Note

This page is intended to be a repository for information we believe to be accurate and useful to horse owners. The horse world is especially challenging because there are many useful sources of information on a particular subject that may be correct on that subject, but the author also offers information on subjects that we (and others) find to be incorrect. For example, a nutritionist may offer science-based information on, say, the importance of controlling the diet of the laminitic horse, but then suggest hoof care methods that are demonstrated to be harmful. Therefore, everything here should be considered a reliable source of information only with respect to the described item.

Nutrition

Equi-Analytical & Dairy One Websites

Equi-Analytical and Dairy One provide not only extensive laboratory services for forage, feed, and soil analyses, but also have a great deal of useful information for horse owners on their sites. If, for example, you’re unfamiliar with how to properly collect a hay or pasture sample, the sites provide clear instructions on sampling, gathering, and storing samples. One of their most useful features is their Interactive Feed Composition Library, which allows you to see the complete average test results of their thousands of samples of Hay, Fresh Forage, Grain, Water, and Manure – very useful for diet planning when you don’t have test results for your specific forage or feed.

Healthy Horse App

Obesity is a major problem in the equine world. As our veterinarian said when I asked her how many overweight horses she encounters, her response was, “Most of them.” Our experience is very similar, and we see the adverse effects of obesity in the feet of many horses on a regular basis.

The Healthy Horse app allows the horse owner to take four (4) simple measurements of their horse with a soft tape measure, enter them into the app, and calculate the horse’s current weight and ideal weight. The app is based on research done by the University of Minnesota, and is considerably more accurate than other weight estimation methods because it also incorporates breed/body type into the calculation.

We strongly recommend the use of this app as an aid in determining a proper feeding regimen for your horse. You can find the app in the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad.