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Articles ( * = TheHorse.com members only )Date Posted
Prevent Weight Gain to Minimize Metabolic Changes in Horses   *
Weight gain and obesity in horses should be avoided to prevent insulin resistance, increased insulin and leptin blood levels, and laminitis, and to maintain a healthy metabolic state. To date, "it is unknown whether obesity is the primary cause of or contributes to metabolic abnormalities or whether these abnormalities are inherent characteristics ... Read full story
 10/16/2009
Insulin Resistance: Variation in Blood Test Levels   *
A blood sample is usually a key step in diagnosing a horse as insulin resistant. But a recent study showed that one sample might not give enough information because the horse’s blood sugar and insulin fluctuates daily. "Your veterinarian should probably take at least two samples on different days," recommended Shannon E. Pratt, PhD, of North Carolina ... Read full story
 10/14/2009
Kentucky Horse Council Facilitates Meeting of Equine Rescues  *
Equine rescue facilities in Kentucky and throughout the nation are experiencing an overflow of surrendered horses. Increasingly, such facilities struggle with funding and necessary support for ongoing management and care of the horses. In recognition of the efforts of Kentucky's equine rescue facilities, the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) regularly provides ... Read full story
 9/19/2009
Equine Metabolic Syndrome a Focus of Research  *
The Equine Science Society Symposium (ESS) is a gathering place for researchers involved in all aspects of equine health and well-being. For more than two decades, Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has presented findings from its nutrition and exercise physiology studies. At this year's event, more than 160 studies were presented at this symposium in ... Read full story
 8/25/2009
Keeping Weekend Warrior Horses Fit  *
Horses that are mainly ridden on weekends require special care and training to avoid injury. Some humans do it all the time: Pack a week's worth of activity into a weekend with pickup basketball games, long hikes, or marathon sessions at the gym. And while most people expect to pay for their exercise spurt with achy muscles, stiff joints, and risk ... Read full story
 7/1/2009
Researchers Track Body Condition, Metabolic Conditions by Discipline   *
The sport in which horses participate often dictates the body condition in which they are maintained. Polo ponies are typically sleek and trim, their fitness evident in a tight, tucked-up appearance. The same can be said of most racehorses. Pleasure horses, those mounts used to poke around trails and forests, are sometimes softer and less muscular, ... Read full story
 6/16/2009
Metformin a Therapy in Progress for Equine Insulin Resistance   *
Oregon State Researchers suggest that a low bioavailability and a rapid rate of elimination of the drug metformin might explain the "varied reports of clinical success" for improving insulin sensitivity in horses. Metformin is an oral antihyperglycemic drug used to treat type-2 diabetes mellitus in humans. It also appears to increase insulin sensitivity ... Read full story
 5/25/2009
Competent Caring  *
Paying attention to details--and keeping a log of those details--will help you manage your horse better. Proper care of a horse is a multi-faceted endeavor. In fact, when one looks at the big picture, it is almost overwhelming because there are so many aspects with which to be concerned. However, there is a relatively straightforward approach that ... Read full story
 4/1/2009
Equine Ulcers: Free Webinar Coming on TheHorse.com   *
Sign up now for the free Webinar on Equine Ulcers: Your Horse At Risk, scheduled for March 26, 2009, at 8 pm EST, presented by TheHorse.com and sponsored by Merial Animal Health. Registered participants will be able to watch a live presentation and ask questions of the experts prior to, and during, the live event. The free Webinar will be presented ... Read full story
 2/27/2009
Soy Safety: Depends on the Source, Nutritionists Say   *
Horses have varying protein requirements, depending on stage of life or performance level. Protein, the essential building block for new cellular growth, provides the amino acids necessary for maintaining all normal body functions in a horse, from synthesis and release of hormones to formation and repair of muscle and other soft tissues. Soy has long ... Read full story
