Vitamins–tiny organic compounds with a huge impact on the health and well-being of your horse. Sometimes gleaned from the diet, sometimes manufactured within the digestive tract, vitamins have the power to promote and regulate virtually all of the body’s normal functions, and they need be present only in minute amounts. Continue reading
Category Archives: Feeds and supplements
The Magnificent Seven – equine minerals
Ever wonder why some minerals (such as copper, zinc, iron, and selenium) are referred to as “trace minerals” while other minerals (such as calcium and phosphorus) are not? According to some nutrition texts, the term “trace” was originally used for minerals required in amounts too small to measure. So, old nutritional guidelines might recommend a “trace” of copper or zinc, because the exact requirement was unknown. Because it was so difficult to measure trace minerals, research on these elements lagged behind research on other essential nutrients. Fortunately, modern labs can measure most of the trace minerals (iodine and selenium are still difficult), so knowledge in this important area is increasing. Continue reading
Immunity through nutrition
by: Marcia King
January 2005
If your performance horse does well on a balanced diet, can he do better with some extra, immune-boosting nutrients? What about young horses and aging horses, ill horses and healthy horses, working horses and lightly ridden horses? Continue reading
Microbes to the Rescue: Probiotics and Digestive Aids
Deep within your horse’s gastrointestinal tract, there’s a whole civilization in miniature. Microorganisms, billions of them, have taken up residence in his cecum. But there’s no cause for alarm; these thousands of different species of bacteria, protozoa, yeasts, and fungi not only belong there, the majority of them actually are beneficial to the horse.
 ANNE M. EBERHARDT Probiotics are easy to give to a horse and are effective, and virtually harmless when administered correctly. |
Does Feeding Affect Behavior?
Next time you visit your local feed and tack store, peruse the horse supplement section. Chances are you will find at least one that claims to have a “calming” effect on horses. Whether or not these supplements live up to these claims is debatable, but what is clear is that behavioral problems are of prime concern to owners, and they are more than willing to try supplements or treatments that might help calm their stressed, nervous, or excitable horses. Continue reading
Is Dietary Fat Really Healthy?
Marketing claims regarding the virtues of fat in equine diets are plentiful. Statements such as “Added dietary fat for improved performance,” “Increased stamina,” “Calm energy,” or “Improved coat and hoof condition” abound. Indeed, at times it is easy to conclude that an increase in dietary fat is the solution to anything that ails a horse–the proverbial “best thing since sliced bread.” Contrast this sentiment with the prevailing attitude toward dietary fat among human nutritionists and physicians. Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol have long been associated with the development of coronary heart disease (when deposits of fat and cholesterol cause a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, resulting in damage to the heart muscle). High-fat diets have also been blamed for the current epidemic in obesity throughout the Western world. However, this issue is hotly debated, and there now is evidence that consumption of excess sugar, rather than fat, underlies the tendency to gain weight. Continue reading
An Introduction to Equine Microflora and Probiotics
One of the many ways of categorizing animals is based on their diet and digestive physiology. Carnivores eat meat, frugivores eat fruit, omnivores eat a variety of foods from both animal and plant sources, and so on. Horses are categorized as non-ruminant herbivores, a classification that includes other species such as rabbits and elephants. Non-ruminant herbivores derive their nutrient requirements from plant sources, the majority of which is comprised of fibrous plants such as grasses. Roughages such as grass contain varying amounts of both soluble carbohydrates and insoluble carbohydrates. Continue reading
The Myths and Reality of Beet Pulp
Beet pulp is not only one of the most gratifying, but also one of the most frustrating feeds for an equine nutritionist. Few feeds have as many myths and evil predictions associated with it. “It’ll swell up and rupture the horse’s stomach”, “It’ll make them choke”, “It has too much sugar”, and “It has no nutritional value whatsoever” are just a few of the diabolical warnings floating around, none of which are in fact accurate. Continue reading