However, when potassium concentration in the bloodstream gets too high, a condition known as hyperkalemia, it can be life-threatening. In healthy horses, the kidneys filter out excess potassium from circulation, which is then excreted through the urine. What happens if a horse has too much potassium? The staff at Kentucky Read more…
Eight Easy Tips to Keep Your Horse’s Gut Healthy Supply unlimited water. Provide an unlimited source of clean, fresh water at all times. Make changes slowly. Provide high-quality fiber. Feed small, frequent meals. Keep a consistent schedule. Store feed safely. Provide mold-free feedstuffs. Add a digestive supplement. How do you Read more…
A 1,000 pound horse will defecate approximately four to thirteen times each day and produce approximately nine tons of manure per year. The 1,000 pound horse will produce, on the average, 37 pounds of feces and 2.4 gallons of urine daily, which totals about 50 pounds of raw waste per Read more…
Magnesium as a supplement can help calm stressful horses, and also provide them with necessary minerals and electrolytes to combat colic, colitis, ulcers and cribbing. Does magnesium help with ulcers in horses? Supplementing magnesium could therefore be hugely important in the management of stress, not only in directly helping to Read more…
Grass. Grass is the most natural form of roughage for a horse. The horse has to bite off each mouthful, so it is eaten slowly, aiding in digestion. Grass changes its character and nutritional value through the seasons. It is most nutritious in the early summer, just before flowering occurs. Read more…
Horses evolved eating a high fibre diet and fibre is still the single most important component in your horse’s diet aside from water. If your horse isn’t getting enough fibre it can be facing serious consequences including colic, dehydration, diarrhoea, ulcers, vitamin deficiency, weight loss and behavioural problems. What does Read more…
Vitamin A is important in equine diets because of its powerful antioxidant action. This vitamin also supports vision, reproductive functions, and the equine immune system. How much vitamin A should a horse get? The vitamin A requirement of adult horses at maintenance is 30 IU/kg (1 kg equals 2.2 pounds) Read more…
You may also want to feed a digestive support supplement during times of feed change and potentially stressful situations. Many horse owners feed dietary supplements designed to help replenish the beneficial bacteria in the equine digestive tract. How long does it take for food to pass through a horses digestive Read more…
Metamucil is effective, but must be fed in a much greater amount than one tablespoon a day. Horses that develop sand colic generally are thin and experience chronic diarrhea, but there are many more reasons for a horse to be thin than sand in the intestinal tract. How much Metamucil Read more…
How is equine metabolic syndrome diagnosed? Blood glucose and insulin level measurements at single time points are screening tools for EMS and insulin dysregulation. Blood samples are typically taken first thing in the morning before the horse is fed to avoid spikes in glucose and insulin associated with eating. What Read more…