Tag Archives: minerals

Nutrition for the Lactating Mare

Posted on May 4, 2019 by

There is a reason the horse evolved to foal in the Spring. The rich, tender, high moisture young vegetation provides the energy and protein dense nutrition the mare needs to make sufficient milk. In peak lactation the mare needs 1.8X … Continue reading →

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Failing Pastures

Posted on September 23, 2018 by

I’m going to define failing pastures as those that no longer can meet the nutritional needs of the horse.  This can happen a lot sooner than you  might think. Brown, dormant grass is easy to spot but very mature green … Continue reading →

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Care of the Mare and Foal at Weaning

Posted on September 9, 2018 by

With feral horses, by the time weaning occurs naturally both mare and foal are more than ready for it.  When we hasten the process artificially, there is inevitable stress. Foals depend on their dams for basic survival needs of nutrition … Continue reading →

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Get Ready for Allergy Season

Posted on March 24, 2018 by

The groundhog was right about six more weeks of winter, but spring is just around the corner and with it all the plants, molds and insects that can spell allergy. Studies in several species and different equine breeds have uncovered … 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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Balance is Everything

Posted on January 7, 2018 by

Homeostasis is a continuously occurring dynamic process that seeks to maintain balance between body processes and a stable internal environment. The Chinese describe it as a balance between Yin and Yang.                  There’s a lot going on beneath the surface … Continue reading →

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Pica

Posted on December 11, 2017 by

Pica is defined as ingestion of items with no food value over a period of at least one month. This is actually normal in the young of all species. Horses rarely fit the description of chronic consumption except for devoted … 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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Feeding Yearlings

Posted on July 30, 2017 by

Whether you are prepping for sales and halter classes or trying your best to raise a healthy and sound youngster, careful attention to nutritional needs is a key component.  Yearlings should not be fed like little adults. This handsome devil … Continue reading →

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