 10/27/2008
Researchers: Mare's Condition Appears to Impact Sex of Foal  *
A recent study of wild horses in New Zealand has found that broodmares that are healthiest at the time of conception are more likely to have colts. The study, conducted by researchers Elissa Cameron, MSc, PhD, and Wayne Linklater, PhD, found a striking correlation between the change in a mare's condition and the sex of her foal. In mares that were ... Read full story
 10/18/2008
Foal's Playfulness a Reflection of Gender, Mare's Condition  *
The body condition of a mare and the sex of her foal will determine how much the foal plays, according to a new study by researchers at the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The group, led by Elissa Cameron, MSc, PhD, observed the play habits of foals in bands of feral horses on the central north island of New ... Read full story
 10/16/2008
Diagnosing Insulin Resistance: Q&A with Researchers  *
Over the past few years researchers have described a strong association between insulin resistance and laminitis in equines. They are working now on defining standard testing protocols and interpretations to identify horses at highest risk for laminitis. Many questions remain unanswered. How should insulin resistance be defined and diagnosed? How do ... Read full story
 8/28/2008
ACVIM: Causes and Management of Insulin Resistance and Sensitivity  *
Insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance in horses have become increasingly important areas of research in equine medicine over the past several years, as evidenced by the timely and popular presentations at this year's American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum, held June 4-7 in San Antonio, Texas. Rebecca Carter, a PhD candidate ... Read full story
 7/23/2008
Fiber in Hay: What's the Magic Number?   *
Horses evolved to eat a lot of fiber, spending up to 17 hours a day grazing various forage plants. But not all fiber is created equal, especially when it comes to hay. Hay carries a few challenges compared to living forages. One, compared to fresh forage, dry hay lacks the moisture needed to move fiber along the digestive tract. Unlimited access ... Read full story
 5/1/2008
Podcast Offers Explanation of Equine Weight Assessment  *
The International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) has a new podcast (a downloadable audio file) available on the group's Web site as part of its Right Weight Road Show. The fat scoring podcast offers owners the opportunity to listen to the steps involved in assessing equine body condition. The Right Weight Road Show is a campaign to help ... Read full story
 2/25/2008
Slimming Down  *
In this age of plenty, it is not uncommon to see horses carrying too much body fat. Such an individual exceeds what we might call pleasingly plump; in other words, he is fat. When running your hands across the horse's sides, you won't feel any ribs beneath his flesh. Often a fat horse has developed a cresty neck, and if you can stand on a fence ... Read full story
 7/1/2007
U.K. Equine Welfare Charity Launching 'Right Weight' Campaign   *
The International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH), a U.K. equine welfare charity, has organized a campaign to help horse owners accurately measure their horses' weight and design nutrition plans to keep the pounds in check. The organization noted in a statement that while thin horses are recognized as a problem, equine obesity is also ... Read full story
 6/4/2007
A Better Weigh  *
We've all seen horses around the barn, on neighboring farms, or quite possibly in our own barn that are a little, shall we say--heavy. But what exactly is heavy? For that matter, what determines if a horse is thin? Sure, it's easy to point out those horses at either of the extremes, but for those in between there can be gray areas. In the early 1980s, ... Read full story
 8/1/2006
Overactive and Underweight  *
Sometimes it's challenging to keep weight on a horse. A hyperactive horse might burn off too many calories to stay in optimum body condition, while an old broodmare with digestive inefficiency can lose weight during the stress of lactation. In this article we'll look at ways to help get weight back on these problem horses. What's the Reason? "There ... Read full story
 8/1/2006
Help, My Horse is Too Fat!
