CONTENTS February/March/April 2021
Departments 6 Editorial 19 Herb blurb 23 Product picks 27 Product profile — Nutrena
31 Must-try
supplements
44 From the NASC 45 Classifieds 45 Marketplace
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Features 8
E asing back into show training after a year off (due to COVID-19)
It’s 2021… and you and your horse are both feeling a little rusty. These steps will help you ease back into a successful training regimen!
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P ractical ways
to extend your horse’s lifespan
Improve your horse’s wellbeing and longevity with this helpful health advice.
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Equine Wellness
Columns
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EATING WELL Equine nutrition 101
Is your horse’s diet up to snuff? Let’s take it back to the basics of equine nutrition, with some diet tips from the pros.
SEASONAL WELLNESS Help for your horse’s cold weather stiffness
Is your horse plagued by cold weather stiffness? Exercise and joint support supplements can help alleviate his discomfort.
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H EALTHY HOOVES 4 reasons your horse’s hooves might be causing him pain Is your horse letting on that he has pain in his hooves? Here are four common reasons why this might be the case.
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LIFESTYLE
10 common health mistakes horse caretakers make
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Are you making any of these common mistakes when it comes to your horse’s health?
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EED TO KNOW N How rider weight affects your horse
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ARN AND FARM B Donating your horse to a non-profit
Weight is less important than skill when it comes to protecting your horse’s spine.
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RENDING NOW T 5 horse-related podcasts every equestrian needs in their life Looking for a new listen this season? Check out one — or all — of these horse-related podcasts!
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H EALTH WATCH How time off from riding can affect saddle fit
If you’ve taken some time off from riding, be sure to reassess the fit of your horse’s saddle before climbing back into it!
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I N FOCUS Making horses more accessible to marginalized communities A look at marginalized groups within the equestrian community, and how their growing representation is increasing inclusivity and accessibility.
Looking to rehome your horse? Consider donating her to a non-profit organization!
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N ON-TOXIC LIVING Hidden toxins around your farm Protect your horses by keeping an eye out for these hidden toxins around your farm!
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P HYSICAL WELL-BEING How pour-in pads can prevent and aid hoof issues
Looking for some extra hoof protection for your barefoot horse? Here’s how pour-in pads can help prevent and treat common hoof issues.
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N EWSWORTHY New study to help develop health and well-being guidelines for air-transported horses
Tens of thousands of horses are transported by air every year, yet very little is known about how stressors on planes increase their risk of harm. Italian researchers have set out to learn more.
WELL-GROOMED
How to identify and release pain and restrictions in your horse
Are old or new injuries causing your horse pain? Use this cross-fiber grooming technique to release any restrictions, improve his posture, and ease his discomfort.
Social Media Tips, contests and more! /EquineWellnessMagazine News, events, and tips! @ EquineWellness Tips, horse photos, and more! EquineWellness
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LIFESTYLE
COMMON 1 0 HEALTH MISTAKES By Laurie Gallatin, DVM
horse caretakers make
Are you making any of these common mistakes when it comes to your horse’s health?
As a practicing equine ambulatory veterinarian, I typically see my patients on their “home turf”. Therefore, I have the advantage of observing the barn, turnout, hay, grain, other pets, etc. that may or may not have anything to do with the primary reason I am there. It is my job to make recommendations based not only on physical exam findings, but on my other observations. Sometimes our horse husbandry is based on “how we always did it”, or the advice of well-meaning friends, trainers, or even Dr. Google. So if any of these ten statements sounds familiar, please 16
Equine Wellness
don’t be offended — rather, accept this free advice from a veterinarian!
1. BLANKETING Clients often put blankets on their horses as soon as it gets cold or starts snowing, and they never remove or look under them until the daffodils are blooming in the spring. Hopefully, your equine partner has wintered well and under that blanket is a sleek, shiny horse in good body condition. But I typically get frantic calls from caretakers whose horses didn’t fare so well. They are thin, hairy, and overall
do not appear to be in good health. Many times I hear: “He lost weight within the last week!” — though often this happens over the course of the season. So my tip is to remove the blanket, or at least look under it frequently over the winter, to avoid a shock in the spring.
2. NOT MAINTAINING A HEALTHY BCS Dr. Henneke devised a scale of 1 to 9 to describe the body condition of a horse, so that even without seeing the horse yourself you will have an idea of his
condition. On this scale, 1/9 is a very emaciated horse with little to no body fat on which you can easily see bones. The polar opposite of that is a 9/9, which is a very obese horse where bony protrusions are hard to find. Obviously, neither of these conditions are healthy for the horse. The proper body condition to strive for is a 5/9, although a range of 4/9 to 6/9 is acceptable and within the healthy range. I see a lot of horses that are more pets than performance animals and they tend to be on the heavier side. The clients are “killing them with kindness” so to speak. They get grain, supplements, hay, pasture, and tons of treats — but these horses are often not engaged in a regular exercise program. This can lead to disorders such as laminitis and metabolic syndrome, to name a few. I also see horses on the thinner side, but not emaciated. Although there can be several medical reasons for this, it usually comes down to a lack of proper feed. Talk to your vet to determine what you can do to keep your horse’s BCS at a healthy level all year round.
3. NOT ASSESSING PASTURES Just because it’s green doesn’t mean it’s nutritious or even edible. Many times I stand at the fence while a client discusses all the lush pasture they have while wondering why their horses are thin. You need to walk out into the field and see what is actually there. Many times it’s mostly weeds, or else the pasture has not been maintained with mowing, etc. and what’s there
is of minimal nutritional value. Assess grazing spaces regularly and hire a professional to come in and make recommendations if you aren’t sure how to improve the state of your pastures.
4. FEEDING LOW QUALITY HAY (OR THE WRONG AMOUNT) While we are discussing nutrition, my next point is hay — and not just quality but quantity. Horses are hindgut fermenters and grazers. They were not designed to have two or three large grain meals per day and two flakes of hay morning and night. The average backyard horse that is not in heavy work should consume 1% to 2% of his body weight per day. That includes hay, pasture and grain. So the average 1,000-pound horse should consume 10 to 20 pounds in feed material daily. This will go up for horses in heavy work and down for those considered easy keepers. Hay quality can make a big difference in your horse’s condition. All too often I see horses that don’t receive the proper nutrients because they’re given poor quality round bales and no supplementation. I also see overconditioned horses being fed legume hay (alfalfa, clover). Again, talk to your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist to determine what your horse needs (and in what amounts) in order to thrive.
5. GIVING GRAIN WHEN IT’S NOT NECESSARY Contrary to popular belief, not all horses need grain.
Many will do just fine on good quality hay and a vitamin/mineral supplement. If you do feed grain, you should be weighing it. Some feeds are denser than others and “one scoop twice daily” really doesn’t mean much unless you know the weight of that scoop.
6. GIVING SUPPLEMENTS WHEN THEY’RE NOT NECESSARY Supplements are beneficial if your horse actually needs them. But if you are buying a commercially available complete feed you shouldn’t need to use supplements unless a specific deficiency has been identified. Not only could you be wasting money; you could also be causing an imbalance of vitamins and minerals in your horse. If you are buying a complete feed, a nutritionist has already done all the calculating and balancing for you, so don’t offer supplements unless they’ve been recommended by your vet. Equine Wellness
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