By: Dr. Kris Hiney, Oklahoma State Equine Extension Specialist Disorders related to carbohydrate consumption in the horse have received much attention by owners and researchers alike, resulting in widespread concerns about feeding horses carbohydrates (CHO). These include metabolic syndrome, history of laminitis, Cushing’s syndrome as well as many muscle disorders. But in reality, the majority […]

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Written By Dr. Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. The trace mineral content of most feeds and supplements is provided in terms of parts per million (ppm). A ppm is the same as mg/kg (1 mg is a millionth of a kg). To do calculations, you need to convert lb or oz to kg using the following […]

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Water Losses in Horsesby Dr. Kris HineyThis month we will discuss the most important nutrient in your horse’s diet, but maybe the most overlooked. Because providing our horse with water may seem obvious, many believe water requirements may not warrant discussion. But how much do you really know about how much your horse should be drinking per day?

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Newton, Wisconsin – Omega Fields’ Equine Nutrition Advisor, Kristina Hiney, Ph.D., has introduced a new article about key strategies in preventing laminitis in the equine. The article has been published in one of our Health E Letter issues, Omega Fields’ monthly, digital newsletter, and is also posted on their website, www.OmegaFields.com. In the article, Dr. […]

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Does the season affect your feeding management?By Dr. Kris HineyWinter is the season of short days, long cold nights and reduced riding time for us and our horses. Often what we feed our horses in the winter shifts as their energy requirements change, as well as the feedstuffs we might be using. That shift in seasons may mean we need to look at our feed sources and our supplement regimen more closely.

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Colic Prevention II by Dr. Kris HineyThis month we will finish our discussion of common causes of colic in the equine, and what you might do to prevent them. Previously we discussed the importance of having a thorough emergency plan in place in order to make a potential colic less stressful for you. We followed that with a discussion of the most common management practices which will help minimize your horse’s risk of colic. These included quality and consistency of the diet, proper hydration and parasite control to name a few. This month we will focus on some of the less common reasons horses may colic. Although less common, they are no less important for the owner to be aware of these possibilities.

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Strategies to Reduce Your Horse’s Chance of ColicBy Dr. Kris HineyLast month I encouraged all horse owner’s to develop a preparedness plan in the event their horse colics. This month we will discuss strategies that will hopefully minimize the chance that you will need that plan. We will discuss feeding strategies as well as other important management techniques that will help keep your horse happy and healthy.Feeding your horse properly is one of the easiest ways to help prevent episodes of colic. Remember the digestive anatomy of the horse, with its small stomach and large hindgut for digesting forage does not often fit well with modern management practices. The horse is designed to forage continuously throughout the day, typically for almost 18 hours. This provides a continuous input of material to the hindgut without overwhelming the stomach.

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Equine Colic: Are You Prepared?Written By: Dr. Kris HineyMost horse owners at one time or another have experienced that dreaded sight of finding their horse rolling or kicking at their belly in their pasture or stall. After all, almost 1 million horses colic in the United States each year, or about 11 in every 100 horses. It really is not a matter of if, but when a horse in your care will colic. But now is not the time to panic, but to act logically and calmly. The keys? Be prepared, and have a plan. This month we will discuss what symptoms you may see, what to do, and how to create a firm plan of action. Next month we will discuss several important strategies you may implement to decrease the likelihood of your ever needing this plan.

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Strategies to Modulate Insulin Concentrations By Dr. Kris HineyMuch recent research in the horse industry has centered on fluctuations in insulin concentrations under a variety of conditions and the effects on the health of the horse. Many horse owners are aware that traditional feeding practices which rely on a larger proportion of concentrate feeding may result in prolonged insulin secretion by the pancreas. In young horses, it is thought that prolonged elevations in insulin may lead to cartilage abnormalities, promoting epiphysitis and osteochondrosis. High starch diets are linked to behavioral issues such as more excitable or reactive horses; and certain typing up disorders such as polysaccharide storage myopathy and recurrent exertional rhabdomylosis. Finally, high concentrate diets can certainly contribute to the development of insulin resistance and laminitis. As a result of this information, many current horse feeds are now designed to minimize insulin fluctuations in the horse.

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by Dr. Kris HineyIn previous articles we have discussed some of the key strategies in preventing laminitis in the equine. Many of these have centered on grazing strategies which limit the horse’s access to pastures high in fructan content. Remember that fructans are carbohydrates which are enzymatically unable to be digested in the small intestine of the horse. These fructans pass into the hindgut of the horse where they are fermented by the microbial population, specifically gram positive bacteria. The production of certain organic acids and amines enhance the permeability of the gut wall allowing these and other endotoxins to enter the bloodstream of the horse and ultimately effect the circulation to the digit. However, it is not practical to simply right off all horses’ ability to graze. Rather, we should try and identify those individuals which may have a susceptibility to fructan content in the grass. With this month’s article, we will try to identify which individuals may be at risk, and other strategies that may be employed to reduce your horse’s risk.

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