 |
 |
|
|
|
|
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? Guesswork won't do the job. Even experienced horse owners tend to grossly underestimate body weight when using the "eyeball method." Similarly, subjective assessment of condition using descriptors such as "good," "fair," and "poor" leaves too much room for error. Ideal condition in the eye of one owner might be too fat or too thin to another. Continue reading...
|
|
|
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.
Continue reading... |
|
REDUCE RISKS OF DISORDERS WITH FORAGE-BASED RATIONS
Cereal grains (oats, corn) were the basis of traditional feeding programs because they contain slightly more energy per pound than forages. However, since the equine digestive tract is not designed to process large amounts of grain, high-grain rations often result in metabolic disorders such as colic, founder, gastric ulcers, tying-up, and developmental orthopedic diseases.
In situations where energy is needed beyond that in forage, fermentable fibers (soy hulls) and added fat feeds (stabilized rice bran, flax) can be used so that less cereal grains are required. FORAGE FIRST(R) programs begin with forage and contain balanced GROSTRONG(R) Mineral/Vitamin products and additional energy and protein to meet the needs of all types of horses in all situations.
We feed horses like horses!
www.GROSTRONG.com
800-680-8254 | |
|
|
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, carrying more body fat. Sport horses frequently fall somewhere between the two extremes.
Continue reading... |
|
|
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.
Continue reading... |
|
|
ASK THE VET: 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?
A. Click here to read the response from Cynthia V. Gutierrez, DVM .
|
|
|
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 rail and peer down on him from above, an overweight horse might appear to have a "rain gutter" along his back. When the girth or cinch is tightened, it makes a distinct dent in the underlying flab. Some might think such a horse is solid and in full "bloom," ready for the show season ahead. But such a body condition is dangerous to the health and athletic future of the horse.
Continue reading...
|
|
|
SAFELY INCREASING WEIGHT IN EMACIATED HORSES Rehabilitating emaciated horses to nutritional health is a challenge--there's a fine line between not getting results and risking the horse's health by introducing too much, too soon. Maria Luke, DVM, discussed one system used to facilitate weight gain in these horses at the 2008 Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif.
Continue reading... |
|
|
|
Please do not reply to this message. The HORSEHEALTHNEWS-L
e-mail box is not monitored, and any e-mails received at
that address will not be read. |
|
Compiled by Megan Arszman
Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse
Publications. All Rights Reserved.
PO Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
Subscribe |
Unsubscribe |
Change email address for e-newsletter delivery |
Contact Us
|
|
|
|
