Tag Archives: Hay

Vitamin C – Friend or Foe

Posted on May 18, 2019 by

Vitamin C [ascorbate/ascorbic acid] is a water soluble vitamin which functions as an important antioxidant and is needed for the synthesis of L-carnitine, catecholamines like epinephrine and dopamine, as well as collagen, the major protein in all connective tissues, including … Continue reading →

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Cold Weather Feeding

Posted on November 11, 2018 by

As the country rapidly slips into winter, questions on cold weather feeding increase.  People want to know what to feed and how much more in winter. The short answer is, it depends. If you have done any reading on this … Continue reading →

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Hard Keepers

Posted on November 4, 2018 by

Overweight horses are grabbing all the headlines but horses that tend to be very thin can also be a major headache for their owners.  While obesity is clearly to be avoided, there is such a thing as too thin. Photo:  … Continue reading →

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Treats

Posted on October 14, 2018 by

There are many behavioral and safety reasons not to give your horse treats but for those who can’t resist, this is for you.  If you must give treats, at least do no harm. This feral horse skull shows remarkably clean … Continue reading →

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Nutrition for Advancing Pregnancy

Posted on February 11, 2018 by

In the last half of pregnancy the foal grows from the size of a small dog to an average 100 lb foal. Nutritional needs ramp up significantly in late pregnancy and calories are the least of the concerns.  This means … Continue reading →

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Supplementing Old Hay

Posted on January 28, 2018 by

It’s the time of year when even last year’s hay isn’t so new anymore and hay is getting hard to find, leading many people to settle for hay that is actually 2 years old. Properly cured hay stores well in … Continue reading →

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Fine Tuning Winter Feeding

Posted on December 31, 2017 by

Plenty is written every year about the basics of winter feeding, including: Lots of hay/fiber Increase calories to compensate for energy lost staying warm Feed salt Constant water at a comfortable temperature for drinking These things are critically important for … Continue reading →

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Impaction Season

Posted on October 30, 2017 by

Colic remains the #1 health issue of horses across all ages, sexes, breeds and uses. There are many forms of colic and impaction is one of the most common. The stringy, sticky, white/tan coating on this manure is mucus, a … Continue reading →

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Matching Feeding to Activity Level

Posted on October 15, 2017 by

Show season is winding down, vacations over, kids back in school, holidays on the horizon and many horses are getting less work as a result.   It’s important to scale back calories, and in some instances type of calories.  It’s equally … Continue reading →

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What Can You Tell By Just Looking at Hay?

Posted on September 3, 2017 by

There’s a lot you can’t tell by looking but appearance does yield some useful information.  Just the type of hay is a helpful start.  Legumes (clover, peanut, alfalfa) are always high protein and calcium.  Bermuda will be low protein unless … Continue reading →

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