Mad Barn Academy

The internet is full of criticism and judgment about what we do wrong with our horses. We’re often told that we aren’t good enough because we don’t jump high enough, don’t ride well enough, or can’t afford the most expensive horse.

But at the end of the day, what matters most is that you have a happy, healthy, willing horse and that you are both enjoying your time together.

How do you know if you’re doing things right and your horse is happy? Here are seven of the most important indicators to gauge whether your horse is happy.

Read more: ⁠https://madbarn.com/signs-your-horse-is-happy/⁠
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

Equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM or EPSM) is a genetic condition in horses that affects how muscle cells store sugars. This can lead to exercise intolerance, stiffness, and an abnormal gait in your horse. After diagnosis, owners often notice signs, such as tail swishing, behavioural changes, and slight performance reductions indicating mild tying-up.

Horses with PSSM are at higher risk of tying-up, also known as exertional rhabdomyolysis. These episodes cause significant pain and are characterized by stiff, firm muscles along with profuse sweating and reluctance to move. In severe cases, the breakdown of muscle tissue can affect kidney function and can be fatal.

The best way to manage PSSM horses is to provide a forage-first low-sugar and starch diet and meet additional energy requirements with dietary fat. A consistent exercise routine can also help promote glycogen breakdown in the muscle.

Dietary management can have a significant positive impact on the health and comfort of PSSM horses, and help to minimize the need for costly veterinary care.

Wondering how to best feed your PSSM horse? Listen to this podcast!

Read more: https://madbarn.com/pssm-in-horses/
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

Keeping horses barefoot is gaining in popularity because of the benefits in hoof health and movement it can provide some horses.

Barefoot hoof trimming is designed to maximize the biomechanical efficiency of hoof function. It is favoured among horse owners who prefer more natural management of their equine companions.

When the barefoot hoof is in contact with the ground, blood flow increases within the hoof because the heel can expand in an unrestricted manner. In contrast, shoes prevent the natural expansion within the hoof capsule that occurs with ground contact.

Horses with barefoot hooves may develop a deeper digital cushion and thicker soles in comparison to those that are shod.

Because of these and other changes in their hooves, concussive energy is more sufficiently dissipated within the hoof rather than being transmitted into soft tissues and bony structures.

Transitioning horses to barefoot takes time. Working with a certified trimmer and veterinarian is recommended to facilitate a successful transition. 

In this podcast, we review the anatomy of the equine hoof, the research behind barefoot trimming, the physiology of barefoot hooves and discuss the required maintenance for keeping horses barefoot.

Read more: https://madbarn.com/barefoot-trimming-horses/
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

Many horse owners do not fully appreciate the significance of providing adequate salt to their equine companions.  In terms of cost to benefit ratio, it would be hard to think of another nutrient with such a low cost that provides the benefits of salt. 

This can not be emphasized enough, your horse will not consume too much salt.  To my knowledge, no horse has ever been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) from excessive salt intake.  The larger problem is the lack of salt intake.

The fact is, many horses are sodium/salt deficient.

Salt, or sodium chloride, is a macromineral and a vital component of the equine diet and serves many functions in the horse’s body. As an electrolyte, it supports healthy nerve and muscle function and encourages your horse to drink so that it doesn’t get dehydrated or develop intestinal discomfort.

Knowing how important salt is for your horse, why don’t most horses receive enough salt in their diets? Here we discuss the importance of salt!

Read more: https://madbarn.com/how-to-feed-salt-to-your-horse/
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

When it comes to feeding senior horses, there are many factors to consider to support longevity and healthy aging.

Making sure your horse’s core nutritional needs are met and keeping up with routine healthcare are critical to promoting optimal well-being for many more years to come.

Formulating a well-balanced diet that supports healthy aging is critical for senior horses. It is particularly important to accommodate changes in health status such as poor dentition or gut health problems.

