Nutritional Articles

Supplementing the dressage horse

Your Nutri-Gard Questions Answered

Everyone is talking about gut health and for good reason; it plays a key role in your horse’s overall health and wellbeing. We are all very familiar with the terms pre and probiotics, but have you heard about postbiotics and the enormous benefit they provide your horse?

Wound healing in horses

Wounds are unfortunately very common in horses and you’re almost guaranteed to encounter one at some point! Careful management of wounds can help optimise the environment for healing and ensure as speedy a recovery as possible.

What is topline and how do you get it?

Achieving a good topline requires a good exercise programme and a balanced diet, which can be supported by supplementation with key nutrients including lysine, vitamin E, and selenium.

Preparing horses for winter

As the evenings become darker and temperatures drop, it’s worth considering how best to prepare your horse for the winter months.

Breeze-up success

Preparing breeze-up horses for sale requires experience and knowledge of the sales process, optimal nutrition, and of course the appropriate training regimes. The right management at this stage can help your horses sell well and continue in successful racing careers.

Multivitamin and mineral supplements for horses

Multivitamin and mineral supplements can be really useful to increase a horse’s essential nutrient intake and give peace of mind if you are concerned your horse is at risk of nutritional gaps.

Help maintain healthy hooves

Proper hoof care is vital to the well-being of a horse and, as horse hooves are continuously growing at a rate of 6-10mm per month, a horse’s hooves will often reflect their overall health. Factors such as nutrition, farrier care, environmental conditions, exercise and genetics can all affect hoof growth and quality.

The importance of protein for yearlings

In the run up to yearling sales, enhancing physical development is key to making sure that they stand out and look their very best in the sale ring. Protein is an important nutritional component for supporting optimal muscle development.

How to support your mare’s milk throughout lactation

Having given your mare the best possible care during pregnancy to ensure both the well-being and health of her and her unborn foal, it is important to continue this post-birth. Keeping your mare in optimal health will show in her colostrum and continuing milk quality and production, providing her foal with the best start in life.

Eventing preparation tips

Eventing can be a nerve-racking experience for riders and grooms, as there is often a lot of pressure to perform well following months of training and preparation. Helping your horse look and perform their best on the day requires the perfect balance of an optimal fitness programme and strong nutritional foundations.

Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in horses

Previously known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and often referred to as heaves or equine asthma, RAO is a common respiratory problem.

Competition pre-season supplements for horses

The pace often slows during the off season and so when spring comes around, a gear change is required as pre-season training kicks in ready for the competition season to start.

Management of horses with anhidrosis

Anhidrosis is a serious problem that can develop in horses exercising in hot humid conditions.

How Can I Help Calm my Horse?

Unwanted behaviour in horses can be associated with diet, management routine, environment, and breeding/genetics.

Getting ready for the foaling season

Foaling is a critical period – so it is important to be prepared. Knowing how to support the mare and foal pre and post-foaling is vital.

Friska Foal: a vitamin supplement for foals

Young foals are entirely dependent on the mare’s milk to provide all of their nutritional needs.

Electrolyte loss, heat stress, and dehydration

Horses sweat at very high rates, which acts as an effective cooling system, but this comes with the loss of electrolytes and body fluids which must be replaced to ensure normal ongoing body function and optimise recovery in the equine athlete.

Transition into spring with the ultimate combo for coat health and shine

Kentucky Karron Oil & Copper-Max Paste are the ultimate combination for aiding your horse’s digestion, coat condition & energy levels.

Your horse’s respiratory system – how it works and how to support it

A horse’s respiratory system is highly specialised for athletic function, capable of supplying vast amounts of oxygen to their body when it is needed most.

Micronutrient deficiencies in horses and how to avoid them

All mammals, including horses, need certain vitamins and minerals for essential body functions. These micronutrients can often only be obtained from the diet, so deficiencies can occur if nutritional requirements are not met.

Laminitis – a right pain in the hoof

Laminitis is a painful condition in horses and ponies. It is common and frequently recurs in susceptible animals due to underlying conditions. These horses and ponies require special management to try and limit the severity and recurrence of laminitis.

