Watch your horse for weight gain this fall

Watch your horse for weight gain this fall

There’s no Thanksgiving feast to blame when horses pack on the pounds at this time of year, but there are natural signals that tell the equine body to start storing fat

There are no holiday meals to blame when horses gain weight at this time of year, but natural signals like shorter day length tell the equine body to start storing fat.



Your horse is not your pet

Your horse is not your pet

Horses have different care, handling and housing needs compared to other companion species like dogs or cats

Treating horses like pets restricts healthy movement and activity, critical social interaction in a herd, leads to unnatural feeding strategies and practices and can seriously impact a horse's health and well-being.




The physical health of the brood mare is paramount.

Healthy foals need healthy brood mares

Horse Health: Foal well-being starts with a focus on the dam

While significant attention is directed towards the health of foals themselves, understanding the factors contributing to the welfare of the brood mare is equally, if not more, important for development of well-balanced, healthy young horses. The brood mare is frequently undervalued as a performance horse. The same qualities of an elite performer — athleticism, soundness, intelligence and adaptability — should also


A horse’s digestive system handles carbohydrates differently based on their complexity.

Maximize your horse’s horsepower: proper fuel needs proper carbs

Horse Health: Not all carbohydrates are created equal when it comes to feeding horses

Modern horse feeding advice frequently recommends adding concentrated feeds to pasture or hay diets. This is often considered essential to meet caloric needs for performance or to ensure sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals. There is growing evidence that paints a different picture. Grain-heavy processed diets may contribute to various digestive and metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance, metabolic

A horse’s headgear serves as a channel for communication between the animal and handlers or riders.

Heading off neck pain in horses

Horse Health: Improper handling and headgear can set the stage for neck problems

Glacier FarmMedia – Neck pain in horses, particularly at the base of the neck, is getting more attention from equestrians and veterinarians, probably because we have better diagnostic imaging tools to diagnose problems. The horse world now has access to improved radiographic techniques, ultrasonography, nuclear scintigraphy and, the most notable contributor, MRI technology. The latter


Holistic management can help manage arthritis risk in sport horses.

How to treat arthritis in horses

Horse Health: Treatments for degenerative joint disease

The current trend in the horse world when it comes to degenerative joint disease or arthritis is to focus on five main treatment categories, all directly targeting the afflicted joint. This works for the immediate joint problem, but often overlooks or discounts the holistic nature of the illness. Understanding the elements underpinning this multi-factored system

Managing your stallion

Managing your stallion

A stallion's psychological health should be given as much weight as physical health

Stallions play an integral role in equestrian pursuits as they impact both performance and reproductive success. But stallion welfare is often marginalized due to historical practices, misconceptions or business considerations. Stallions often receive excellent physical care, but their basic psychological needs for social interaction and movement are frequently disregarded in favour of breeding priorities and