Do you feed your horse oil?
Oils are a highly debated topic in equine nutrition, and their use in horse feeds can divide people. The type, quality and quantity of oil, along with the state of
Do you feed your horse oil? Read More »
General Nutrition
Magnesium for horses: Is it helpful? And what do I need to know?
Learn the benefits and risks of magnesium for horses, including calming effects, gut health impacts, and correct supplementation for metabolic, behavioural and performance support. Magnesium is one of the most
Magnesium for horses: Is it helpful? And what do I need to know? Read More »
What can herbal medicine do (and what can’t herbs do?)…
When used appropriately, herbal medicine can be a powerful support tool for our horses’ health. In my work as an equine naturopath, clinical nutritionist & herbalist, I use herbal medicines
What can herbal medicine do (and what can’t herbs do?)… Read More »
Broodmare Body Condition & Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (DOD) Risk in Foals, Weanlings and Yearlings
Most breeders focus on broodmare nutrition in late pregnancy or once the foal is at foot. However, how you feed and manage your broodmare year-round has a direct and lasting
The risks associated with automatic watering systems
Whether you’re experiencing summer and hot weather or winter and enduring the cold, hydration remains key to the health of our horses and ponies. Automatic watering troughs can seem like
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One of the most commonly overlooked factors which can contribute to gastric ulcers
It’s well known that what and how we feed our horses can significantly influence their likelihood of developing gastric ulcers. It is also appreciated that the use of medications such
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Carrots: Are they a suitable treat for horses and ponies?
Most of us love to give our horses and ponies treats, whether as a reward or simply as a way to interact with them. However, it’s important to recognise that
Carrots: Are they a suitable treat for horses and ponies? Read More »
How many bacteria are in a horse’s digestive tract?
A horse is able to host up to 10¹⁵ bacterial cells within their digestive tract! The majority of these bacteria reside in the colon, particularly the caecum. These bacteria play
How many bacteria are in a horse’s digestive tract? Read More »
The importance of trace minerals in late pregnancy
During late pregnancy, a mare’s nutritional requirements increase to meet the demands of her rapidly growing foetus. When feeding heavily pregnant mares, many focus primarily on providing increased calories to
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Broodmare nutrient requirements, foetal growth rate and the influence of nutrition on the skeletal health of a mare’s offspring
A mare’s nutritional requirements vary throughout different stages of her pregnancy, with the last three to four months placing the most significant nutritional demands on the mare. This is a
Concerned about colic in your horse or pony?
Colic is one of the most common causes of death in horses and ponies. Colic episodes can be most distressing for both the horse suffering from it and the caretake/owner
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Photosensitivity in horses…Lucerne (alfalfa), clover and other potential contributors
Photosensitization (also known as photodermatitis) is light-induced inflammation of the skin (dermatitis) caused by a heightened sensitivity of the skin to sunlight. This condition is non-contagious and often looks like
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Salt: Too little or too much?
Here in the Southern Hemisphere, we’re currently in summer. Which means in many regions the weather is hot and/or humid. This in turn affects the nutrient requirements of our horses.
Salt: Too little or too much? Read More »
Probiotics for horses
Probiotics for horses is something which is continuing to become more popular. Many feed and supplement companies are now adding probiotics to their formulations. Plenty of horse people feed their
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Help! Why is my horse eating manure?
Eating manure (also known as coprophagy), is a common, yet transient phenomenon in foals. Coprophagy is thought to potentially offer multiple health benefits in foals. It is far less common
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Hoof Health: Beyond Biotin
When thinking about nutrition for hoof health, biotin gets a lot of attention. Supplemented in appropriate amounts, biotin may help to improve hoof wall integrity. Conflicting evidence exists as to
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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 »
Congenital Flexural Limb Deformities: Why both feed and body condition in the broodmare matter
There are many possible factors believed to contribute to foals being born with contracted or lax tendons (congenital flexural limb deformities). These include intrauterine positioning, ingestion of certain toxins by
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?
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
The Importance of Salt for Horses and Ponies
Whether you’re somewhere in the world currently enjoying warmer weather, or contrastingly, at the other end of the spectrum and starting to experience cooler conditions, salt is a crucial part
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Why do horses and ponies turn their backs to the cold during inclement weather?
