horse nutrition
Holistic Horse Health: Can pigeon fever be prevented?
Pigeon fever is a bacterial infection that normally manifests as superficial abscesses. The chest of the horse is the most common location for a large abscess and the swelling resembles the chest of a pigeon. The condition normally shows up in the dry summer months when the bacteria is picked up from the dirt by [...]
Horse Temperament: Is your Earth horse lazy?
The Earth horse temperament does not enjoy strenuous work but when healthy he is not lazy. Some of the most successful performance horses I have known have been the Earth horse temperament. Not to mention the consistent lesson horses that work for hours each day without complaint. The Earth horse temperament can appear lazy because [...]
Holistic Horse Health: Is your horse’s gut smart?
Imagine my surprise when I read an article in the Wall Street Journal comparing the gut intelligence to that of the brain. I was introduced to this concept years ago when I read the great book, Molecules of Emotions, by Candice Pert. As it turns out, your horse’s gut is smart and any holistic horse [...]
Horse Feed and Care for Senior Equines
Watching the health of a senior horse decline is not only difficult to bear, but is also avoidable. Taking certain easily-managed steps to care for your senior horse holistically can mean the difference between suffering and enjoyable old-age. When considering your senior horse, be sure to assess nutrition, teeth, stress, metabolism and organ function. Then [...]
Holistic Horse Health: Why I feed probiotics
What is the first rule in feeding horses? Don’t make drastic feed changes. This is true because horses depend on a population of friendly bacteria to maintain healthy digestion. Drastic feed changes can alter the balance of healthy bacteria which can lead to colic or laminitis. Stress, drugs and weather changes can also alter the [...]
Horse Temperament: Is your older Wood/Fire(Jue Yin) limping?
Horse temperament plays a part in how horses age. Tess, my 30 year old, Jue Yin mule has been limping lately. I know exactly why this is happening. After enduring a miserable, record breaking drought and temperatures over 100 for 90 days the weather has cooled off. When the weather was so hot the horses [...]
Holistic Horse Health: Don’t forget the Vit C in your horse feeding program
Horses can manufacture Vit C but during extreme stress it is a good idea to supplement the diet anyway. For instance, we have been having extreme heat and drought in Texas. I have been seeing numerous conditions that are benefiting from Vit C supplementation in the horse feeding program. Vit C is most often thought [...]
Horse Temperament: Is your horse in pain or being a pain?
Had an interesting session yesterday with my Fire horse temperament mare, Cerise. Cerise had been working very well over the last few months and her attitude was very good. Up until a few weeks ago I was riding her and then my 71 year old friend was riding her some after we finished our training. [...]
Horse Feed for Extreme Weather Conditions
With many parts of the country experiencing extreme and unusual weather this spring, it seems to be a good time to talk about the best types of horse feed and supplements to help horses cope with this kind of unexpected weather. Horses seem to be dealing either with hot dry weather or cold damp conditions. [...]
Horse Health Care: Is Your Horse Shaggy or Shiny?
Here’s a horse health care question: What does it mean when your horse is shaggy rather than shiny in the spring? Most horse owners expect to see their horses shed out their dull winter coats after the winter season is over, and emerge with a shiny spring bloom. A shiny horse is a healthy horse. [...]
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