Antioxidants In Horse Nutrition – Vitamin E
Dr. Karen Davison
Most people have heard that anti-oxidants are important for health but few really know what they are or what they do. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals. So what are free radicals? Healthy cells are made up of molecules that have an even number of paired electrons...

Are Sugars, Starches and Grains Evil in Horse Diets
Dr. Katie Young
Before we talk about the "evil" nature of sugars and starches (and therefore grains since they usually provide the majority of starches in a horse diet), we need to talk about carbohydrates. Sugars and starches are carbohydrates, but fibers are also carbohydrates...

Beating the Heat—Caring for Performance Horses In Hot Weather
Dr. Karen Davison
Heat and humidity put an added burden on horses during training, showing and hauling. Horses are actually better equipped to work in cold weather than in the heat...

Carbohydrates In Forages
Dr. Katie Young
Due to the incidence of several diseases that have been associated with "carbohydrate intolerance" in horses, there has been increased attention paid to the amount of carbohydrates in the diet. However, there appear to be some misconceptions in the horse industry regarding carbohydrates in forages...

Common Causes Of Poor Feed Intake
Dr. Kathy Williamson
One of the most common manifestations of health problems in horses is poor feed consumption and weight loss. Trying to discover the ultimate cause for this can be a long and costly endeavor for horse owners, and very frustrating for veterinarians and feed dealers...

Fat, Protein And The Performance Horse
Dr. Karen Davison
In recent years, much attention has been paid to dietary fat and protein levels for performance horses. The question continues to be what is the perfect combination of these two nutrients? The answers are as varied as the performance horses themselves...

Feeding For Breeding
Dr. Karen Davison
Nutrition plays a role in the success of all parts of the breeding season, from mares, to foals, and even stallions. Much research has been done investigating the impact of nutrition on the reproductive function of mares and the development of foals, but there has not been a great deal of research investigating the nutritional requirements of breeding stallions...

Feeding Management Guidelines
Dr. Katie Young
Feeding horses correctly and safely often appears to be enormously complicated for the horse owner. Horses are unique in the livestock world...

Feeding Management of Senior Horses
S. Appleton, Ph.D & M. Gordon,
Horses are living longer and healthier lives thanks in part to improved management and nutrition programs. As these equine family members reach their geriatric years, it is important to understand some of the changes that are occurring and adjust care and feeding programs accordingly.

Feeding Stallions And Broodmares
Dr. Katie Young
According to Dr. Lon Lewis, author of Feeding and Care of the Horse, a well-managed breeding farm should attain or exceed a foaling rate of 70 to 80% of mares bred or on pasture with a stallion. However, in the United States, only 55 to 60% of mares bred annually produce live foals...

Feeding The Competitive Equine Athlete
Dr. Karen Davison
Winning involves much more than just a good horse and good genetics. It also takes a well-planned management and training program, superb horsemanship, excellent health in cooperation with a good veterinarian, lots of backbreaking work and quality nutrition...

Forages For Horses
Dr. Katie Young
Why should horse owners be concerned about forages for their horses? Horses need to be fed at least one percent of their body weight daily (dry matter) as forage...

Formulating Horse Feeds - Different Formulation Strategies Produce Different Results
Dr. Karen Davison
You would think that two products that both contain 14% protein, 6% fat, etc. would be pretty much the same feed. However, products with similar guaranteed analyses may be manufactured using different formulation strategies and have very different formulas...

Getting the Bloom - Feeding for Weight Gain and Improved Appearance
Dr. Karen Davison
Whether you are dealing with a horse that lost condition through a long, hot summer of competition or you are preparing horses for the fall sales, feeding for weight gain and bloom requires specific dietary components. The easiest dietary component to monitor is calorie or energy intake...

Good Health For Your Horse
Dr. Randel Raub
While all of us understand the importance of providing a proper diet for our horses, there is more to maintaining their good overall health and well-being than simply providing an adequate feeding program...

Hay Is For Horses
Dr. Karen Davison
Since the bulk of a horse diet is hay or pasture, any change in the nutritional content of the forage affects the nutritional status of the horse...

Horse Nutrition Made Simple
Roberta Gleicher
Do you want your horse to be healthy and have strong muscles, bones and hooves? How about a shiny coat and good attitude? Developing the best nutritional program, along with proper training and management, can help you achieve this...

How Important is Protein in Your Horse's Diet?
Dr. Karen Davison
At some point, most horse owners have considered purchasing horse feed primarily based on protein content. They mat look for a 14 percent sweet feed, 12 percent horse feed or even a 14 percent calf creep feed...

