I have a love-hate relationship with winter. There is something so peaceful about riding my horse in the snow. It’s also so nice to sit by a cozy fire while snow is falling outside. It can be so beautiful but the extra work that comes with keeping horses in a snowy climate is not my…
Horses aren’t like us after all—needing a few meals a day to stay healthy. In fact, they digest food quite differently than we do. With that said, here are 10 fascinating (and good-to-know) facts about horse digestion:
1.As the horse’s natural food (forage) is chewed, the salivary glands produce up…
The immune system is the primary defense mechanism against illness, not only for us, but for our horses, too. It’s an intricate network of cells and proteins that defends the body against infection, and the best way to keep it functioning correctly is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Regarding…
The horse blankets are coming out! Many horse owners are pulling blankets out of storage and getting them ready for the cold days ahead. While some prefer to leave their horses natural, others choose to blanket for a variety of reasons. Depending on your climate and if you clip,…
Over the years, I’ve had horses experience gas colic on occasion, and what I’ve learned to associate this form of colic with is a change in forage; the last few incidents occurred when I was rotating my horses to a different pasture in either the spring or fall. Chances are,…
Children aren’t the only ones scribbling a wishlist to Santa Klaus. Many horse owners have a few things they’d like to request, as well! This list might include some new tack or riding apparel. And for those that have their own barn, you might find a few dreamy items…
A good hay substitute should be high in fiber, and long-stem fiber is best because it provides adequate ‘chewing time’ that horses need to keep their digestive systems healthy. The nutritional value of the hay substitute is also important.
The following are several good hay substitutes for horses:
Chopped Forage: Chopped forage is usually…
Before that, I assumed hay was mainly a filler, something to eat in winter when the grass was dormant; I believed horses obtained most of their nutrition from concentrates. However, those courses taught me that this isn’t true in many cases.
I learned that horses should consume between 1.5-2.5% of…