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Are You Loving Your Horse to Death? Equine Obesity

Are You Loving Your Horse to Death? Equine Obesity

Disclaimer: If your horse is overweight, please consult with your veterinarian and equine nutritionist about the best feeding program for weight loss. Depending on medical issues, that sometimes come with equine obesity, and/or level of activity, each horse will have a different weight loss journey. Is my horse overweight? By definition, a horse is considered overweight if they score between a 7-9 (a 9 being Obese) on the Body Condition Scale (BCS). Please see the earlier newsletter about Body Condition Scoring to learn how to properly score your horse. You may also consider calculating an estimated weight for your horse....

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Amino Acids and Their Importance

Amino Acids and Their Importance

What is an ”AMINO ACID”? Definition: A simple organic compound containing both a carboxyl (--COOH) and an amino (--NH2) group. But what does that even tell us? Why are they so important? Horses have an Amino Acid requirement, not a crude protein requirement. I’m sure we have all been taught this saying in school. Amino Acids (AA) are the “building blocks” to life, they are the smallest components to make up a protein sequence, and proteins are required for a multitude of bodily functions. To go a step further, there are “Essential” & “Non-essential” AA. Essential AA: What the body...

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Counting Calories: How to Calculate The Number of Calories Your Horse is Consuming in a Day

Counting Calories: How to Calculate The Number of Calories Your Horse is Consuming in a Day

My horse is getting three scoops of feed a day and all the hay they want but they’re not gaining weight. My horse is only getting two scoops of grain and still is overweight. My horse is an Olympic athlete but always seems to fatigue at a certain point in competition. Have you said to yourself any of these statements? If so, it might be time to evaluate how many calories your horse is consuming vs how many they should be consuming. The importance of measuring your feed Equine feed companies have feeding recommendations printed on the tags or bags...

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Putting Weight On You Horse: How To Do So Properly

Putting Weight On You Horse: How To Do So Properly

How do I know if my horse needs to gain weight? The best determination of an underweight horse is Body Condition Scoring (BCS) and figuring out that your horse is under the ideal range of a BCS of 5-6.5. If you are unsure on how to perform a BCS session, please refer to the previous newsletter. Once you’ve determined the BCS, next is to find out “why” your horse is underweight. There are several factors that your horse could be underweight. Some include medical issues such as parasites, metabolic disease, ulcers or an inverse ratio of caloric input to exercise....

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Am I Feeding My Horse for Longevity and Success?

Am I Feeding My Horse for Longevity and Success?

Definition of Longevity Long existence or service. Definition of Success The accomplishment of an aim or purpose. When you put the two definitions together, incorporating that with equestrians and their horses, what is the common denominator? Some might say it’s having best trainers, the best gear, the best veterinarians, or even the best horse. Yet, if you’re striving for longevity and success for your horse, the common denominator is actually nutrition. You can have all the best of the best, but if you’re not fueling those goals with the proper nutrition, your horse will fall short of finishing, let alone...

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