Musculoskeletal Health

Congenital Flexural Limb Deformities: Why both feed and body condition in the broodmare matter, Optim Equine Camilla Whishaw

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 …

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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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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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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 …

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Selenium- Is your horse actually using the amount on the feed or supplement label?

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 …

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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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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 »

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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 …

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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

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 …

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Bisphosphonates (Tildren & Osphos): Understanding how they work and their role in bone health

Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs which includes both tildronate and clodronate. They were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2014 for controlling clinical signs associated with navicular syndrome in …

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Skeletal Injuries: Considering the Role of Bone Density in the Horse

One of the most significant injury concerns for all athletic horses is that involving the bones and joints. Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common cause of poor performance and wastage …

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Selenium-Deficiency-(&-Toxicity)-in-the-Equine

Selenium: Deficiency (& Toxicity) in the Equine

An adequate intake (and absorption and metabolism) of selenium is essential for maintaining the overall health of your horse. This mineral plays many essential roles: it acts as an antioxidant; …

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Vitamin-D-and-Rugging-An-Important-Consideration-Optim-Equine

Vitamin D and Rugging: An Important Consideration

Blanketing/rugging horses is a topic which sparks much debate, primarily due to its influence on weight regulation, metabolic function and thermoregulation in the horse. Yet an often forgotten consideration is …

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When-Supplements-actually-make-the-problem-worse

When Supplements actually make the problem worse

Something I see commonly in practice is well meaning owners prescribing supplements to help with a particular health or performance issue in their horse. One of the most commonly misused …

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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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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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