Temperatures are starting to rise across the country!  We start to think about ways of keeping our horses cool in the summer months.  Switching turn out times to overnight hours, hanging fans and adding electrolytes are some of the common things that people do.  Horses rely heavily on sweating to keep cool.  In this episode, we talk to Dr. Samantha Brooks from the University of Florida where she heads up the Brooks Equine Genetics Lab.  In this episode we talk about:

How horses cool themselves;
What is happening when their cooling systems don't work;
What is anhidrosis;
Is this a permanent condition;
Best practices to help keep horses sweating and cool;
The state of equine research funding in the US;

And so much more!

To learn more about Dr. Samantha Brooks and the Brooks Equine Genetic Lab http://www.ufequinegenetics.org/home.html 

Do you have questions about feeding your horse?  Contact us at [email protected] 

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

As we start our second season of the podcast, Dr. Clair takes time to answer listener questions.  In this episode Dr. Clair answers questions about:

-the difference between dry milled flax and flax oil;
-feeding instructions on feed bags;
-adjusting feed based on exercise;
-and more!
 
If you have questions about feeding your horse, please email us at [email protected]  

NRC Equine Nutrition Calculator - https://webassets.nationalacademies.org/nrh/ 

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

Do you have an easy keeper? Dr. Laura Javsicas, a board-certified internal medicine specialist with Rhinebeck Equine, in New York, joins Clair and Michelle to talk about insulin resistance and dysregulation in horses. 

In this episode, you'll learn about:
Insulin’s relationship to equine metabolic syndrome and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or equine Cushing’s).
The link between insulin response and laminitis.
The clinical signs of insulin dysregulation and resistance in horses.
How veterinarians test for insulin dysregulation.
Treatment and management of horses with metabolic issues.

Do you have questions about IR or ID? Contact us at [email protected].

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

Horse show season is here! And, while showing is mostly fun, the travel and work intensity competition requires can cause stress for horses and humans. We know stress impacts horses’ digestive health and immune systems, which can set them up for colic, gastric ulcers, and diarrhea. In this episode, Dr. Clair and Michelle discuss ways to prepare and manage your horse during travel to horse shows, clinics, trail rides, or wherever the summer leads you.  In this episode we talk about:

Why travel is stressful for horses;
The importance of hydration and how to keep your horse drinking;
How stress affects horses’ gastrointestinal microbiomes;
The role of stomach buffers and preventive treatments in avoiding gastric ulcers;
How forage can help;

And more!

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

While forages can be assessed visually, the only way to accurately know the nutrient content of your forage is to have it tested by a lab. This is easier and cheaper to do than many people realize and is worth considering if you buy large quantities of forage at a time. In this episode we talk about hay analysis with Cassy Streeter, NIR Services Manager from Equi-Analytical.   Equi-Analytical Laboratory Services specialize in the most modern techniques for determining the nutrient content of forage and feed for horse owners.

In this episode we discuss:
-the reasons to test your forage.
-how to test your forage.
-analysis results and so much more!

You can learn more about Equi-Analytical and the services they offer at 
https://equi-analytical.com/   

Cassy Streeter Bio:
Cassy Streeter grew up in Syracuse, New York and started working at a horse boarding facility as a teenager. After graduating from Cornell with a B.S. in Animal Science in 2006, she worked in various lab tech positions before returning to Cornell's Animal Science Department to complete her M.S. studying the genetics of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) in the Arabian horse.  Cassy started as an Associate NIR Network Administrator at Dairy One in March 2011 and supervised daily NIR production activities. After moving into her role as NIR Services Manager in 2019, Cassy assumed oversight of the Dairy One NIR Affiliate Network which is currently comprised of more than 30 members in 16 different countries. She is a senior member of the internal QA team and manages several NIR projects, including implementation of on-farm NIR technology.
It is a poorly kept secret at Dairy One that Cassy is a "horse person".  She is an avid horse racing fan and participates in carriage driving shows. She also stays active in the agricultural community by serving as the President of the Sigma Alpha Alumni Chapter of Cornell University. She is currently taking a break from horse ownership but is always on the lookout for her next retired Standardbred. 