Q: My 14-year-old mare has severe obesity problems. The veterinarian ruled out Cushing's disease because she does not exhibit the typical Cushing's traits. I am afraid to work her for fear that any overexertion will harm her physically. Are there any dietary supplements that can help to speed up her metabolism rate? Cindy Baker, Verona, Ky. A: ... Read full story
 6/1/2006
Henneke Body Condition
I am looking for a body score chart in layman's terms. I would like to include this chart in our handbook for Personal Ponies, a national nonprofit organization, but many people (including me) don't know what these terms actually mean. The two I can't find are the "transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae" and the "spinous processes." It might be something ... Read full story
 4/1/2006
Feeding Horses With Laminitis  *
What do you feed a horse with laminitis? Nothing, plus a bit of hay is a common diet. Does it work? Yes, and no. Expert opinions and modern research are showing that, in some cases, nothing might be the wrong answer when it comes to feedstuffs, and that simple flake of hay might not be as harmless as you think. This article isn't going to be about ... Read full story
 8/1/2004
Obesity and Cushing's Disease   *
Cushing's disease has been around for a long time in people, horses, and other animals. For years, theories and information concerning the affliction all centered on one source for the problem--tumors of the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. In the case of horses, it was generally felt that benign tumors in the intermediate ... Read full story
 4/1/2004
10 Tips on Getting Ready for Spring  *
You can feel it. You can smell it. Spring is in the air. Oh, to be sure, we aren't finished with cold weather in many parts of the country, but it won't be long before we will be ready to head out trail riding or be off on the spring horse show circuit. It's time to take a good look at our equine companion or companions and find out if they are as ... Read full story
 3/1/2003
Getting Your Horse in Shape  *
As spring approaches, visions of green grass, budding trees, and active wildlife might seem just around the corner for some. But for many of us, spring is but a dream, for we must endure a few more weeks of cold, snow, and ice-covered terrain. Still, regardless of geographic location, we all look forward to the stirrings of spring and a new season ... Read full story
 2/1/2002
How Does Your Horse Score?  *
Keeping a close eye on your horse's body condition and weight is perhaps the best way to gauge the effectiveness of a feeding program. We all want our horses to be in tip-top shape, well-muscled, and neither too fat nor too thin. The problem? Just what is the ideal body condition (and weight) for a horse, and how can body condition be reliably assessed? ... Read full story
 11/1/2001
Mating Mares Q&A  *
Readers ask questions of equine reproduction experts Earlier this year, The Horse made a request to its Horse Health E-Newsletter subscribers: What questions do you have for specialists about breeding your mares? Our e-mail boxes were flooded with replies. After narrowing questions down to several themes to be featured in this article, the questions ... Read full story
 11/1/2001
Dehydration Alert  *
When horses are working hard, especially in hot weather, they are particularly prone to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. The official term for one symptom of these problems is a mouthful: synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF). Horse owners and veterinarians who have dealt with this condition through the years generally identify it with a simpler, ... Read full story
 7/1/2001
Deep Down Clean  *
Have you ever watched two horses in a pasture or paddock, contentedly scratching each others' withers or rumps with their teeth? They do this because it feels good. If scratching each other with their teeth makes them feel good, it stands to reason that massaging their skin with a brush will also make them feel good. Even without a companion, horses ... Read full story
 6/1/2001
Conditioning the Older Horse  *
What are the effects of advancing years on athletic performance? Are there special considerations in the conditioning and general care of older horses? Is regular exercise beneficial for older horses or, conversely, does the extra wear and tear on joints, tendons, and ligaments only hasten development of crippling lameness problems? Nowadays, these ... Read full story
 3/1/2001
Is Your Horse Enrolled In A Wellness Program  *
A wellness program for your horse will save you time, money, and most of all the headache of worrying if you're doing the right things at the right time. But with all the sources of horse health care information available today, how do you decide what's right for your horse? Books, magazines, the Internet, your farrier, the feed store operator, and ... Read full story
 3/1/2001
At Home On The Range: Dude Horses  *
