Recent News for Nutrition Basics
Article
Pasture Grass: The Healthy Choice
March 01, 2003
Few nutritionists will dispute that grass is the most natural feedstuff for horses. The horse's digestive tract is well designed for continuous or "trickle" delivery of pasture forage. As well, it seems intuitive that the opportunity for... Read More
Article
AAEP Convention: Nutrition
March 01, 2003
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN EQUINE NUTRITION A lot has happened in the field of equine nutrition research in the last five years. Ginger Rich, PhD, of Rich Equine Nutritional Consulting in Eads, Tenn.; and... Read More
Article
Gastroduodenoscopy: What to Expect
February 25, 2003
Veterinarians have a variety of ways to look inside your horse to see what might be bothering him. One of these methods is gastroduodenoscopy, which allows the veterinarian to see the interior of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum with the use... Read More
Article
AAEP 2002: Recent Developments in Equine Nutrition
February 04, 2003
A lot has happened in the field of equine research in the last five years. Ginger Rich, PhD, of Rich Equine Nutritional Consulting in Eads, Tenn.; and Leslie Breuer, PhD, of LH Breuer and Associates, updated veterinarians and others who attended... Read More
Article
Resuscitating Foals
February 01, 2003
Cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation (CPCR, previously called CPR) is the restoration of spontaneous circulation (a heart beat) with the preservation of neurologic (brain) function. The most common and immediate problem requiring CPCR is an... Read More
Article
Gimmick or Good Groceries?
February 01, 2003
A popular ingredient to increase energy density is sugar beet pulp, a by-product of the sugar beet industry. ... Read More
Article
AAEP 2002: Feeding the Geriatric Horse
December 19, 2002
With more and more horses reaching geriatric status (over 20 years of age), it’s important to understand how their nutritional needs might change. Diets should be adjusted if necessary to help old-timers live long and healthy lives. David Pugh,... Read More
Article
Frozen Feed?
December 01, 2002
Q: I live in northeastern Ohio, and it gets pretty cold here at times. My question is: Have you heard of horses getting colic from frozen sweet feeds? I have had horses for the past 40 years and have yet to come upon this... Read More
Article
The Adaptive Equine Stomach
December 01, 2002
A study at the Island Whirl Equine Colic Research Laboratory at the University of Florida has determined that the horse's stomach can adapt to meals of various sizes and compositions, giving researchers a better understanding of how the normal... Read More
Article
The Body's Building Blocks
November 01, 2002
Like a structure made of tinker toys, protein is composed of smaller pieces--the amino acids. These can be rearranged to form the different types of protein-based tissues in the body. Protein is one of the basic nutrient elements of the equine... Read More
Article
Last Year's Drought on This Year's Pasture?
October 11, 2002
Throughout Kentucky, the summer of 1999 will be remembered for hot days and a lack of rain. While the drought and its effects were readily noted this past summer and fall, horse owners need to consider what the drought may have done to their... Read More
Article
Putting Weight on Hard Keepers
September 01, 2002
Is your horse a "hard keeper?" If so, you are well aware of how difficult it is to maintain adequate or desirable body condition in this type of horse. The reality is that no two horses are the same when it comes to the amount of feed (and numbe... Read More
Article
Carbohydrates for Energy
August 01, 2002
In human nutrition, carbohydrates or "carbs" have a bit of a bad name these days. A quick trip through the local book store or over the Internet leads us to believe that dietary carbohydrates are the source of all evil. When weight loss is the... Read More
Article
Groups Join Together to Help Fire Victims
June 27, 2002
Colorado and Arizona are experiencing the worst wildfires in their histories--thousands of people and horses have been evacuated from their farms. Farnam Companies responded last Friday to an urgent call for 800-900 bales of hay that were needed... Read More
Article
Copper Sulfate and Ergot
June 21, 2002
Making sure that copper requirements are met in the overall diet of horses is prudent. However, there is no real need to test soils for copper, and certainly no evidence that fertilizing with copper sulfate will minimize the occurrence of the ergot... Read More
Article
Diagnosing Hind Limb Gait Abnormalities
June 01, 2002
Provided a neurological examination is normal, the most common causes of abnormal hind limb gaits are stringhalt, upward fixation of the patella, and fibrotic myopathy. Stringhalt Stringhalt is an involuntary hyperflexion of one... Read More
Article
Mycotoxin Binders Not Labeled Legally
April 12, 2002
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the claims made by some feed products that they contain mycotoxin binders is illegal. In Kentucky last year, many feeds and supplements were touted as having mycotoxin binders in the face of mare... Read More
Article
Fructan Possible Key to Laminitis
April 10, 2002
At sufficient doses, the fructan induces digestive upset and will cause an uncontrolled activation of MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases; these enzymes are thought to be a factor in laminar degradation), triggering laminitis.... Read More
Article
Electrolytes and Rehydration
April 03, 2002
Electrolyte pastes can increase water consumption, improving rehydration following administration of furosemide (Salix). A recently published study was done at Michigan State University on the effects of rehydration during the 36 hours after... Read More
Article
Restricting Grazing
April 01, 2002
There are some food needs that just can't be argued against: 1) Humans need popcorn plus a cola at the movies; 2) Women need chocolate anytime; 3) Horses need forage at all times. While these combinations aren't equal in terms of supplying... Read More
Article
Dental Correction and Feed Digestibility
March 13, 2002
Equine dental abnormalities are among the top five most common medical problems encountered by equine veterinarians. Clinical evidence has shown that horses with severe tooth hooks and points that were corrected gained weight... Read More
Article
Fescue Field Management
March 01, 2002
It is estimated that 35 million acres of United States pasture are planted with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), and roughly 700,000 horses graze these fescue pastures. This plant is a cool-season plant, so it grows in cooler climates,... Read More
Article
Getting Your Horse in Shape
February 01, 2002
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.... Read More
Article
Feeding for Performance
February 01, 2002
Feeding high-performance horses is a challenge. If nutritional requirements are met appropriately, performance can be improved over those horses which are fed imbalanced diets in irregular amounts. When working with a veterinarian or nutritionis... Read More
Article
The ABCs of Vitamin Nutrition
February 01, 2002
Although horses only need relatively small quantities of vitamins, the lack of those tiny amounts can be devastating to your horse's health. Vitamins comprise one of the six general groups of nutrients--the other groups are water,... Read More