In this podcast, we walk through our nine-step guide to feeding senior horses. This includes determining their nutritional needs, identifying health concerns early, checking for dental issues, selecting appropriate forage, feeding digestible protein sources and more!

Read more: https://madbarn.com/how-to-feed-a-senior-horse/
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

Spirulina is a nutritionally dense blue-green algae that is used as an equine supplement to support horses with immune or respiratory needs.

Spirulina refers to dried algae, or cyanobacteria, harvested from lakes in Africa, Mexico and China. Fed in the form of a concentrated green powder, it is a rich source of bioactive proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.

Spirulina powder consists mainly of the cyanobacteria Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima. The active ingredients include unique antioxidant proteins and anti-inflammatory fatty acids.

Spirulina has many health benefits for horses including promoting weight loss and improving metabolic health in horses with ⁠equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)⁠. It is also recommended for horses susceptible to recurrent breathing issues like allergies, ⁠heaves⁠, and inflammatory airway disease.

It is considered a complete protein because it supplies all essential amino acids required in the equine diet. Essential amino acids are those protein molecules that horses cannot synthesize independently and must obtain from the diet.

In this podcast, we discuss nine, scientifically-backed benefits of spirulina for horses.

Read more: https://madbarn.com/spirulina-benefits-for-horses/
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

Putting weight on a skinny horse can be a difficult and frustrating task. There are many different causes of weight loss in horses and feeding strategies will depend on why your horse is underweight in the first place.

Weight loss occurs when a horse is in a negative energy balance, meaning that they are consuming less caloric energy than they are using in a day.

Weight loss is especially common in senior horses which may be affected by multiple issues that contribute to reduced feed intake, poor digestion and nutrient use.

Poor dental health, gastrointestinal issues and low social standing can also contribute to weight loss.

It is also important to select the right energy sources to promote healthy weight gain without causing metabolic dysfunction.

Follow these 10 steps to develop a feeding plan to help your underweight horse gain weight.

Read more: https://madbarn.com/how-to-feed-underweight-horse/
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

Laminitis is a common but serious condition that involves separation of the laminae, which connects the coffin bone to the hoof wall.

A bout of laminitis can cause mild to severe pain in affected horses and result in lasting damage to the hooves. In extreme cases, the condition can result in permanent lameness and lead to the horse being euthanized.

With prompt treatment and appropriate rehabilitation, the majority of horses recover from laminitis and can return to light work within two to three months.

Careful management of your horse’s nutrition and health is critical to preventing laminitis from recurring. Here, we discuss how to best support the recovery of a laminitic horse to help them return to soundness.

Read more: https://madbarn.com/laminitis-recovery-for-horses
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

Building topline muscle and dealing with topline loss is a common struggle for horse owners.

Your horse may have a weak topline due to a variety of factors including nutrition and exercise. Physiological factors such as age or underlying health conditions can also affect topline muscle.

With the right feeding plan, exercise program, and lifestyle, you can help your horse build muscle mass and strength. Topline muscles are not only appealing to look at, but they also enhance mobility and improve overall fitness and longevity.

Feeding a diet that provides adequate energy, high-quality protein, and meet the horse’s vitamin and mineral requirements, can go a long way to supporting topline muscle growth.

Beyond that, adding some simple exercises can help stimulate the muscle to support protein synthesis and topline development as well as maintenance.

Here we highlight nine steps to build your horse's topline!

Read more: https://madbarn.com/build-horses-topline/
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is a naturally occurring form of sulfur that is found in plants and animals. MSM is used to relieve joint pain in aging horses and performance horses. It helps maintain healthy connective tissue, cartilage, bones, and hooves. It also supports a healthy skin and coat in horses.

Horses with arthritis, poor hoof condition, or aging horses will likely benefit from MSM supplementation. It might also slow the progress of arthritis by preventing cartilage degradation. 

Here we review the top nine scientifically-backed benefits of MSM for horses

Read more:  https://madbarn.com/msm-benefits-for-horses/
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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at https://madbarn.com for more resources, videos and articles.