Gastrointestinal (Gut) Health

Grain Free Feeds….What does this mean, and do our horses really need these feeds?

Grain Free Feeds….What does this mean, and do our horses really need these feeds?

What we feed our horses and how we feed them are crucial to their health. Diet and nutrition are known to play an important role in our horse’s gastrointestinal (GI), …

Grain Free Feeds….What does this mean, and do our horses really need these feeds? Read More »

Equine Digestive Health Why-is-it-important-to-make-dietary-changes-slowly-in-horses-and-ponies-Optim Equine Camilla Whishaw

Why is it important to make dietary changes slowly in horses and ponies?

We commonly read or hear that when introducing a new feed into our horses’ and ponies’ diets that we should make the change slowly. But why is this? And is …

Why is it important to make dietary changes slowly in horses and ponies? Read More »

Grass,-Hay,-Fibre-and-Short-Chain-Fatty-Acids-Optim-Equine

Grass, Hay, Fibre and Short Chain Fatty Acids

When we transition from winter into spring or from summer into autumn/fall weather, we can suddenly find that our horses have increasing amounts of green grass to graze. With plenty …

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STRESS-What-is-stress-exactly-when-it-relates-to-horses-And-what-do-we-need-to-consider

STRESS: What is stress exactly when it relates to horses? And what do we need to consider?

When we talk about stress in equines, we often think of those horses and ponies that never settle, constantly spook, pace the fence line in the paddock, or sweat up …

STRESS: What is stress exactly when it relates to horses? And what do we need to consider? Read More »

Optim-Equine-Off-The-Track-Thoroughbreds

An Introduction to Off The Track Thoroughbreds (OTTB)

Among the many breeds and types of horses available to riders, off the track thoroughbreds (OTTB) are a highly popular choice of mount. And for a very good reason! Their …

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Optim-Equine-Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the horse. Is GLUTEN a culprit?

Equine Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) describes a group of diseases affecting the mucosa and submucosa of the intestinal wall. It is characterised by the abnormal infiltration of inflammatory cells in …

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the horse. Is GLUTEN a culprit? Read More »

Optim-Equine-HELP!-My-horse-won’t-put-on-body-condition

HELP! My horse won’t put on body condition

HELP! My horse won’t put on body condition… The horse that fails to thrive can be one of the most frustrating challenges for owners, trainers, breeders and riders. The horse …

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Optim Equine Pain in our horses and ponies

Injury and Pain in our Horses and Ponies

Effectively treating pain in our horses and ponies can be a complex issue. Whilst non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are mainstay to help with the inflammation associated with pain,  there are …

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Tryptophan-helpful-or-harmful-calmer-for-horses-optim-equine

TRYPTOPHAN…A helpful or harmful calmer for horses?

Tryptophan is a common ingredient in ‘calming’ products for horses. It is an amino acid which is a precursor to serotonin. This means that tryptophan is one of the building …

TRYPTOPHAN…A helpful or harmful calmer for horses? Read More »

Vitamin B12 in horses Optim Equine

Vitamin B12 for Horses

Injectable vitamin B12 is a common treatment given to horses. One of the primary functions of vitamin B12 is to help make red blood cells, which are important to carry …

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Laminitis-‘Prevention’--But-at-what-cost Optim Equine

Laminitis ‘Prevention’- But at what cost?

We all want to do what’s best for our horses. Marketing experts employed by large brands know this. Clever product marketing targets this. That’s why it is common to find …

Laminitis ‘Prevention’- But at what cost? Read More »

Optim-Equine-Equine-Protein-Intake

The Importance of Protein

Protein- it’s a most crucial component of a horse’s diet, yet is commonly blamed for causing a whole host of problems in horses: Everything from ‘hot behaviour’, to joint problems, …

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Inflammation & Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories in Horses

Inflammation & Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories in Horses

Inflammation. It’s a word commonly associated with poor health outcomes. Yet a certain amount of inflammation is absolutely crucial to health and wellbeing in our horses. Some inflammation is essential …

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overweight-horse-and-gut-microflora

Overweight horses and ponies: there’s more to the equation than just feed…

Overweight horses and ponies can pose a real challenge for owners to manage. Particularly at times of the year where there is an abundance of lush feed. It is well …

Overweight horses and ponies: there’s more to the equation than just feed… Read More »

Stress-in-Horses-Why-it-isn’t-always-obvious

Stress in Horses: Why it isn’t always obvious

When we think of the term ‘stress’, we often think of horses that pace the fence line, shy at non-existent monsters (!), call out incessantly when their paddock mate leaves …

Stress in Horses: Why it isn’t always obvious Read More »

Soy-The-Good-The-Bad-The-Confusing-Optim-Equine

Soy: The Good, Bad and Confusing!

If there’s any horse feed that can cause heated debate about whether or not it is suitable and even valuable for horses- then soy may well take the cake. For …

Soy: The Good, Bad and Confusing! Read More »

Feeding-the-injured-horse-optim-equine

Feeding The Injured Horse

Injuries in our horses can be frustrating and upsetting occurrences- and more often than not, they tend to occur when our horses are coming along really well. Ironically, although we …

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Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Horses: Rethinking The Use of Corticosteroids

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Horses: Rethinking The Use of Corticosteroids

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in horses refers to a group of intestinal diseases that are caused by the infiltration of different types of inflammatory cells into the mucosal and submucosal …

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Ulcers in Horses: The importance of understanding how medications work

Ulcers in Horses: The importance of understanding how medications work

There’s much interest in ulcers in horses and for very good reason. Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) affects 60-90% of adult horses and 25-50% of foals and weanlings. The condition …

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Ulcer-Medications-What-Nobody-Tells-You-And-What-You-Need-To-Know-Optim-Equine

Ulcer Medications: What Nobody Tells You and What You Need To Know

The most commonly used equine ulcer medications on the market generally come under names containing Gastro/Ulcer/Guard and contain the active ingredient omeprazole, which belongs to the class of drugs known …

Ulcer Medications: What Nobody Tells You and What You Need To Know Read More »

Nutrient Requirements for Horses: Fortified Feeds and the need for Supplementation-Optim-Equine

Nutrient Requirements for Horses: Fortified Feeds and the need for Supplementation

The vast majority of racehorses, performance horses and breeding stock are fed fortified feeds or balancer rations, which are designed to meet the daily nutrient requirements of horses. These nutrient …

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Vitamin-K-The-role-of-Gut-Health-and-the-Effect-on-Bone-Health-and-Insulin-Resistance

Vitamin K: The role of Gut Health and the Effect on Bone Health and Insulin Resistance

Vitamin K is a most important nutrient, which is derived from bacterial synthesis in the horse’s large intestine. For optimal levels of vitamin K to be produced, the horse must …

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NSAID-Ulcer-Medication-in-Horses-Optim-Equine

NSAIDs and Ulcer Medications Together? Think Again

Most horse people are aware that the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs (phenylbutazone, flunixin, firocoxib, etc) compromise gastrointestinal (GI) health in the horse. This comes about through inhibiting several …

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