your veterinarian will give you guidance on how to proceed to get your horse well and to protect other potentially affected or exposed horses. In the very rare instance that a reportable foreign animal disease is suspected, your veterinarian will ask that no animals are moved off your premises and they will call the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Animal Health Branch. CDFA (or USDA, who works closely with CDFA in California) will send a veterinarian to talk to you, examine the horse, and possibly take some samples for diagnostic testing. (More to come in Part II on reportable diseases).
This is a good checklist to get you thinking about ways to keep your facility and horses safe from disease CFSPH prevention practices checklist for horse facilities.
With this important information in hand you can now take steps to reduce the risk of your horse getting an infectious disease. In part II we will discuss reportable diseases in more detail. In the meantime Click Here to download your copy of this information plus links to other important resources. We would love to hear what measures you take to protect your horse and to hear your questions so please do leave us comments below.
Preventing Infectious Disease by Clair Thunes PhD and Dr Alana McQuarry DVM is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
For this third part in my senior horse series I am going to cover some environmental factors that may negatively impact your senior horses. Unfortunately these are often stressors that have been handled perfectly well in the past and your first indication that they have not handled it well is loss of condition. Therefore knowing ahead of time that these sources of stress can be an issue for older horses can help you take precautions to lessen the risk.
When I get called to assist with a senior horse that is losing condition I find that the answer sometimes lies in changes that have occurred completely unrelated to diet. Senior horses do not always handle changes of environment as well. Relocation to new barns and adjusting to new schedules, diets, herd members etc can be very stressful.
As a child I remember my mother having to retire her previously active 24 year old horse due to an injury he sustained. She moved him to a pasture situation with upwards of 10 other horses. He had always been out in pasture with other horses but only 2 or 3. Slowly, despite copious feed he faded away. Whether it was the change in routine, no more riding, or having to compete with a larger group of horses he was clearly not happy.
Retirement can be a hard change of pace and some horses really miss having a job. If you have to retire your senior horse try to make sure they know they are still special. Take them on hand walks, give them long grooming sessions, perhaps find a lower level rider who can give them a job, all be it less stressful.
Pain, even low grade pain results in stress and an elevated metabolic rate that causes more calories to be burned and therefore fewer calories available to maintain weight. Additionally, horses suffering from pain may be less apt to fight for their place in the pecking order resulting in them being at the bottom of the pile and less competitive in shared feeding situations. Arthritis pain may reduce desire to move long distances to reach food.
Removing horses from shared feeding situations in order to feed supplemental feed may be necessary. Or putting your senior horse in a smaller enclosed space over night in order to eat forage in peace can be beneficial. When senior horses are retired it may be tempting to stop expensive joint support practices but discuss this decision with your vet to determine whether this is the best decision for your horse. You may also need to maintain them on a low level of pain medication like Equioxx, something else to discuss with your vet.
Another area that is tempting to cut back on is hoof care. Many senior horses have their shoes pulled especially if they are no longer working. However removing shoes may not be the best option. Whether shod or barefoot it is important to maintain a regular schedule of hoof care which will insure that your horse is maintaining an adequate base of support.
Winter is the time of year when owners tend to report the most noticeable loss of condition in their senior and geriatric horses. Seniors do not have the same ability to handle cold weather as their younger counter parts. This may be due to having less fat coverage (body fat is insulating), and or hormonal changes.
Things you can do to support your senior horse during the colder months include; blanketing which helps reduce the calories needed to maintain body temperature leaving more calories to maintain condition, and feeding more fiber which is digested through a process of microbial fermentation that releases heat helping to keep your horse warm from the inside. Insure that you are feeding higher quality hay with a good leaf to stem ratio that will be easier to chew and digest. Consider adding super fibers like beet pulp that are also fermented in the hindgut but that yield more calories per pound than hay.
Be careful to watch for adequate water intake as reduced intake may increase the risk of impaction colic and choke. Add table salt to your horses ration year round at a rate of 1 tablespoon per 500lbs body weight. Soaking hay or adding water to their concentrate feeds is another great way of increasing water intake. Keep in mind too that research has shown that horses prefer tepid water over cold water so trough heaters can be a good investment.
Not only are senior and geriatric horses less able to handle cold temperatures, starting in their late teens they also have a harder time in hot weather. Reduced plasma volume means they have less fluid available for sweat so they run the risk of overheating. Frequent rest breaks during exercise in hot weather can be very helpful. In fact research shows that when given frequent rest breaks they will recover as quickly as younger horses. Consider riding early in the morning or evening when it is less hot and be sure to educate yourself about the signs of heat stress. For both heat and cold providing adequate shelter is an important consideration. This need not be a fancy shelter, trees planted in the correct location can be perfectly adequate.
Thinking ahead should be a key component of managing any horse but is particularly important for the senior horse. Take time to consider how your horse may react to the potential stressors mentioned here and take steps to minimize disruption. Have a plan ahead of time for what you will do should things not go smoothly.
I would love to hear readers experience of managing their senior horses. What have you done to handle the things discussed within this article? Have you identified stressors for your senior horse that I did not include here? Please leave your comments and questions below.
