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!

Equine ration balancers are multipurpose horse feeds that pack big benefits in small portions. As the name implies, they are meant to “balance” horse diets by providing essential nutrients hay and forage might lack. Ration balancers are typically lower calorie than other concentrates but still designed to meet horses’ basic vitamin, mineral, and protein requirements, which is essential for health. This makes them an especially good option for easy keepers or a solid nutritional foundation you can build on for horses that need more energy from their feed and forage.
Like a ration balancer, this episode is packed with good stuff! Dr. Clair and Michelle discuss:
• The difference between a rational balancer and a basic multivitamin-and-mineral supplement.
• How ration balancers can ensure your horses get the nutrition they need to support their soundness, and performance.
• Why ration balancers can cut down on chore time and streamline your feed room, even if you care for horses of different ages and activity levels.
• How to use ration balancers in combination with other feeds and forages.
• Understanding ration balancer pricing and serving size (hint: the bag is more expensive, but you get a lot more servings!).
• What vitamins, minerals, proteins, and electrolytes you might find in them.
• Why they might be the right choice for easy keepers and horses with gastric ulcers, equine metabolic syndrome, insulin dysregulation, and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.
Join us and find out if ration balancers are right for your horse.

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

Thanks for riding along with us!

How and what we feed horses with equine asthma matters. Barn air quality is also  a major factor in equine respiratory health, especially during the winter months when horses spend more time inside.  Dr. Clair and Michelle talk about the importance of lower respiratory system health in performance horses and ways to support horse's with respiratory allergies and/or compromised lungs through nutrition and management. Respiratory health is a major performance in all horses, and management early in horse's lives can help them avoid complications as they age. This episode will be of particular interest to horse owners of horses with equine asthma, heaves, COPD and RAO.  Ride along as we discuss tips and tricks to managing these conditions. 

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

Thanks for riding along with us!

With Thanksgiving behind us we are now in the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa Countdown. To keep you company while you slowly lose your mind, we decided to do our favorite things episode.  Michelle and Clair share a few products that bring them delight, everything from hoof picks to hay balls to saddles and masterclasses!  Whether you are buying a gift for yourself or your trainer, there is something for everyone.

***We received no compensation and have no affiliation with any of the products mentioned.... they don't even  know we are talking about them yet!

https://ifeednaturally.com/
https://www.thehaypillow.com/
https://hooftrimmersupply.com/products/heller-red
https://coloradonaturalbalms.com/
https://ultimatehoofpick.com/
https://eqclusive.com/en-us/collections/haas
https://equiformancebands.com/
https://www.jilliankreinbringinspired.com/
https://redhorseproducts.com/shop/hoof-care/artimud/
https://www.aviarsaddles.com/
https://enviroequine.com/product/equine-show-ring-ready-shampoo/
https://eqclusive.com/en-us/collections/haas

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

Thanks for riding along with us!

In this episode, Clair and Michelle get more than a little nerdy about equine supplements! They are joined by Dr. Lydia Gray to talk about supplement regulations and how new products come to market.

Dr. Gray spent 16 years at SmartPak, where she served as Staff Veterinarian and Medical and Research Director. She has also worked in equine welfare and rescue. She's now an independent consultant and helps equine-related organizations with things like strategic planning, product labeling, and research and development … plus she does writing and speaking … and judges and competes in dressage and combined driving. That’s all to say she’s very busy! We are thankful she took time to have this conversation with us!

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

Thanks for riding along with us!

Proper hay and feed storage saves money, keeps horses safe, and gives rodents one less reason to move into our barns during the cold winter months. In this episode, equine nutritionist Dr. Clair Thunes and horse owner Michelle Anderson discuss hay and feed storage strategies, health risks related to horses accidentally accessing and gorging on feed (spoiler alert, it's laminitis!), ways to keep rodents out of your bins, and how to know when feed has spoiled or "gone off."

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

Thanks for riding along with us!