While many of our horses do some kind of work for a living, the work usually consists of a couple of hours a day, three to five days a week. Many of our horses are ridden far less than that, and we don't really think of them as "working" for their living as did horses of yesteryear. But there are horses out there which do put in a full day, whether ... Read full story
 2/1/2001
Weighing In  *
Accepted wisdom in the horse world tells us that an "average" light horse weighs about 1,000 pounds, or 450 kg. A draft horse, upwards of double that. But does that rather arbitrary figure really mean anything? After all, what is an "average" horse? To a dressage competitor, it might be a 17-hand warmblood, while to a cutting horse enthusiast, it might ... Read full story
 10/1/2000
What Causes Poor Exercise Performance?  *
A huge amount of time, effort, and money often are invested in the preparation of horses for various athletic events, including Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing, three-day eventing, steeplechasing, dressage, hunter-jumper events, reining, cutting, and endurance racing, to mention but a few. Regardless of discipline, we expect that a well-trained ... Read full story
 9/1/2000
Health Scheduling  *
For first-time horse owners, getting a new horse can border on the overwhelming. You have to find a suitable boarding barn or create adequate stabling on your own property and buy tack, grooming equipment, cooling sheets and/or blankets. You have to provide for proper nutrition and feeding schedules. Then you've got to arrange for regular veterinary ... Read full story
 8/1/2000
Peak Fitness  *
In the last issue we considered some of the adaptations that occur in horses during training. To recap, we know that improvements in cardiovascular and muscle function occur quite quickly after the onset of training. In fact, maximum aerobic capacity (VO2max) can increase by up to 10% after as little as two weeks of a regular exercise program. On the ... Read full story
 3/1/2000
Spring Tuning (Athletic Conditioning)  *
Most will agree that thorough preparation of a horse is key to success in athletic competition. With spring hopefully just around the corner, this is an opportune time to discuss conditioning. Of course, the nature of a conditioning program will vary greatly, depending on the goal in mind and the length of lay-up prior to the start of training. Top-level ... Read full story
 2/1/2000
Body Fuel  *
Regardless of the discipline, attaining peak performance is the number one goal for all involved in the preparation of the equine athlete. This Sports Medicine column aims to provide the reader with a greater understanding of how the horse's body works during exercise. In this first article, the fundamental relationship between nutrition and exercise ... Read full story
 1/1/2000
Spring Tune-Up  *
"Oh to be in England, now that April's there," wrote Robert Browning, the celebrated English poet. He was abroad when he penned those words, and in his loneliness he imagined an English countryside where on a spring morning..."the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf round the elm tree bole are in tiny leaf, while the chaffinch sings on the orchard ... Read full story
 3/1/1999
Strategies for Keeping Weight On Horses  *
A skinny horse is not a pretty sight. With ribs protruding, and hip bones threatening to serve as a hat rack for the next passerby, he gives an immediate impression of ill health... and it's no illusion. A too-thin equine is one who has no energy reserves on which to draw, and when push comes to shove, will not be able to perform to the best of his ... Read full story
 10/1/1998
Sports Medicine Meeting  *
The 17th annual meeting of the Association for Equine Sports Medicine was held in Leesburg, Va., from March 5-8. The meeting was attended by 400 veterinarians, sports physiology researchers, as well as others interested in equine health. The meeting offered topics ranging from how stall housing can impair bone development in young horses, to diagnostic ... Read full story
 6/1/1998
The Fat Farm: Nutrition for the Overweight Horse  *
Is your mare looking a bit rotund lately? Does her gait have a waddling roll to it? Has her spine disappeared in a dimpled groove along her back? Has she outgrown her girth, her winter blanket, and the stall door? If she’s not due to foal, then she’s definitely suffering from an expanding waistline. Now, we all like to see our horses in good flesh, ... Read full story
 5/1/1998
Understanding Fitness  *
A person who loves horses and spending a lot of time in the saddle can gain a great deal of satisfaction from competing in endurance races. It is a special feeling when you know you have partnered well with your horse and that the two of you have completed a 50-mile or longer ride none the worse for wear. By the same token, failing to complete a ride ... Read full story
 7/1/1996




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