Understanding The Needs of The Senior Horse: Environment by Clair Thunes PhD of Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Ever wonder why all that beautiful spring grass can be a problem for your horse and why spring grass seems to be a greater cause of laminitis than summer grass? After all isn’t grass referred to Dr Green, why is it sometimes the devil in disguise?
There are several factors that make spring grass risky but perhaps the main one for cool season grasses is a type of carbohydrate called fructan a form of complex sugar. Unlike other simple sugars that are digested and absorbed in the small intestine, fructans, like structural carbohydrates (hemicelluloses, cellulose etc), rely on microbial fermentation in the horse’s hindgut. However unlike the structural carbohydrates they are fermented very easily.
Fermentation of carbohydrate of all types by the microbial population results in the release of substances called volatile fatty acids (VFA’s). These volatile fatty acids, most commonly acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid, pass through the lining of the cecum and colon into the blood stream where they are transported throughout the body and metabolized. For example, propionic acid is precursor to glucose, acetic acid may be converted to acetyl CoA a precursor of fat. In fact for horses fed an all forage diet the volatile fatty acids are their main source of energy.
When rapidly fermented carbohydrates reach the hindgut the rate at which the VFA’s are produced exceeds the rate at which they are passively transported to the blood stream, resulting in the environment becoming more acidic. In turn this stimulates lactic acid synthesizing bacteria which prefer a more acidic environment. They in turn utilize the available carbohydrates and create lactic acid which is more acidic than the VFA’s. This whole cycle results in a condition known as acidosis that changes the environment in the horse’s hindgut. Lactate utilizing bacteria start to proliferate and convert the lactic acid to VFA’s but they do this more slowly than the synthesizers produce the lactic acid.
What results is an environment that is not favorable for the pH neutral loving bacteria that are necessary for a healthy hindgut. These bacteria may start to die off and the horse’s ability to utilize forage may be decreased. This same scenario can be triggered when large grain meals are fed and soluble sugar and starch reach the hindgut undigested. In this instance you may notice that your horse goes off feed including hay. To prevent the risk of this happening when feeding grain limit the grain fed in one meal to less than 5lbs of grain for an 1100lb horse.
The die-off of bacteria and acidification of the hindgut may lead to diarrhea, colic as well as laminitis. The cells that line the cecum and colon are not protected by mucus and as a result are sensitive to damage from an acidic environment. This can result in erosion, inflammation and ulceration of the epithelia. In turn bacteria can colonize these injured sites and leak into the blood stream. When this happens in cattle the bacteria can result in liver abcesses and arthritis as well as other conditions. In both cattle and horses laminitis can occur and in cattle with rumen acidosis there are reports of increased rates of sole abcesses.
Horses that are carefully transitioned to high fructan pasture are less likely to suffer the negative consequences as their hindguts have time to adapt to higher levels of fructan intake. This means a slow introduction, building up from very short periods, to an hour or two, to several hours at a time before being granted full access. Use of grazing muzzles may be necessary for some horses especially if gradual introduction is hard to schedule. For some horses these pastures will never be safe no matter how carefully introduced, they will need to be maintained on a dirt lot and fed hay.
That depends on several factors. First you need to know a little bit about what types of grasses are in your pasture, cool or warm season, so that you can better judge how these plants may be metabolizing and thus where in the plant sugars may be at any given time. Next you need to know a little about plant metabolism and how sugars and starch are created.
Grasses photosynthesize in response to sunlight. During the cooler months this causes cool season grasses to create fructan which is stored for use over night when the plant utilizes the fructan as an energy source. In the hot summer months, warm season grasses will accumulate high levels of starch.
Generally speaking sugar and starch contents of grasses will be higher in late afternoon on a sunny day because of all the photosynthesis therefore making the morning a better grazing option. However the problem in early spring can be the cool night temperatures. Cool season grasses shut down their metabolism when the temperature drops below about 40 degrees. This means that fructans built up during the day are not removed over night. If horses are turned out on these pastures in the early morning after low over night temperatures, they are being given access to grass that is potentially still high in fructans.
Several days of bright sunlight and cold nights can result in grass that is potentially very dangerous especially to sensitive horses i.e. those that are obese, have a history of laminitis, or are insulin resistant. For these horses it is likely best to keep them off these pastures all together until night time temperatures remain above 40 degrees. Once night temperatures are staying above 40 degrees fructan levels will be lowest in the morning, after the plant has utilized stores from the previous day and before it can create more. If you want to leave your horse out for longer periods, choose days that are overcast and cloudy where photosynthesis is reduced.
In addition to carefully controlling access to such pastures you can help support your horse’s transition through the use of the hindgut buffer Equi-Shure. This buffer is encapsulated to insure it reaches the hindgut, and has been scientifically proven to help maintain the correct pH in the hindgut, reducing the occurrence of acidosis. It therefore helps to prevent metabolic issues that result from the over consumption of rich grass. While the use of Equi-Shure does not mean that you can get away with lax management it can be a good form of additional insurance. Equi-Shure may be purchased from www.kerx.com/products and using the Champion code CT001 at checkout will grant you a 10% discount.
