Evaluating your horse’s mineral status is important as we always want to ensure that there are no nutritional deficiencies. However, understanding the limitations of the common laboratory tests is crucial. There are three common methods for investigating mineral status in the horse: blood work, hair analysis and diet calculations. Blood Work Bloodwork is of course, […]
If you care for a horse, you are likely aware that they are fundamentally different from humans, or even our other domesticated animals. This includes unique digestive anatomy. Horses are monogastric, meaning that they have a single compartment stomach; however, they are also classified as hindgut fermenters. The hindgut of the horse accounts for 60% […]
This week on the Friday with Finn blog, we take a step further into the equine gastrointestinal (GI) tract and take a closer look at the foregut. When discussing the foregut of the horse, the focus is on the stomach and the small intestine. Telling horse owners that large meals can be detrimental to their […]
The previous Friday with Finn blog post was all about the mouth! This week, we begin to move through the gastrointestinal tract and discuss the pharynx, the esophagus, and the lower esophageal sphincter. The Pharynx The Pharynx (commonly referred to as the throat), is a muscular tube (funnel shaped) that connects the mouth and the […]
Understanding why we do certain things in equine nutrition is important, and primarily ties back to the digestive anatomy. A horse’s digestive tract is unique and dictates what we feed our horses. Therefore, through understanding the anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) it can provide you with fundamental knowledge to make informed decisions about equine […]
As riders, we tend to evaluate a horse’s level of fitness by assessing their topline, but what is often misunderstood is that the state of a horse’s topline goes far beyond training alone. Envision a circle centered around your horse, divided into a minimum of eight equal segments. Each of these segments represents an influence […]
Most feed brands have multiple lines of feeds with various products – this can be challenging to navigate as a horse owner. An issue that I see on an almost daily basis is that horse owners are using a product that doesn’t match their horse’s needs. Therefore, this Friday with Finn blog post is going […]
It is no secret that dietary supplements are immensely popular in the equine industry. Let’s do better by our horses and critically investigate dietary supplements. This week’s Friday with Finn blog post is going to be all about seaweed. Seaweed, also commonly referred to as kelp, is a dietary supplement that I occasionally see supplemented […]
Loss of topline is a common nutritional concern amongst horse owners. The topline is composed of a group of muscles that run down the vertebral column of the horse’s spine. Ideally, you do not want this area to appear concave, it should be adequately covered in muscle without any sunken-in areas or areas of fat […]
What is Alfalfa? If you own a horse, chances are you are familiar with alfalfa. When forage for horses is discussed, there are two broad categories: grasses and legumes. Alfalfa is a legume that is commonly included in hay. This forage plant tends to be nutritionally dense and can be a great addition to equine […]
Copyright © 2024 Balanced Bay Nutrition | Site Crafted by Bay Mare Design
