Articles
These articles are all around 800 to 1500 words long and will be updated regularly. The number of articles on different subjects will also be increased as soon as possible.
These articles do not contain any product placements and are not related to any feed or supplement company, so that the information provided is independent. The articles have been written in an informative way to provide current information on all aspects of this continually interesting and evolving subject.
| Ref | Title | Price | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|
| 000 | Feeding the Travelling Horse | Free Sample | It goes without saying that horses should be in good health prior to travel as the stress and sometimes the conditions experienced on the journey may suppress the immune system, resulting in ill health on or soon after arrival. Travelling is obviously not a normal occupation for horses and this can place enormous stress particularly on the first time traveller. |
| 001 | Feeding the Pre-weaning Foal | Foals grow at extremely fast rates particularly during their first six months of life. The greatest growth in the horses' life cycle occurs from birth to weaning. Most healthy foals grow from 10% of their mature bodyweight at birth to 50% at weaning. Daily gains of over 1kg during the ... | |
| 002 | Feed Related Allergies | In practice though, allergic reactions in horses seem fairly common. These reactions can make horses quite subdued and certainly can put them on the easy list for several weeks often resulting in training setbacks. Many horses will have episodic allergic reactions but occasionally some horses will develop regular recurrences of the condition... | |
| 003 | ABC of Vitamins for Horses | There is an almost bewildering array of supplements now available for horses, with horse owners looking for that extra edge over the competition. Are these extras really necessary and when might they be required to be supplemented? Current legislation is such that full information about the benefits of supplements on tubs and bottles often constitutes health claims and this is simply not permissible. This often creates further confusion for horse owners... | |
| 004 | How does feeding affect hoof condition? | Currently, there are many supplements on the market aimed at improving hoof horn quality, often with little research behind them. So what is it that makes hoof horn grow and improve in quality? | |
| 005 | The Maze of Minerals | New research in equine nutrition can help horse owners to improve the way they feed their horses. This research is conducted worldwide and as new information comes to light, nutritional consultants to the equine industry are able to put this information into practice, helping horse owners to understand the importance of balance when feeding minerals. | |
| 006 | Herbal supplements for horses | There is an abundance of herbal preparations on the market today. These are available for every type of condition or ailment ranging from depression to inflammation and digestive aids to PMT in moody mares! Herbs can be thought of as plant neutraceuticals. Herbs as plants, tend to be slow growing and deep rooted. They include a wide range of natural plants thought to have therapeutic properties. | |
| 007 | Grass growth through the season | Permanent pasture consists of grass which has grown naturally over many years and which may have originally begun as sown leys. It contains a much wider variety of grasses and plants. Native weeds and grasses take over a sown ley relatively quickly if it is not managed properly. When young grasses are sown, they grow upright, leaving patches of soil between them. These are soon filled by native grasses providing a carpet otherwise known as the “sward”. | |
| 008 | Gastric ulcers in performance horses | Gastric ulcers are extremely common in performance horses, particularly those in training. Ulcers at the very least may result in many lost days working and competing and at worst may result in death. Gastric ulcers or to give the technical name Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) are a serious health problem in both adult horses and foals. Research suggests as many as 90% of horses in training may have gastric lesions at any one time. | |
| 009 | Haylage, what to look for? | Poor haylage can cause real health and performance problems for horses. The climate of the British Isles is unpredictable for hay making in the summer months and so there has been a huge increase in haylage production. Haylage is a semi-wilted forage and many farmers are now making big bale haylage for horses as this is a lucrative market. But is this haylage made specifically for horses? | |
| 010 | Importance of fibre for horses | Forages should never be considered as just a bulk feed; in fact they are an important energy source. Essentially the digestive tract of the modern day performance horse is exactly the same as its ancestors that had developed the ability to ferment grass or forage via a hindgut fermentation chamber. | |
| 011 | The respiratory challenge for working horses | There is absolutely no doubt that factors which affect the respiratory health of competition horses are one of the major causes of poor or reduced performance. Respiratory disease, caused by pathogenic agents such as viruses and bacteria are commonplace, leading to many days off for affected horses and even training establishments being effectively “closed” for much of the season. | |
| 012 | How to properly assess condition | Weighing the horse will give you an accurate idea of the horses’ weight at the time but what about the condition? Some horses and ponies may look fat around the belly area or “tummy” but also at the same time, look quite ribby and lean along the top line. This does not mean that the horse or pony is in good condition, in fact, the reverse is often the case. | |