If you have questions about how to manage your horses on spring pasture be sure to post them in the comments below. Do you have a story about grazing spring pasture that others could learn from or clever ways of managing your horses on pasture? Be sure to share them in the comments too!
Understanding fructans by Clair Thunes PhD of Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
A little over a year ago I received the following email.
"I have a 4 year old 17.2 hand Dutch warmblood gelding. He had OCD surgery as a 2 year old, and colic surgery as a 3 year old, and then suffered another colic 3 months post-op. He has chronic diarrhea/loose stool, and I have a difficult time getting him to pick up weight. I have tried just about every kind of treatment, and nothing really seems to work. I put him on a grass hay only diet after the colic, but I can't keep weight on him with it. Do you have experience with horses like this?"
This sounded like a very interesting case but I was curious to find out more about his colic’s and his diet overall. His owner sent me some further information.
He had the colic surgery for an impacted and displaced large colon. Both times that he coliced, he was out of her care, off being started under saddle. The first colic, there was a feeding instruction misunderstanding, and they had him on a diet of 100% alfalfa (6 flakes a day)...he ended up with terrible diarrhea, and then the colic. After that colic, she took him off of alfalfa completely, and the only other hay offered at the barn was a 3 way mix (oat, rye, wheat). He was fine on it at home, but again, when he went back to training, he coliced again. Both times he coliced within a week to 10 days of being at a new barn.
Since the second colic, he had been home with his owner, and absolutely fine besides being a very hard keeper. He was on all grass hay getting about 36lbs a day, but he just wasn't interested enough in it, and was leaving a lot, so it had been cut back to 24lbs a day, and he was still picky about it.
She went on to mention:
I've had to add a horrifying amount of supplemental feed to his diet because it's all that I can get him to eat. I'm really not all that comfortable with how much I'm having to give him. He is currently getting around 16 pounds of a 12% fat performance feed a day, plus 2 cups of corn oil in addition to the hay. He also gets a joint supplement, an electrolyte recommended by the vet after the second colic, and a digestive tract support supplement.
So, where to start? One of the first things I do with a new horse is to estimate its current weight, body condition score and the energy in the current diet. This allows me to calculate requirement and compare it to the current diet and using the body condition estimate whether the energy in the current diet is adequate to maintain body weight. This horse was estimated to weigh 1350lbs and to have an energy intake of 52 Mcal of digestible energy a day from his current diet, and his requirement for the level of work he was doing was only 28.5Mcal. With this amount of energy intake he should have been super fat yet he condition scored between a 4 and a 5, mildly under weight. Something was not right and the fact that he always had loose stools made me suspect that for some reason his digestive tract was not working optimally, specifically his large intestine. This would also explain why he was picky about eating the grass hay. It certainly sounded as though moving to new locations and different management styles had caused the horse some stress which had maybe caused some digestive distress resulting in colic.
Horses with gastric ulcers tend to go off grain and when the large intestine is disrupted horses will become picky about hay because the large intestine is where hay is digested. 16lbs of a fortified feed is a lot of feed unless you are feeding a complete feed and no hay. Based on the feeding directions for the high fat performance feed 16lbs was likely the maximum for his size and I wondered whether the high fat might be disrupting fiber digestion especially with the additional oil that was being added. Each horse has a different rate at which feed passes through its digestive tract. A horse with a higher rate of passage will be at greater risk of undigested feed reaching the large intestine. Feeds with high starch or fat contents that reach the large intestine can disrupt the bacteria and fiber digestion. With the added oil I thought that the level of fat in his diet may have been too great for him. My sense was we needed to remove some of the fat and work on supporting fiber digestion so that he would eat more grass hay and be able to derive more nutrients from it resulting in more weight gain, while hopefully firming up his manure.
Beet pulp is a highly fermentable form of fiber. It requires microbial digestion in the large intestine but pound for pound results in a similar amount of energy as oats. As a result it can be very helpful for getting weight on horses without the need to feed large amounts of grain that are high in starch and sugar. I did not want to rely too much on grain as an additional calorie source for this horse as he had a history of OCD and was still young, plus his digestive system already seemed upset and I didn't want to risk grain, at least not initially.
While the owner was wary of adding alfalfa due to the colic that had occurred when he had been fed alfalfa I felt that a small amount of alfalfa in the diet would be beneficial. Alfalfa is high in calcium and in cattle there has been some research that has shown that calcium reduces the negative impacts of fat on fiber digestion. Additionally, there has been some research suggesting that alfalfa may help to reduce the risk of ulcer development and it is a slightly better source of protein than grass hay which might help him build muscle. The initial plan was to gradually wean away from the high fat performance feed and replace it with beet pulp and to replace one flake of grass hay with a flake of alfalfa.