Your horse’s immune system – why it’s important and how you can boost it

Your horse’s immune system is vital for fighting infections - be it a virus, bacteria, parasite or fungi. Horses with compromised immune function are more susceptible to illness, ill-thrift, and poor performance.

Protein not just for body builders

Protein is an essential part of any performance or exercising horse’s diet. It is required to build and maintain muscle mass, which is vital for athletic performance.

Mud Fever Treatment for Horses

Mud fever or mud rash can be a challenging condition to treat in horses. Being prepared is key – knowing when your horse might be at risk and implementing management changes accordingly, such as applying barrier creams

Coughing horses – causes and treatment

All horses cough occasionally, for example, if they get a bit of debris in their airways, whilst eating or drinking or at the start of exercise “to clear the throat”.

Antioxidants and the exercising horse

Free radicals are believed to play a role in muscle fatigue during exercise. Antioxidants can act to counteract these unstable molecules, thereby helping to support muscle health and recovery.

Reducing Risk of Gastric Ulcers in Horses

Equine gastric ulceration syndrome (EGUS) is a common problem associated with performance horses. In actively racing thoroughbreds, the prevalence is up to 100%.

All tied up? Managing ‘tying-up’ in horses

‘Tying-up’ – also known as exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER), azoturia or ‘Monday morning disease’ - can be a frustrating condition for horse owners and trainers to manage.

Preparing yearlings for sale

Having put huge efforts into selecting horses for the sales, it is vital they are in optimum condition with great topline and coat shine to ensure they look their absolute best and stand out in the sales ring.

The essential role of nutrition in skeletal development

Correct nutrition is essential to maintain bone health in horses – particularly during skeletal growth and development. Consequently, a foal’s diet should be continually assessed and managed from in-utero development right through to training.

Feeding young foals

A foal’s early days can potentially shape its future health and performance for the rest of its life, so getting it right will pay dividends forever.

What is exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) in horses?

Exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage is a condition of the lungs that can be found in horses undertaking high-intensity exercise. It is thought to affect up to 95% of racehorses, based on the detection of blood on endoscopy post-exercise.

Diarrhoea in foals

Diarrhoea is commonly seen in foals and can range from being relatively harmless to fatal. Knowing when and how to intervene can make all the difference.

Colic in horses: types of colic, symptoms and treatment

Colic is a relatively common condition in horses, with studies showing that 4-10% of horses are diagnosed with colic every year.1 However, it is important to be aware that some types of colic are more serious than others.

Caring for older horses

The needs of horses change over time and older horses often need extra care. Nutritional supplements can be one way to improve the overall performance and quality of life for the ageing horse.

Best hoof supplements for horses

Good hoof health is essential to the overall well-being of a horse. Hooves can be influenced by genetics, breed, weight, diseases, exercise, ground conditions, weather, and diet, and these factors should be continually assessed and managed to ensure optimum hoof quality is maintained.

The crucial role of B vitamins in horses

Collecting Donor Colostrum

Colostrum or “first milk” is the thick, yellow secretion from the mammary gland.

Nutrition Advice for Preparing Yearlings for Sale

It is that time of year again, the summer is coming to an end and the yearling sales are fast approaching.

Preparation is key

On the day of an event, you want to see the culmination of all the training and preparation come to fruition at the perfect moment.

How to maximise recovery

Perhaps one of the most important periods for sustained performance is during recovery from exertion.

Achieving top performance is all about balance

Achieving top performance is all about balance. Every decision has its pros and cons, and it’s only when you find the sweet spot between them that you fly.

Muscle – the foundation of power and performance

Muscle is the foundation of performance, powering all the competitive activity that we ask of equine athletes.

Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy Type 2 (PSSM2) & Myofibrillar Myopathy (MFM)

For years scientists have attempted to discover the causes of tying up in horses. One of the leading researchers in this field is Dr S Valberg.

Supplementing the Stallion

The breeding stallion works hard throughout his reproductive life, starting early – some before they are even 3 years old – and, if successful, continuing well into his later years.