How Important Is Protein In Your Horse’s Diet
Dr. Karen Davison
One reason for the focus on protein is because it is an important part of a horse diet, but also because the percent protein is one of the few pieces of information stated on the feed tag...This focus on percent protein in a feed presents a couple problems for the horse...

It’s Spring – Ready Set Ride
Dr. Katie Young
Now that the weather has finally warmed up, horse owners are starting to spend more time with their horses, and are looking forward to even more enjoyable riding weather. There are some nutritional concerns, however, during this season...

New Concepts In Feeding Performance Horses
Dr. Katie Young
Feeding performance horses to provide essential nutrients to maintain their condition as well as supply the necessary energy and other nutrients to satisfy the requirements of intense exercise has received quite a bit of research attention in the past several years. Several new concepts have arisen from this research, especially from research conducted by the equine research team at Purina Mills...

Nutrition For The Broodmare
Dr. Randel Raub
If you are thinking about breeding your mare, proper nutrition is essential in order for her to be in good condition prior to breeding. It does not even hurt if she carries a little fat, although she should not exceed a body condition score of more than a 7-8...

Nutrition For The Older Horse
Dr. Randel Raub
Before we can discuss diet requirements for the "older horse," we first need to determine when a horse is considered to become older...

Nutritional Considerations For Performance Horses
Dr. Karen Davison
When it comes to good nutrition, the goal is to meet the athlete's requirements for energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. There is no magic compound that will make a slow horse run fast...

Nutritional Management Of Pregnant And Lactating Mares
Dr. Karen Davison
Broodmares have specific nutritional requirements that differ from other classes of horses. There are differences both in the amount of feed mares need and the nutrient concentration needed in that feed...

Nutritional Support For Seasoned Show Horses
Dr. Karen Davison
Horses that are growing or working at a very intense level generally reveal nutritional deficiencies more quickly and obviously than mature horses under light to moderate exercise and show schedules...

Omega 3’s – Should Horses Eat Fish?
Dr. Karen Davison
Do horses need additional omega-3s and if they do, how much and what source is best? The flax seed, flax oil, algae and fish oil products on the market all make claims regarding the healthy benefits of omega-3s for horses, which can be confusing to horse owners...

Organic Trace Minerals For Horses
Dr. Karen Davison
Minerals make up a minor part of the diet by weight but play a critical role in the health of the horse. These nutrients are utilized in the structural composition of hard and soft body tissues, and participate in such processes as enzyme action, muscle contraction, nerve reactions, and blood clotting...

Purina's FeedGuard Nutrition System Provides Feed Safety Peace-of-Mind
Dr. Karen Davison
Most horse owners do not have knowledge of, or understand how, ingredients, feed safety and quality issues can affect their horse's health and performance...

Selenium In Horse Nutrition
Dr. Karen Davison
Selenium is a mineral required in small amounts, but, along with Vitamin E, is a key nutrient to combat oxidative stress. It is also involved in effective immune function, thyroid hormone metabolism and, in humans, there is evidence that it may have anti-cancer properties...

The Art And Science Of Feeding Horses
Dr. Karen Davison
Providing optimal nutrition for horses is an art and a science. Many feeding practices originate from the experiences of earlier horsemen and women. Others are rooted in myths and wives tales, or trends in other livestock species or human nutrition...

The Scoop on Oral Joint Health Supplements
Dr. Karen Davison
One of the biggest concerns with performance horses is keeping them comfortable and sound. It has been estimated that 60% of lameness in horses is attributed to some degree of osteoarthritis (OA). This complex joint disease process is highlighted by eventual degradation of articular cartilage - the firm, rubbery tissue that covers and cushions joints allowing bones to smoothly glide over one another during movement.

Weight Reduction Options
Dr. Karen Davison
Lower activity levels combined with consumption of higher quality forages means that many horses have no problem meeting their daily energy requirements. In fact, taking in excessive calorie levels resulting in overweight horses has become a more common problem...

Winter Care For Horses
Dr. Karen Davison
Cold weather presents horses with some specific nutritional and management demands. As winter approaches it is a good idea to evaluate horses, housing and feeding programs to insure that horses get through the cold weather in good shape...

Winterize Your Horse
Dr. Katie Young
During the cold season, horse owners must make sure that their animals receive proper feed, water and shelter to stay healthy and comfortable...

You Can Lead a Horse to Water
Dr. Karen Davison
Water is the main component of the body. In fact, an average 1000 pound horse is roughly 660 pounds (80 gallons) of water. About two-thirds of this water is inside cells, called intracellular fluid, and one-third is outside cells or extracellular fluid...