His owner started him on a small amount of alfalfa and right away saw an improvement in his manure. 4 days later I received an email,
"Just a quick update to let you know that his manure is the best that it has ever been! The only thing that I can think to attribute it to is the addition of alfalfa to his diet. I noticed a change almost immediately. "
This assured me that we were taking the right path. Over the next month we removed the high fat feed and introduced wheat bran to add more phosphorous in order to balance the calcium in the beet pulp. We eventually added oats to further increase the energy in the diet and a custom selected mineral supplement to insure the diet was correctly balanced. Overall the new diet provided 38Mcal a day, a 14Mcal decrease and yet he was gaining weight and had a much healthier digestive tract.
Sometimes making a diet for a horse is not as simple as clearly saying “you should feed x,y,z.” In some situations like this one you need to be willing to experiment and see what reaction you get, as we did with the alfalfa. The feedback you receive from the horse can help you to fine tune the diet further. Implementing a successful diet in this kind of situation takes team work, patience and trust.
If you have a tricky nutritional case that you would like help with please do not hesitate to contact us.
16lbs of Grain and Still Losing Weight by Clair Thunes PhD of Summit Equine Nutrition LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
In my introduction to this series on the care and management of the older horse (which you can find here) I discussed what constitutes old age and identified four areas where senior horses face specific challenges. These were; dentition, nutrient absorption, environmental stress and disease. Today I am going to tackle the first of these, dental care with the help of an extremely qualified and knowledgeable guest Dr Geoff Tucker. Before you think that you have a young horse so this article is not for you think again. As you will see, dental care of the senior horse starts when they are about 5 years old!
Doc Tucker, as he is known, has been an equine veterinarian since graduating from Cornell in 1984 when he started his own successful private practice. In 1998 Doc Tucker sold his New York equine practice in order to focus solely on equine dentistry something he had been passionate about since 1983 when he first started doing floats. He has performed over 50,000 floats the majority without the use of sedation due to his use of sound horsemanship principles. Today in his thriving dental practice Doc Tucker works on horses up and down the east coast from Florida to New York and almost every state in between. So when I decided to put together a series specifically focused on the care and management of the senior horse, of which dental care is large component, Doc Tucker was my “go to” person for input. Below are his thoughts as they relate specifically to senior horse.
Those of you who already read Doc Tuckers blog The Equine Practice or who have watched any of his videos on his dentistry website will know that he always provides much food for thought and this piece is no different. Because I know that this is a huge topic and because I know this piece will really get you thinking Doc Tucker and I are going to get together and offer a teleseminar where we can cover this topic in more detail and answer your specific questions. To be sure that you don’t miss the announcement of this event be sure to sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our homepage.
Teeth In Older Horses
Equine dentistry, horse teeth, and nutrition of the older horse are subjects I am commonly asked about, but the first question I always ask back is, “What is your definition of “old.” The answers I get surprise me especially when late teens are mentioned.
In my opinion, the “age” of a horse is only a counting of how many times it has circled the sun, but “how old” is based on genetics and environment. Just yesterday I was asked to see a 37 year old Standardbred who had lots of teeth. I have also seen horses 15 years younger in age with almost all of their teeth gone. However, the vast majority have all their teeth until they die.
Another subject often asked about is what to feed the “older horse.” Senior feeds have exploded onto the market and I am amazed with how many 10 to 15 year olds with perfect teeth are being feed a “senior” feed.
A well done scientific study was done recently where 17 horses were fed the same diet. Each horse had various conditions in the mouth that was thought to affect feed utilization. The study’s conclusion was what most horse owners already know. Most horse’s poop looks the same.
The study took samples of feed from various parts of the digestive tract as well as their manure. The conclusion was simple. As long as the food got past the swallowing part, all food was digested in the GI tract and not by the teeth.
Some surgeons performing colic surgeries have noticed hay fibers massing into impactions. They jump to the conclusion that sharp teeth are not grinding the feed into small particles and it is this that leads to impactions and blockages of the gut. This unchallenged observation confuses me for two reasons. First, plenty of horses without dental care never impact their GI tract. Second, no studies were done to study the effect of environment on these horses including the observance of gastric or colonic ulcers. What did the manure of these impacted horses look like? What was their hydration?
At what age do we need to start worrying about horse teeth? From my position of observing horse’s teeth since 1983, I would say around 5 years of age and this is why. In most horses, the sharp edges formed on the teeth cause pain in the soft tissues of the mouth. Depending upon how much pain the horse feels will determine how well he cares for his teeth into the older years.
To understand the special problems of older horses and their dental care, I’ll need to explain some of the basics affecting all horse’s teeth.
Basic #1 - Eruption and “Old Horse Tooth”
The horse gets a full set of mature teeth by 5 years of age. Up to this point, baby teeth (also called deciduous teeth or caps) are being shed and permanent teeth are growing to full size, entering their positions where they will erupt. The concept of eruption is similar to thinking of a mechanical pencil loaded with a stick of lead. As you write the lead is worn off and, if the pencil is not turned, one edge of the lead becomes longer and forms a sharp edge. Floating horse teeth is similar to removing the sharp edge of the lead.