| 013 | Importance of water and electrolytes | Water and electrolytes are known to be vital nutrients for the hard working horse, however the importance of these nutrients for other horses and breeding stock for example lactating mares is often forgotten. During the summer months, the effect of these warmer temperatures on horses and ponies may result in health problems, some of which may be life threatening. | |
| 014 | Feeding sick or injured horses | Injuries and horses go hand in hand as any exasperated horse owner will tell you! Unfortunately it seems the working horse is particularly prone to injury and days or weeks on the easy list often follow either the original injury or post operation enforced rest. Many horse owners receive little help in feeding horses post operatively or post illness. | |
| 015 | Supplements, fact or fiction | Look around any feed room shelves and you are guaranteed to find some kind of supplement, additive or other unknown potion. Some of these are regularly used and others simply gather dust in the corner! These supplements range from “magic” powders to healing herbs. Whatever their content, it is obvious that their use implies a perceived deficiency in the diet or that they will improve the horses health or performance in some way | |
| 016 | Feeding lactating mares - latest thoughts | Lactation is a period of significant physiological stress. The nutrient needs of the lactating mare are greater than any other, except possibly the racehorse in peak training. Add to this a possible new pregnancy as lactating mares are rebred and the likely effects of nutritional stress become abundantly clear. The lactating mare has increased requirements for many nutrients but particularly water, protein, calcium and phosphorous to produce milk | |
| 017 | Growth related problems in youngstock | There are many different ideas and myths surrounding the feeding of rapidly growing foals. Some foals are faster maturing such as the thoroughbred destined to race at two. Other breeds tend to grow at a slower rate, but the importance of good nutrition cannot be underestimated particularly when these horses are aimed at an athletic career. It is not surprising therefore that some youngstock begin to show signs of growth related problems, technically known as Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (or DOD), and often this results in panic. | |
| 018 | Energy sources for different types of work | The horse has an inherent ability to undertake certain equestrian disciplines before the training and feeding process begins. The work and feeding programme should be designed to make best use of the horse’s own genetic potential. For muscles to develop and work efficiently they need energy which is derived from the horses’ feed. | |
| 019 | Laminitis | There are several causes of laminitis and these are initially mostly unrelated to the hoof itself, these include grain overload, retained placenta and trauma to the hoof such as excessive weight bearing following injury to the other forelimb. Perhaps the most common and well known cause is pasture induced laminitis. Recent work in USA has shown that horses and ponies with signs of insulin resistance were more prone to developing laminitis than those without this metabolic problem and that this may be more of an inherited genetic problem. | |
| 020 | Effect of feeding on temperament | Some horses and ponies are very sharp and have a tendency to nervous or excitable behaviour. In performance horses this type of behaviour may be desirable in that many owners like to have horses fit and on their toes, particularly before competing. However this often leads to energy being wasted and some horses and ponies can become unmanageable for their riders and may also suffer loss of/or difficulty in maintaining condition. | |
| 021 | Building up horses and ponies in poor condition | Some horses and ponies can be difficult to feed in that they cannot seem to hold their condition. These horses and ponies continue to lose weight even though nutrition and health management seem to be appropriate.. | |
| 022 | Haematinics - are they beneficial or harmful? | Haematinics or blood builders are used extensively throughout the horse industry. Iron injections are also common practice but are they necessary or could they be doing more harm than good? | |
| 023 | Whats in a bag of compound horse feed? | The number of feeds available today is mind numbing, how do horse owners decide what type of feed or which manufacturer to choose? This article looks at the information available to help horse owners make an informed choice. | |
| 024 | Exploding the myths surrounding protein | Protein has been the source of many old wives tales with regard to feeding. It has mistakenly been implicated in many equine problems from tying up to bad backs. | |
| 025 | The digestive system of the horse | All horses and ponies are hindgut fermenters,this article looks at the structure of the digestive tract and why fibre digestion is so important. |
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Whilst I hope you find the contents of this website interesting and informative, the contents are for general information purposes only and do not constitute advice. I believe the contents to be true and accurate as at the date of writing but can give no assurances or warranty regarding the accuracy, currency or applicability of any of the contents in relation to specific situations and particular circumstances. As such, the contents should not be relied upon and internet purchasers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking appropriate professional advice. This website is not intended to be a source for advice rather it should be viewed as a source of information.