UNDERSTANDING OBESITY January 2015 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition What is it? An obese horse is one that has accumulated so much body fat that it begins to have a negative effect on health. What are the symptoms? Obesity has a number of potentially negative effects, including: increased stress on the heart and lungs, greater[…]
UNDERSTANDING LAMINITIS December 2014 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition What is it? Laminitis is inflammation of the laminae of the foot. The laminae are tiny finger like structures in the hoof that interlock to join the coffin bone to the hoof wall effectively suspending the bones of the foot inside the hoof wall. Inflammation damages[…]
UNDERSTANDING CUSHING’S DISEASE November 2014 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition What is it? Cushing’s disease, also known as PPID (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction) is a progressive disorder that begins with the dysfunction of the pituitary gland. This gland at the base of the brain sends out a number of hormones, and a horse with Cushing’s disease[…]
FEEDING HORSES FOR WEIGHT GAIN April 2015 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition How to feed horses for weight gain is commonly asked question. Some horses do not maintain their body weight easily and it can prove a real challenge to keep them at an ideal weight. Ultimately your horse’s ribs should not be visible but[…]
FEEDING THE SENIOR HORSE May 2013 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition The nutritional management of the senior horse is challenging as there are not set criteria that define “old age” or the “senior” horse. The nutrient requirements of senior horses differ from other classes of horses because of the changes in metabolic and digestive efficiency that[…]
DON’T FORGET THE ELECTROLYTES June 2016 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition We’ve hit the hottest portion of the summer and we are witnessing our horses attempt to keep cool by sweating. The process of sweating causes a decrease in core temperature through evaporative cooling at the skin surface. As high energy molecules evaporate from the skin,[…]
DISCOVER FATTY ACIDS OMEGA 3 VS OMEGA 6 August 2016 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition Recent advertisements have focused on the use of Omega-3 supplements for horses, usually containing flax seed meal, vegetable oil, or fish oil. Studies in humans have found many health benefits with supplementation of Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. While[…]
THE LOW DOWN ON FAT May 2015 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition Fats and oils are commonly used in horse feeds to increase the calorie content of the feed or to replace the calories supplied by carbohydrates. Fat supplementation has many benefits including, providing calories for weight gain and providing essential fatty acids to improve[…]
Importance of Minerals: Minerals are vital to health. They are the building blocks that make up muscles, tissues, and bones…
UNDERSTANDING PROBIOTICS – PREBIOTICS June 2016 Written by Performance Horse Nutrition Horses have a unique digestive system. The front portion of the digestive system, the stomach and small intestine, utilizes enzyme digestion to break down food material. The bag portion of the digestive system, the cecum and colon, have a microbial population (bacteria, yeast, fungi)[…]