As the pencil lead wears off, more is clicked into position. This is similar to the eruption of the teeth. At some point, the pencil runs out of lead and the horse also runs out of tooth to replace wear. This is what I call “end stage” tooth and the first tooth this happens to is usually the first lower cheek tooth. As this first lower cheek tooth wears into the root system, the regular edges are replaced with irregular edges that are very difficult to float. I affectionately call this “old horse tooth” and is first seen about the age of 17 years.
Basic #2 - Tooth Hardness
Younger horses have softer teeth and therefore get sharp quickly. As the horse matures, the teeth usually get harder. This is opposite to common belief that younger horses don’t need floating. It is quite the opposite. Floating young horses with their dynamic dental needs lays the groundwork for healthy teeth in the older horse.
Basic #3 - The Threshold Of Pain
It is not how sharp the teeth are, but the horse’s threshold of pain that is more important. This one factor determines the frequency of floating, not the dogma of a set time period such as once a year or twice a year. For most horses, somewhere between 6 months and a year, dental care moves from preventive to corrective. The horse’s comfort in chewing, the acceptance on the bit, and how often floating is needed is determined by the horse’s threshold of pain. Removing the potential source of oral pain before it becomes a source of pain will create a healthy environment for all teeth regardless of the genetic predisposition to wear. Maintaining a healthy mouth will lead to longevity of the teeth.
Here is an example of how an older horse with a low threshold of pain will respond to sharp points. The pressure applied to the teeth when chewing will be uneven in a horse guarding himself from pain. This leads to loosening of the teeth in the socket over time in the older horse with short reserved crown (nearing end stage). Many older horses when floated for the first time in a long time have teeth that wiggle as the rasp is passed over them. A return visit in 3 months after all the sharp points are removed finds all teeth firmly attached in their sockets. It is quite amazing.
Basic #4 - The Importance Of The Tongue
Tongue movement is affected by sharp points and a horse with a low threshold of pain is very sensitive to this. The tongue is critical in the formation of a food bolus comfortable enough to swallow. Anyone with a tongue sore will agree that if the tongue’s movement is limited by pain, it becomes difficult to impossible to chew food into something you are willing to swallow.
The tongue also is responsible for cleaning the mouth. Try moving the tip of your tongue into every possible area of your mouth. Isn’t it fascinating how easy it is to do this? However, with sharp points, this becomes impossible.
Finally, the tongue is also responsible in keeping the teeth firmly attached in the socket. If someone gently pushed your shoulders back as you stood, your leg and core muscles would push back in an effort to remain standing. If you were pushed about 25,000 times a day, how strong would your core become? Did you know the horse chews between 10,000 and 40,000 times a day - or 25,000 times on average?
Take Home Points For Older Horse Dental Care
1) Preventing dental problems in older horses starts with regular preventive removal of pain causing points from 5 years of age.
2) Dental health in horses is achieved with pain free chewing and full excursions of the tongue within the mouth.
3) If the teeth in the horse have been neglected and the horse is 20 years old or older, removal of sharp points is the primary objective. All other approaches including the correction of abnormalities are secondary to the primary purpose of removing oral pain.
4) Before doing anything in the horse’s mouth, step back and look at the horse. Many horses with severe abnormalities are fat and happy. Drastic changes may cause the horse to stop eating.
5) If severe dental abnormalities are preventing the horse from eating because chewing is difficult to impossible, remove the offending sharp points and review the feeding management. Often a change in feed or the way it is fed is as important as removing the oral pain.
To learn more about Doc Tucker and contact him visit him at his website The Equine Practice from here you will be able to visit his several other sites and blogs. Be sure to check out his phenomenal photographs on his barnpics site, sign up for his letter an keep up with him on facebook. And remember that the information contained in this blog post is for information only and is the opinion of Geoff Tucker, DVM. It is not intended to replace your relationship with your veterinarian nor is it to be considered an attempt to diagnose or treat your animal. You need to discuss any and all medical conditions with your veterinarian who has established a relationship with you and your horse.
Understanding The Needs of The Senior Horse: Dental Care by Clair Thunes PhD of Summit Equine Nutrition LLC and Dr Geoff Tucker of The Equine Practice is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Solo recovered from founder shown here in February 2012
In the Spring of 2009 I received a call from Megan who was clearly very distressed about her mustang Solo who was battling severe laminitis. Three years later I am happy to say that Solo is back, fit, happy and sound. But as you will read it was a battle for both him and Megan.
As yet again we enter the Spring laminitis season I wanted to share their story in Megan’s words to give hope to those of you who may find yourself in her situation. Solo’s laminitis was not brought on by pasture but regardless of the cause, dealing with laminitis is an emotional and painful ordeal.
So at this time of year when the risk of pasture laminitis is high, I cannot stress enough to be vigilant in watching your horses as the pasture grasses come in, especially for those whose horses are currently over weight or of breeds known to be at greater risk of laminitis such as our ponies, Morgans, Arabs, Paso Finos, Mustangs etc. Watch for increases in weight, crest fat, heat in the hoof walls, and digital pulses. Limit initial access to pasture. Do not graze at risk horses on cool season grass pastures after nights where the temperature falls below 40 degrees, or at the end of the afternoon when the weather has been bright and sunny. These weather conditions result in higher sugar contents. Consider the use of grazing muzzles and feed some hay before turnout to limit gorging.