Supplementing the Foal

It is important to keep on top of shifting nutritional requirements as foals grow, develop, and become less reliant on their mother’s milk. The young equine gut also has to quickly adapt to utilising a solid diet and, being hind-gut fermenters, an increasing reliance on bacterial gut populations.

Supplementing the breeding mare, for the entire season

The key to successful breeding starts long before mating and it has been shown that nutrition plays a big role in the reproductive health of a broodmare. From broader aspects such as body condition, all the way down to specific macro and micronutrients, fertility is influenced by what is fed

Why is Copper Important for Breeding Stock?

Copper plays an essential role in the equine diet, particularly in youngstock.

Essential Supplements for Racehorses

Supplements can be a controversial topic on a racing yard, some trainers use copious amounts of products, while others use none.

Pre-Fuel & Re-Fuel – Your FAQs answered

We’ve had lots of great feedback on our Pre-Fuel and ReFuel syringes, as well as some questions on how and when to use them.

Copper Supplements for Horses

When we think of copper we often think of industrial things like wires and pipes; we don’t really think about our horse’s diet.

When the Going Gets Hard – Managing Horses Legs

The summer season is now getting into full swing whatever equestrian sport it is that you indulge in!

Hydrolysed Protein Explained

Hydrolysed protein contains pre-digested proteins, so they’re easier for the horse to absorb and use.

Supporting your horses joint health

So, what makes for a healthy joint in a horse? You’d be hard pushed to find a horse owner that at one time or another hasn’t wondered how best to look after their horse’s joints.

Extra Nutritional Support for the Newborn Foal

The broodmare can provide all the foal’s nutritional requirements for growth, development and immune protection up to three months of life. Getting everything right for the mare and foal can be challenging

What Oil should I feed my horse?

As a horse owner we are almost pre-conditioned to know that feeding an oil to our horses is a good idea, but when we delve into the reasons why, most come up short beyond the fact it is good for their coat.

Equine Joint Supplement Choice

When chosing a joint supplement, knowing your horse, researching and comparing supplement content and claims will serve horse owners well in making the best choice.

Choosing a calmer

A recent article in a popular equestrian publication listed in excess of 20 different equine calmers available for horse owners to choose from.

When do I need to supplement my horse with vitamins and minerals?

We hear lots about vitamins and minerals when it comes to feeding our horses these days, they are an essential inclusion in any equine diet, but all the information out there can be a bit puzzling.

Understanding sore shins

Sore shins, also referred to as bucked shins in some countries, is a condition which commonly occurs in horses in their two year old year of training.

Promoting Healthy Hoof Growth

Nutrition plays a very important role in hoof quality. Promoting hoof wall growth, integrity of the hoof tissues and maintaining structural integrity of the foot come from a well-balanced diet that meets the horse’s requirements for all nutrients. The horse’s feet are a sensitive indicator of overall nutrition.

Essential Guide to Electrolytes for Horses

Horses lose ‘salts’ in their sweat. These salts, or as we should refer to them ‘electrolytes’, are essential minerals that function throughout the body in many physiological processes and, in particular, they enable muscle function.

Foaling Season Ready? – Tips for Tackling your Foaling Kit

Preparation is key to success when it comes to the foaling season, whether you have 1 mare to foal or 50, there are some basic elements that should be included in your foaling kit.

Unwanted Biting or Chewing in Horses

Crib biting and chewing are undesirable behaviours which affect the horses health as it causes damage to teeth and increases risk of colic.

Understanding Vices in Horses

Vices in horses are a regular occurrence as part of stable life. Understanding and managing them is vital for both a horse’s well-being as well as sale value.

Understanding Supplement Labels

All the information on horse supplements can be a little overwhelming, if you’re not sure what you’re looking at. With a better understanding of the obligatory and voluntary text on supplements you can ensure all your horses nutritional needs are looked after.

Flax Seed vs. Flaxseed Oil

There are many different products on the market, some seem quite similar. I was recently asked about the difference between ground stabilized flax seed versus flaxseed oil.