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 […]
A topic that goes hand in hand with equine nutrition management, is the management of pasture and hay fields. As most horse owners know, it takes a team to ensure our horses are thriving. For this week’s blog post I had the pleasure of interviewing Michelle Durnin of Prosperity Ag Consulting on her top tips […]
Broodmare nutrition is an important topic as nutritional requirements change throughout gestation and lactation. Most mares are bred in the spring here in Ontario; however, it is recommended that a mare is on a balanced diet to support her in achieving an optimal body condition prior to breeding. When I receive inquiries in the spring […]
Forage analysis is a crucial first step when formulating every balanced diet at Balanced Bay. Hay is typically the most prevalent portion of a horse’s diet; therefore, it only makes sense that we know its nutritional value. Taking a sample of the hay and sending it for laboratory analysis is the only way to determine the precise […]
Believe it or not, as an independent equine nutritionist, I have a lot of donkey clients too!! Oftentimes these guys may get overlooked when it comes to nutrition, but they need balanced diets too. Most of the donkeys I see are extremely overweight due to being fed in a similar fashion to horses. Even though […]