A good option for the transition phase is a hindgut buffer called EquiShure made by Kentucky Equine Research. This product is proven to help maintain hindgut pH which can become acidic when large quantities of easily fermentable pasture grass are eaten. This acidic environment can cause beneficial bacteria to die off resulting in toxins that can cross into the blood stream potentially causing laminitis or colic. Equishure may be purchased from http://www.kerx.com/products/EquiShure/ and using discount code CT001 provides a 10% discount at checkout. Call KER to set up repeat shipping and use the same code for a 15% discount.
If these management strategies are not enough you may be faced with the hard reality that perhaps your horse should not have access to pasture. Laminitis can be a death sentence. Luckily for Solo it wasn’t but it was certainly a close call. Here is Solo’ s story.
"A few years ago my husband and I moved our horses to a new home and, due to an overwhelming work schedule, stopped riding as much. The horses seemed happy enough to hang out with each other on their dry lot, with a little arena work and walks down the road. However, our 17 hand mustang Solo (likely draft in the mix), had finally stopped growing and as the boss horse and extremely speedy eater, quickly gained weight. We tried to limit his intake and exercise him most. All the horses were on what we thought was a very healthy diet: the best quality grass hay we could find, with vitamin/mineral/herb supplements as we thought best, and carrot treats, which we thought were safe. Solo suddenly seemed famished all the time. We got Solo as a weanling and through the years he had proven himself to have excellent sense (mustang instincts we supposed) about what was and wasn’t safe to eat. But he began trying frantically to eat poisonous leaves, acorns, etc. that we knew weren’t safe for him. We were very concerned by this behavior. He was by no means a starved horse. We did not realize that this crazed grumpy hunger was a symptom of insulin resistance.
On a warm spring day, I went out and Solo was clearly in pain, rocking back off his front feet. Before this, I had often checked his hooves for pulses/heat, any signs of soreness because I saw fat pockets developing on him and had learned that Mustangs are susceptible to metabolic issues. He hadn’t been lame, had had no hoof heat or pulses, had never abscessed or colliced. He had wonderful large barefoot mustang feet. We had the vet out immediately, put Solo in a stall with deep shavings and foam pads on his hooves. Solo had mild pulses and did not respond to hoof testers. We were hopeful that with stall rest, icing, pads and anti-inflammatories, he might recover in a matter of days. Solo did test positive for insulin resistance and the vet gave us a specific amount of hay to give him, and a drug called thyro-l to help jump start his metabolism. Our vet was cautiously optimistic that we’d “dodged a bullet”. Unfortunately, we hadn’t.
Solo’s coffin bones began to sink…and sink. It soon became clear through x-rays that Solo was a “sinker”. Commonly considered the most lethal and difficult type of founder to treat, the lamina attaching the hooves die all the way around the hoof which leaves the coffin bone loose in the hoof, so it sinks downward. Solo’s coffin bone dropped all the way down below his hoof wall (making his sole convex), which was a long way down as he started with nice thick soles. We were shocked and overwhelmed with sadness, fear and guilt. His x-rays showed significant gas lines where the lamina had died off. Our beautiful boy was down 20 plus hours a day, yet still had the will to eat and drink.
We spent much of our days and nights caring for him and researching what we could do with this dire prognosis. We were fortunate to have an exceptional vet who went above and beyond in every way he could to help Solo. After much discussion and research, we were terrified we might have to put him down. However, we had found one study where several horses healed from extreme sinking and gas lines. Because Solo seemed to still have the will to fight, we decided to continue to try everything we could to keep him on a healing path. We spent so many hours a day in the stall with him that we tried to trust he would let us know when he no longer had the will to live.
It was during this very dark time for us and our gelding that I first contacted Dr. Thunes. We have no doubt that the support she offered us was absolutely integral in saving Solo’s life. I still feel so much pain when I think about the state Solo was in when I called Clair. I had been so frantic and overwhelmed once Solo got sick that it took a couple weeks to call her. It made perfect sense: she was a specialist in equine nutrition. The specifics of why it was so important to bring her on as a part of our team became crystal clear the first time I spoke to her.
Solo trotting in the arena December 2011 2.5 years after a near fatal bought of laminitis.
Clair told me about an “emergency diet” for laminitic horses and why it was a recommended first step in the treatment plan. She told me that we would pull together the very best tested hay we could for Solo’s needs, combined with proper amounts of minerals and vitamins to create a balanced diet, (or, as I understood it, a diet that would help cleanse and restore his system). She provided me with important studies and articles to read. Clair offered advice about food, vitamin/mineral and herbal aids that have been effective in treating issues such as circulation, inflammation, weight reduction, pain, anxiety, ulcers, etc. in horses. She also told me about her own mustang sporthorse, who was once acutely laminitic, and has gone on to lead a healthy and athletic life. Clair’s wealth of information, based on thorough reputable scientific studies, and years of experience, gave us hope. We knew if we had any chance of making Solo comfortable and helping him heal, this certainly would help; and how very true that turned out to be.