Our horses and ponies have many natural ways to help them keep warm in cold weather. One of these ways is increasing their metabolic rate. Read more about this at:
Why do horses and ponies turn their backs to the cold during inclement weather? Read More »
Feeding Horses and Ponies in Cold Weather
Our horses and ponies have many natural and effective ways to help them keep warm during cold weather. One of these mechanisms is to increase their metabolic rate (and in
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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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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 »
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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Why Does My Horse Chew Wood?
The habit of chewing wood (lignophagia) is a common behaviour observed in horses and ponies. Why do they do it? And what can it tell us? From a dietary perspective,
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Mineral Licks: A valuable addition to our horses’ diets or not?
It’s well appreciated that horses and ponies (just like humans) have basic daily mineral and vitamin needs. Whilst a forage (pasture, hay) based diet forms the foundation of sound nutrition
Mineral Licks: A valuable addition to our horses’ diets or not? Read More »
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…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 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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Coco Pops, Feeding Broodmares and Skeletal Development…What’s the Link?
When it comes to feeding our broodmares, we are inundated with choices in terms of commercial feed mixes and concentrates. It’s common for our feed selections to be largely influenced
Coco Pops, Feeding Broodmares and Skeletal Development…What’s the Link? Read More »
Hay, Stomach (Gastric) & Hindgut (Colonic) Ulcers
SHORT MESSAGE: Adequate hay intake is essential to help prevent both gastric (stomach) and colonic (hindgut) ulcers. THE HOW:The importance of fibre (particularly long-stem fibre, such as that found in
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Bad Behaviour & Exclusion Diets
When we have a horse who starts to exhibit nervy, spooky or irritable behaviour then one of the first things we commonly do is look at their diet. This is
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Bad Breath in Horses
Bad Breath in Horses The smell of our horse’s breath isn’t something we generally give much thought to. Yet if you’ve ever smelt the breath of a horse or pony
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Selenium- Is your horse actually using the amount on the feed or supplement label?
Selenium is a crucial trace-mineral in the diets of our horses and ponies. It plays many key roles in the body and is particularly important in reproductive health (both mares
Selenium- Is your horse actually using the amount on the feed or supplement label? Read More »
Why Basics Matter: The Importance of Chewing
When we think of digestive health (and overall health) in our horses- we’re quick to think of the gut. Whilst some may interpret this as the stomach alone, it really
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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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Horses are meant to MOVE. A LOT…
One of the most significant impacts of modern domestication of horses is the profound reduction in daily physical activity. Even horses who are worked regularly and are in peak fitness
Horses are meant to MOVE. A LOT… Read More »
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
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
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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
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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Iodine & Horses
Iodine is an essential trace mineral in the diets of our horses and ponies and plays many crucial roles. It is vital as a constituent of the thyroid hormones thyroxine
An Holistic Approach to Mare Behaviour
For those of you who ride mares and/or fillies you may have noticed somewhat erratic changes in her mood and behaviour during spring. The mare who was steadfast and easy
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Tying Up
Tying up is a broad term used to classify a wide variety of muscle disorders which result in the dissolution of muscle cells during exercise. Technically known as ‘exertional rhabdomylosis’
Laminitis: How Naturopathy Can Help
What is laminitis? Laminitis is a painful, often devastating inflammatory condition affecting the lamellar tissue of the foot. Each hoof contains 550-600 primary laminae, and each of those consists of
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Why Do Some Yearlings Become Overly Upright/Topple Forward During Sales Prep?
It’s a relatively common yet unfortunate occurrence, the yearling that becomes ‘very upright’ and in the latter stages ‘topples over at the knee’
Why Do Some Yearlings Become Overly Upright/Topple Forward During Sales Prep? Read More »
Are we creating resilient racehorses or superficial sales horses?
It’s now that time of year in the Southern Hemisphere where the yearling sales season is gearing up. Understandably, much emphasis is placed on the vendor’s side in realising maximal
Are we creating resilient racehorses or superficial sales horses? Read More »
Fibre, Chewing and Gastrointestinal Health
Forages and fibre rich foods which require much chewing, comprise the base starting point for a diet which promotes health in the horse. Chewing results in the production of saliva.
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