My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Ration balancers seem to be all the buzz on equine bulletin boards these days — almost everyone is feeding one or asking about feeding one. So what are they? A ration balancer is a lot like a multi-vitamin supplement for your horse that is fed to balance the nutritional content of your horse’s total ration […]
Read MoreThis is a hard time for horse owners. Not only are economic swings making everyone nervous, but many parts of the country had bad growing seasons, so that hay is already (in New England, at least) at an all time high. In an effort to keep my horse-related expenditures in line, I’ve been looking into […]
Read MoreI jinxed myself last week. A friend and I were discussing a horse that has suffered from a series of gas colics. In a rash moment I said that in the 20 years that I’ve had horses, only twice had one of them shown colic symptoms. Two days later when I went to feed my […]
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Research into equine ulcers has revealed that 90% of racehorses, more than 50% of performance horses, and as many as 37% of pleasure horses suffer from gastric ulcers. That is a stunningly large amount of the horse population. Could feeding Alfalfa hay be beneficial for ulcer-prone horse? Research suggests that it could be helpful. Ulcers […]
Read MoreHow much salt should your horse get on a daily basis? Certainly, it’s more than I thought. Researchers in Michigan measured the daily salt consumption of 12 horses during the hottest months of the year from the beginning of May to the end of August. Salt consumption averaged 0.64 ounces per horse in May and […]
Read MoreI’ve written about beet pulp in the past as a forage alternative in the past, but there are so many misconceptions about this type of feed that I feel it deserves its own post. Beet pulp is the fiber that remains when sugar is extracted from beets. It is high in fermentable fiber and is […]
Read MoreIt’s been two weeks now since Kroni officially went barefoot as we wait for his feet to grow out. Poor guy has been ouchy, for sure. But I’m relieved to see that the hoof that’s left has been holding up well. There’s no additional chipping or cracking. To him more more comfortable, I’ve been treating […]
Read MoreEvery couple of years a “kindly” landscaper or home owner offers our horses grass clippings from their lawns. Their intentions are good, but the consequences to horses can be severe. Yes, horses eat grass, so why not grass clippings? There are several reasons why it’s not a good idea: When grass is mown and especially […]
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