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Credit: Thinkstock Cold weather increases the metabolic rate, which means that horses need to burn more calories to maintain a normal internal body temperature and a consistent weight. Horses enjoy cold weather and the relaxation that winter brings, but it takes more than hay to keep them healthy during the colder months. Optimal nutritional planning will help them enjoy the season and emerge in good condition when spring arrives.

There has been a recent trend to manage horses in a more “natural” manner, especially when it comes to feeding. Extending the length of time horses spend foraging has been linked to improvements in horse health and wellbeing, including reductions in unwanted behaviors, ulcers, choke and insulin and glucose responses after a meal. Slowing feed intake is also important for horses on restricted diets, those who are meal fed a few times each day, and horses who tend to aggressively and quickly feed.

Credit: Thinkstock Now is the time to purchase hay for your horse facility. Although submitting a hay analysis for forage nutritive value is always recommended, in some situations horse owners need to purchase hay before a hay sample can be submitted. Listed below are some of the characteristics that should be used to physically evaluate horse hay. Hay maturity has the greatest impact on forage quality. Forage plants have more fiber and less crude protein as they become more mature.

Credit: Charlene Strickland Once you have found good-quality hay for your horses, the next step is to store it so it remains good-quality hay. First you need to keep it dry to prevent mold. That means you have to protect the hay from moisture from above and below. Ideally you have a spacious hay barn, well-roofed and possibly open on one side for access and ventilation. Any heat in the hay needs to escape; hay baled with too much moisture can become hot and even cause fires.

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Credit: Thinkstock Despite plentiful food, some horses have difficulty in holding their weight and condition. Sometimes this is simply a matter of that horse’s unique metabolism, but it can also be due to a medical issue. A thorough veterinary exam helps to identify problems. Have your veterinarian check your horse’s teeth to determine the condition of his teeth for chewing.

Do you have this dilemma? You want to turn your horse out, because you know the movement, natural grazing, and interaction with pasture buddies are all excellent for his physical and mental health. But your horse is an easy keeper that gets fat on pasture turnout—not good for his health. Or maybe he’s especially laminitis-prone, and you must be particularly careful he doesn’t get too much grass.

Horses are complex animals, and correctly meeting their nutritional needs can be challenging. We all have our horses’ best interest at heart, but it is easy to understand how feeding misconceptions can occur. Here are three not-co-commonly held myths. Myth #1: Horses don’t need as much hay during the night because they sleep. Horses are awake and moving virtually all the time. Mature horses will sleep up to two hours per day, broken into short periods.

Contact Information: Etalon Equine Genetics 650.380.2995 [email protected] Release Date: 7/13/2023 Menlo Park, CA – Etalon Equine Genetics, a leading provider of equine DNA testing services, has made another exciting breakthrough in equine genetics. Their research team, led by Aiden McFadden and Katie Martin, has identified two novel variants in the MITF and PAX3 genetic regions that are strongly associated with blue eyes and the “Splashed White” phenotypes in horses.

Boulder, Colo.—April28, 2022—Equine Network LLC is excited to announce the Horse Week® Win to Watch Party Contest. Held in conjunction with Horse Week, brought to you by Boehringer Ingelheim, October 9-15,the Win to Watch Party Contest is an opportunity for viewers to celebrate and enjoy the unique event with friends and family while winning some amazing prizes. To enter, viewers need only sign up for the Horse Week newsletter by visiting horseweek.tv/pages/watchparty.