New Year’s Resolutions for Maximizing Horse Health in 2015

Here are five ways to help your horse stay healthy and happy through the new year.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

As one calendar year draws to a close and another begins, many people resolve to take steps to improve their lives. And while the wisdom of some resolutions remains questionable—such as paying off your credit card in full every month … with another credit card—others likely do have a positive impact on peoples’ lives.

According to USA.gov, some of the most common resolutions Americans make each year focus on improving their health or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as eating and drinking healthier, exercising more, and quitting smoking. So why not resolve to do the same for your horse? Here are five resolutions to help your horse stay healthy and happy through the New Year.

Keep a Close Eye on Carbs

Ah, those soluble carbohydrates! They’re the bane of some peoples’ existences (think hot, freshly baked white bread … yum!). Like humans, many horses love their easily digestible carbohydrates, which can be problematic for some—especially easy keepers or those with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and/or chronic laminitis.

So, resolve to keep a close eye on the nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations of your hay and grain with feed analyses. And if you’re concerned your horse is getting too many NSCs, consider soaking his hay or using a grazing muzzle. And, as always, consult your veterinarian or equine nutritionist if you have any questions about your horse’s diet

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
282 votes · 282 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!