When Solo was able to stand for a longer period, our vet put wooden clogs on him, with a carved out area to provide relief for the coffin bone. These clogs, coupled with the dietary changes, seemed to make Solo much more comfortable than we would have dared hope. From the beginning, Clair and our vet insisted that diet, hoof trim and exercise when the horse is able all contribute to the healing process. With sinkers it can be very difficult to keep pain and infection at bay to allow for the much-needed exercise to begin. Nutrition is a key factor in making this healing of the whole horse possible.
Every time we look at Solo, we appreciate fully the help we have received. Solo is once again sound, comfortable and happy. We knew from the beginning it was a going to be a long haul and it has been a lot of work, but it has been worth it. Our vet told us that it would take several re-growths of Solo’s hooves for us to really see recovery. We have taken x-rays to chart his progress and try to trim to best help his hooves rebuild. His hooves are now strong and his hoof wall attachment is great. He has not abscessed, had infections or hoof cracks. His soles have re-grown to support his coffin bone once again. His tendons are in good shape. We hear many stories of horses not so fortunate, of farriers and vets frustrated because the horse’s diet is not conducive to growing healthy feet.
We firmly believe that the nutritional support we received from Clair helped make Solo’s recovery possible. Solo’s weight, circulation, general health and demeanor were all significantly changed once Clair found appropriate hay for Solo and created a balanced diet to offer him the nutritional support he needed to recover and thrive. I have heard it said that in every problem there is a gift. Through Solo’s illness, we have learned how to better care for him and all our horses. I am deeply thankful for this. Every horse has its own nutritional needs; sometimes it’s difficult to see that a horse’s diet is not working until something goes horribly wrong. Also, sometimes it takes the most catastrophic events in life to fully appreciate the great doctors out there. Clair certainly proved herself to be one, for us and for Solo."
If your horse battles with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance or laminitis and you would like help with nutritional management please contact us. We would be honored to help.
Solo's fight against laminitis by Summit Equine Nutrition LLC and Dr. Clair Thunes PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Q. I’ve noticed that within a feed company's lineup, the salesman pushes hard to get buyers on the $35/bag feed. What's wrong with the $25/bag ones? And if the $25/bag feed is so worthless it'll hurt a horse, how do they sell it (which makes me think maybe it's not so worthless). If I stop at 3 different feed stores, I'll be given 3 completely different feeding plans. Help!
A. Selecting the right feed for your horse can be mind boggling and helping owners like yourself with questions like these is a big part of what we do here at Clarity Equine Nutrition. A lot of feed companies whether national brands of local feed mills offer a range of different horse feeds designed to meet the differing needs of various horses. One of the first things to do as a consumer is to know what your horse’s needs are. What age is your horse, is he growing or a senior? Is she in work and if so how hard is she working? Is she a broodmare nursing a foal? All these things will help narrow the field of potential feeds. If you are feeding a weanling then you will likely be looking for a growth type feed. A geriatric horse with poor teeth? Then a complete senior feed would be a good choice.
When you go to different stores you will likely be given slightly different plans based on the fact that if the stores are close to each other they are likely stocking different brands of feed. Feed stores want to stock different feeds from their competitors as a way of drawing you into their store. That and the fact that a lot of the bigger national brands prevent feed stores from carrying their competitor’s brands in addition to theirs. Not all brands have the same types of feeds in their range, so brand B may not have a comparable feed to brand A that was recommended to you at the other feed store. At this point the choice falls to you to decide which of the two products would be better for your horse and for that you should look at the tag. 
Read the guaranteed analysis, feeding directions and ingredient list in order to make a more informed choice rather than relying on the text that may appear on the bag. There is no room on a feed tag for marketing language and what is there is regulated by state law versus the bag itself which can carry a lot of promising messages.
Perhaps the hardest horses to shop for are those at maintenance or in work because there are far more choices available to these horses than the seniors, youngsters and broodmares. If you walk into your feed store and say that you have a 1200lb gelding in light work the number of feeds the staff can discuss with you will be numerous. Let me give you an example of how that conversation might go based on 3 feed brands available at my local feed store.
Customer (C): Hi I was wondering whether you could help. I have a 10yr old gelding that I do dressage with. Could you recommend a feed to me?
Staff (S): Certainly. Would you prefer a Purina Feed, a Triple Crown Feed or a Nutrena Feed?
C: Urm I’m not sure really whichever one you think would be best.
S: Well in the Performance feeds you could try LMF Gold or Performance. Or Purina has Strategy or Omolene 200 as well as several others. If you go with Triple Crown they have one called Complete. How hard is your horse working?
C: Well I ride 4 days a week, he is doing training level dressage and I’m not sure if a Performance feed is the right option because I don’t want him to get hot.
S: Well you could try a lower starch feed like Triple Crown Low Starch or Nutrena's Safe Choice Secial Care. Is he an easy keeper?
C: Actually he is but I just feel like he isn’t getting everything he needs from his hay.
