Horses were commonly shot after breaking their legs because they had a small chance of successful recovery. Even today, horses are often euthanized after a leg break. Here’s why: It’s difficult for a horse’s leg to heal due to a combination of factors. Can a horse survive getting shot? Bullet Read more…
Never feed grain within 4 to 5 hours of a ride or exercise, and that includes any feed that is high in starches or sugar. The starches and sugars in these feeds are absorbed from the small intestine largely as glucose, which triggers the release of insulin from the horse’s Read more…
If your horse can’t have access to fresh pasture due to geographic limitations or health conditions, at least make sure you’re providing plenty of quality hay throughout the day (free choice is ideal, but be sure to check with your veterinarian). How do you feed a horse without a pasture? Read more…
Perennial forages such as Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass, timothy, and tall fescue grow back every year. They’re slower to establish and grow, however, than annuals. Grev recommended perennial species for permanent pastures. What is the best seed to plant for horse pasture? Grass mixtures containing the following species are good for Read more…
If the horse has cast himself against a stall wall, Madigan suggests using the tail to try to pull the horse away from the wall to give it space to get up. For the old horse that has gone down for a nap and is too weak to stand, both Read more…
Grass and legume forage mixtures provide benefits for horses with higher nutrient needs. Alfalfa can be grazed as a single-species or mixed with grass. Mixed pastures may not be appropriate for horses that are overweight or prone to certain metabolic conditions. Can horses live on alfalfa? She says alfalfa is Read more…
Grazing perennial cool-season grasses In multiple research studies, we found that horses prefer Kentucky bluegrass with a lesser preference for orchardgrass when planted by themselves. We then determined that horses preferred mixtures of endophyte-free tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and timothy. What ground is best for horses? Loams. These Read more…
Therefore, the supplemental source of protein used in horse feeds should be high quality. Alfalfa, milk proteins, and soybean meal are all good sources of quality protein for growing horses. Protein supplements which are deficient in lysine include linseed meal, cottonseed meal, and peanut meal. How can I add protein Read more…
The natural flight, fight or freeze response in the horse is very strong. As horse owners, we work with this every day. This survival response does such a good job of blocking out pain or discomfort from a past incident, it doesn’t easily allow the body to completely let go Read more…
Tradition holds that timothy hay and oats are the best feeds for horses, and that alfalfa and corn spell disaster. Alfalfa hay may not be the best feed for all horses in all situations, but it contains nutrients needed for many classes of horses. What is the best feed for Read more…