Senior feeds have higher crude fiber levels than regular horse feeds. These sources of fiber include beet pulp, rice bran, or alfalfa meal because they are easier for horses to digest. Senior feeds often have higher phosphorus levels as well as higher calcium than typical feeds. What is a complete Read more…
Soaking feed helps increase the amount of water your horse consumes. Think about the cold winter and the hot summer – both examples of times when it is critical to ensure proper hydration. Lack of water is a primary cause of colic (Leibsle, 2016), so every little bit helps. Should Read more…
Unfortunately, this abundance of fresh grass can be a danger to grazing horses. Though it is a natural food of equines, cool-season grass contains fructans, a storage form of nonstructural carbohydrates. Most sugars and starches are easily digested in the horse’s small intestine, but this is not the case for Read more…
You should feed your horse hay just before riding or give them grain one to four hours before riding. After riding, you should immediately provide them hay. However, it would be best to wait for at least half an hour to feed them grain. It’s essential to get the timing Read more…
Handling, riding, and caring for a horse or pony can develop a host of positive traits in a child, including responsibility, accountability, patience, level-headedness, empathy, kindness, and self-discipline. Why is horse good for kids? Mental Health: Research has shown that when children work with horses their stress hormone cortisol is Read more…
The nomination deadline is typically the end of January. Owners must cough up a generous $15,000 for initial entry into the Preakness Stakes; however, if their horse makes it to the starting gate, they must pay an additional $15,000. How much does it cost to enter horse in the Preakness? Read more…
If a horse’s diet is not meeting their nutritional needs (especially minerals and vitamins) they may resort to eating manure (coprophagia). Why do horses eat their own poo? Studies have linked manure-eating in adult horses to those that are either underfed, or are fed diets that are low in fiber. Read more…
Likewise, horses fart so much because their diet is mostly plant-based, and their fibrous food gets digested through fermentation in the back half of their digestive tract. Is it normal for horses to fart a lot? Normal horses produce tremendous amounts of gas as a byproduct of the breakdown of Read more…
Hay belly is most commonly caused by feeding horses a low-quality forage that leads to gut fill and extended digestive times. To alleviate hay belly, owners are advised to check their forage quality and change to higher quality forage, as well as evaluating other aspects of their feeding plan. How Read more…
Horses are designed to graze, and that means that eating from the floor ‘fits’ their ‘design’. Eating from the floor encourages natural respiratory drainage, exposes him to less respiratory irritants and prevents these from being inhaled. Should horses eat from ground level? Why feeding hay and grain from ground level Read more…