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

As the cold and snowy winter turns into a bright green spring, we all dream about turning our horses out on a picturesque landscape to graze, but should we?  Is it safe?  The fear of fat ponies, laminitis and other metabolic diseases haunt us.  Dr. Clair and Michelle discuss the importance of being proactive and cautious when transitioning from winter to spring. 
In this episode we discuss:
-sugar content
-pasture management
-grazing muzzles and so much more!

 Do you have questions about feeding your new horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

When we refer to “topline,” we’re talking about the entire upper line of the horse’s body. That includes how the neck ties into the shoulder and the development of the back muscles under the saddle area, across the loin, and over the rump. When horses lack musculature over those areas, they are said to “have a poor topline.” Many things can cause poor topline, including incorrect training, an ill-fitting saddle, old age, lameness, or diseases like pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or equine Cushing’s). If your horse is struggling to develop a nice topline despite good health (talk to you veterinarian!), proper training, and a well-fitting saddle, perhaps his or her diet needs another look.

In this episode, Michelle and Dr. Clair cover: 

• What is topline?
• How to support topline development through nutrition.
• Understanding protein quality and its role in topline development.
• And other factors that might affect topline.

Do you have questions about feeding your new horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

Getting a new horse is exciting! But, for the horse, a new owner can mean lots of change and stress. As herd animals that prefer routine, horses become stressed when moving to a new home with new horses, people, and expectations. Dietary changes during transitions can also cause stress. Combined, these changes increase a horse’s risk of serious health issues, such as gastric ulcers and colic. That’s why taking steps to reduce both dietary and other stress when getting a new horse is important.

In this episode, Dr. Clair and Michelle cover:

-Discussing a horse’s diet with the seller.

-Safely changing feed schedules.

-What to do when you’re unable to source the horse’s same hay and grain.

-Turnout.

-Ways to manage stress.

Do you have questions about feeding your new horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

Who doesn’t love a horse with a shiny haircoat and long, full mane and tail? While some horses are more genetically blessed than others in the hair growth and shine department, all healthy manes and tails and glowing coats start with a balanced diet. Grooming can help, of course, but no amount of elbow grease can correct poor nutrition.

In this episode, Clair and Michelle cover:
• How minerals, including copper, bring out a horse’s shine;
• Why amino acids are important for growing high-quality hair;
• The role of vitamins, specifically vitamin E and biotin, in coat quality; and
• The dietary fats horses need to really bloom.

Do you have questions about helping your horse shine this spring? Contact us at [email protected].

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!

You see a sweet old horse on the bag, and the name clearly says “senior” in it. So that’s the right feed for your aged equine, right? Not necessarily. The horse feed industry doesn’t have a standard for what makes a senior feed a senior feed. And, in fact, some products marketed as senior feeds are Dr. Clair’s favorite recommendations for horses requiring high-fat, high-fiber diets to maintain or gain weight. That’s also why Michelle gives a senior feed to a growing 2-year-old, a 7-year-old in full training, and a picky 21-year-old retiree.
In this episode, we talk about:
• What defines a “senior” horse.
• Causes of weight loss in older horses and how senior feeds might help maintain body condition.
• Why senior feeds might not be the right choice for easy-keeping horses with age-related metabolic conditions (like equine metabolic syndrome and insulin dysregulation) that cause weight gain and laminitis.
• The difference between a complete feed and a concentrate.
• The benefits of fat and fiber as calorie sources.
• Why senior feeds might be good for horses with dental issues or prone to choke.
• And more!
Do you have questions about feeding seniors, or feeding senior feeds to younger horses? Contact us at [email protected] 

Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for riding along with us!