Horse hair analysis (HHA) is gaining popularity as purported  tool to assess the diet, but research reports hair analysis is NOT a reliable tool for assessing mineral intake in horses.
Additional Resources:

 Commercial hair analysis in horses: A tool to assess mineral intake?, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104145
 Hair analysis as an indicator of nutritional status,  Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2001),https://doi.org/10.1016/S0737-0806(01)70122-0
  Hair analysis as an indicator of mineral status of livestock, Journal of Animal Science (1987), https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1987.6561753x

You can now follow @drjyme on Facebook and Instagram! Please tell your friends how #feedroomchemist has made you an #empoweredhorseowner!
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If you have a topic or question you would like addressed on a future episode please email info@acbluebonnet.com
Dr. Jyme Nichols is Director of Nutrition for Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health. For more information on these brands or a free virtual nutrition consult from our team just visit bluebonnetfeeds.com/nutrition-consult

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109 | Hair Analysis NOT Reliable

Dr. Jyme Nichols, equine nutritionist for Bluebonnet Feeds, explores unique cases, debunks popular myths, and breaks down advanced research data. This podcast combines a little fun with a lot of science to provide real-world feeding advice for your horse.

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It’s fly season and there is nothing more irritating than a barn full of flies zapping the energy right out of your horses. This episode covers feed through fly control options and extra management tips to make your horse’s life as fly-free as possible this summer! 
Resources
•	Here are some of Dr. Jyme’s favorite fly control options. Dr. Jyme receives no incentive, discount, or kickback from these brands, they are just products she personally uses and loves. 
o	Bobby G’s Fly Spray (chemical free)
o	ShooFly Leggins
o	Fly Free Boots
o	Spalding Labs Fly Predators
o	Starbar Fly Control Products
o	Solitude IGR
You can now follow @drjyme on Facebook and Instagram! Please tell your friends how #feedroomchemist has made you an #empoweredhorseowner! 
….
If you have a topic or question you would like addressed on a future episode please email info@bluebonnetfeeds.com 
Dr. Jyme Nichols is Director of Nutrition for Bluebonnet (formerly Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health). For more information on these brands or a free virtual nutrition consult from our team just visit bluebonnetfeeds.com/nutrition-consult



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135 | Fly Control

The old saying “no hoof, no horse” couldn’t be more true. If you have ever found yourself in a situation with a horse that had foot issues, you quickly realize there isn’t much you can do with that horse from a work or athletic standpoint, you may be devoting hours/days/weeks/months to helping the horse heal, and sometimes the situation may be career, or even life, ending. This episode sifts through many hoof conditions and explains when nutrition may or may not play a role. 
Resources
•	Common Indicators of Hoof Stress – with Dr. Debra Taylor and Dr. Tracy Turner: https://thehorse.com/190264/horse-hoof-stressors/ 
•	A Field Guide to Hoof Cracks – Equus: https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/field-guide-hoof-cracks-55256 
•	Hoof Abscesses - University of Minnesota Extension: https://extension.umn.edu/horse-health/hoof-abscesses 
•	Laminitis – UC Davis Veterinary Medicine: https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/laminitis 
•	Quittor - Merck Veterinary Manual: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/lameness-in-horses/quittor-in-horses 
•	Quittor – Butler Professional Farrier School:  https://butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com/archives/2237 
•	Side bone - Merck Veterinary Manual: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/lameness-in-horses/sidebone-in-horses 
•	Navicular disease – Iowa State University: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/equine/navicular-disease-western-pleasure-horses 
You can now follow @drjyme on Facebook and Instagram! Please tell your friends how #feedroomchemist has made you an #empoweredhorseowner! 
….
If you have a topic or question you would like addressed on a future episode please email info@bluebonnetfeeds.com 
Dr. Jyme Nichols is Director of Nutrition for Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health. For more information on these brands or a free virtual nutrition consult from our team just visit bluebonnetfeeds.com/nutrition-consult



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134 | Hoof Conditions

Confused by all the feed choices out there? Inspired by a listener question, Dr. Nichols explains her 8-step process for selecting the brand or line of feed to best fit your needs. 
Show Notes:
Feed Selection Road Map
1.	Is the nutritionist qualified?
2.	Least Cost vs Locked Formula
3.	Ionophore Stance
4.	Feeding Rates
5.	Trace Mineral Source
 a.	Zinc Methionine Complex
    b.	Copper Lysine Complex 
    c.	Manganese Methionine Complex
6.	Amino Acids
7.	Bonus Round (supplement replacements)
8.	Final Check of Basics (protein, fat, fiber, starch/sugar)


You can now follow @drjyme on Facebook and Instagram! Please tell your friends how #feedroomchemist has made you an #empoweredhorseowner! 
….
If you have a topic or question you would like addressed on a future episode please email info@bluebonnetfeeds.com 
Dr. Jyme Nichols is Director of Nutrition for Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health. For more information on these brands or a free virtual nutrition consult from our team just visit bluebonnetfeeds.com/nutrition-consult



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133 | How to Select Feed

Stallions can fall into a fairly wide range in terms of dietary needs, so there is no one-size-fits-all program. In this episode, Dr. Jyme describes different things to consider in designing a foundational nutrition program for a stallion and then takes it a step further by considering functional technologies that may help with things like semen quality and libido. 
Resources
•	Ultimate Breeding Guide https://strideanimalhealth.com/ultimate-breeding-guide 
•	Effect of feeding a DHA-enriched nutriceutical on the quality of fresh, cooled and frozen stallion semen: doi 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2004.07.010
•	Use of nutraceuticals in the stallion: Effects on semen quality and preservation: doi 10.1111/rda.13934
•	Effect of dietary antioxidant supplementation on fresh semen quality in stallion: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.12.003 
•	Oral supplementation with L-carnitine improves stallion fertility: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2016.06.068 
•	Effect of L-carnitine administration on the seminal characteristics of oligoasthenospermic stallions: doi 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2003.11.018


You can now follow @drjyme on Facebook and Instagram! Please tell your friends how #feedroomchemist has made you an #empoweredhorseowner! 
….
If you have a topic or question you would like addressed on a future episode please email info@bluebonnetfeeds.com 
Dr. Jyme Nichols is Director of Nutrition for Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health. For more information on these brands or a free virtual nutrition consult from our team just visit bluebonnetfeeds.com/nutrition-consult



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132 | Stallion Nutrition

If you plan to breed your mare this year, this is your episode! Dr. Jyme explains her pre-breeding checklist and two special functional ingredients you can add to the diet to maximize your chances of an easy conception and healthy baby. 
References:
•	Merck Veterinary Manual - https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/management-of-reproduction-horses/the-reproductive-cycle-of-horses 
•	American Association of Equine Practitioners - https://aaep.org/horsehealth/regulating-estrus 
You can now follow @drjyme on Facebook and Instagram! Please tell your friends how #feedroomchemist has made you an #empoweredhorseowner! 
….
If you have a topic or question you would like addressed on a future episode please email info@bluebonnetfeeds.com 
Dr. Jyme Nichols is Director of Nutrition for Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health. For more information on these brands or a free virtual nutrition consult from our team just visit bluebonnetfeeds.com/nutrition-consult



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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/feedroomchemist/message

109 | Hair Analysis NOT Reliable

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