S: In that case you would probably be better off with a ration balancer like Purina Enrich Plus or Triple Ration Balancer. Nutrena also has one called Topline Empower Balance.
C: How much are they?
S: Well the Enrich Plus is $34.99 the Empower Balance is $28.99 and the Triple Crown Ration Balancer if $37.99.
C: Wow those are expensive how much would those other feeds be?
S: The Purina performance feeds are about $20 each, Nutrena's are just a little higher and Triple Crowns are about $28 each.
C: Hum well I think I will take a bag of Strategy that seems a much better price.
S: Yes but you only have to feed a couple of pounds of the ration balancers.
C: But $30 a bag? That’s a lot of money. I’ll take the Strategy and just feed a couple of pounds of that.
S: But it really isn’t formulated to be fed that way.
C: But it’s fortified isn’t it
S: Well Yes but it has a larger serving size
C: Well I can’t afford $30 a bag for feed so it’s going to have to be the Strategy.
So has this customer saved herself money by going with the Strategy? Let’s take a look. Strategy Healthy Edge has a recommended serving size of 7.75lbs for a 1200lb horse in light work (based on their website). At the cost of $25.99 for a 50lbs bag (local fed store price 2/11/2022) that comes out to a daily cost of $4.03 when fed as recommended. Now let’s look at Purina’s Enrich Plus. At $34.99 and fed at 2lbs a day to the same 1200lb horse in light work the daily cost is $1.40.
Certainly if fed at 2lbs per day the Strategy will have also set her back $1.03 however the horse will not be receiving all the minerals and vitamins needed because the feed is formulated to be fed at a far greater amount per day. If she is only going to feed 2lbs per day, her feed dollars would be far better invested in the Enrich Plus ration balancer and this is likely why the feed store staff are trying hard to sell her on the more expensive ration balancer. The balancer is more expensive because it is far more nutrient dense than the other feeds and this has a smaller recommended serving size.
Now as to whether the Enrich Plus, Triple Crown Ration Balancer or Empower Topline Balance would be the best choice that will depend on a number of different factors including the type of hay being fed and what else may be in the diet, and whether you want a fixed formula fixed ingredient feed. Knowing which would be optimal would be hard to assess without knowing more about your horse’s situation and specific needs. This is precisely the kind of issue that an independent equine nutritionist can help you with.
Hopefully this little example has helped to explain why it can seem why the feed stores are trying to get you to buy the more expensive feed. Whether the more expensive feed is right for your horse comes down to what your horse's needs are. The expensive feed may be a bad choice for one horse and the cheaper feed a bad choice for another. That doesn't make either of them bad feeds.
† Note that the pounds per day is based on information on each companies website for a 1200lb horse in light work. When a range of recommended intakes is given the lowest was used for the purposes of this article. Prices are based on feed stores local to Sacramento on February 8th 2012. All information provided here is for illustrative purposes only and is not a feeding recommendation for any particular horse.
Q&A: Do I really need to buy that expensive horse feed? by Summit Equine Nutrition LLC and Clair Thunes PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
This weekend while at the Pomona Horse Expo I spoke to numerous owners of senior horses. Maybe it was because I was giving a talk on senior horses and so those owners were gravitating to my booth but time and again owners shared that their horse was 26, 35, 24, 29 years old and what could they do to keep them going. My first response was that they must already be doing a lot right to have got them that far!
Aging is a very individual thing. Some horses barely look a day over 10 when they are in fact in their late 20's and others look used up at 16. What is a senior horse and how many of them are there in the US? Growing up in England we used to have show classes for the best senior horse and entrants had to be over 15 years old. However today the National Research Council considers 20 to be a cut off for becoming a senior. While it is an individual thing horses that are 18-20 years old are entering their golden years. Over 17% of the US horse population is estimated to be over 20 years of age based on a survey carried out by USDA APHIS which is a good proportion of the horse population.
So what do you the horse owner need to know about the feeding and management of your horse as he ages? What things might you expect to change that you should be keeping your eyes open for? Generally speaking changes occur in four main areas; dentition, nutrient absorption, environmental stress and disease.
Senior horse's often suffer from issues relating to teeth and their ability to chew and this in turn negatively impacts their ability to utilize the nutrients available to them in feed. Adding to that is the decreased capacity for nutrient absorption requiring more easily digestible forms of nutrients. For these reasons your senior horse may require a specialized equine senior feed. Ability to handle extremes of weather are reduced and the senior horse has an increased risk for a number of age related diseases and medical conditions.
I will be going into these areas in detail in subsequent blog posts so stay tuned to learn more about managing your senior horse.
This work by Dr. Clair Thunes PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Spent a wonderful morning making a social visit to our friends at Somerset Farm and Winterhaven Dressage and Horsemanship. It was great to watch several clients riding with Ellen Eckstein and see how fantastic their horses are looking both under saddle and in themselves. Lovely to meet Terri of WATCHMAN PRE Horses too owner of the fabulous Fugitivo XII riden by our sponsored dressage rider Susam Treabess. Special thanks to Ari and Seth for letting my daughter ride you, you made her day.
