by Kentucky Equine Research|07.10.202207.09.2022|6:34pm3:51pm Horses And Hydration: Five Important Equine Water Requirements There are six nutrients in a horse’s diet: carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Each of those is considered essential, yet water is king of the hill. “A horse can live for almost a month without food, but within a mere 48 hours without water a horse can begin to show signs of colic […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|07.09.2022|2:26pm Curbing Complications Of Colic Surgery: Speeding Recovery In Horses Owners often believe their horses are out of harm’s way if they survive colic surgery. In some instances, though, the actual surgery is less problematic than its aftermath. Horses sometimes develop postoperative ileus, defined as cessation of normal propulsive contractions of the intestinal tract, leaving patients at risk for further gastrointestinal distress. Veterinarians recently explored “sham […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|06.19.2022|10:35am Hold The Sugar: Horses Don’t Benefit From The Sweet Stuff In Electrolytes As horses exercise, they lose sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes through sweating. These critical substances are necessary to maintain osmotic pressure, fluid balance, and nerve and muscle function. Electrolyte replacement is called for if horses sweat heavily or for a sustained time. Electrolyte supplements are available in a number of forms including pastes and powders. […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|06.18.2022|7:32am Sweat It Out: Three Tips For Equine Electrolyte Supplementation The sweat that froths and drips from your horse is laced with electrolytes. Profound electrolyte losses occur in exercising horses, often necessitating an electrolyte supplement for optimal athletic performance. Which supplement should you choose, and how much should you offer to ensure electrolytes are being adequately replaced? “Electrolyte supplements help replace ions lost in sweat […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|05.31.202205.30.2022|10:00am9:27am Equine Comfort: Bloodsucking Stable Flies Might Soon Meet Their Match Depending on the season, Mother Nature often makes horsekeeping a joyless pursuit. Think about it: snow and ice in winter, rain and mud in spring and, perhaps most frustrating of all, flies in the spring, summer, and fall. (And maybe in the winter, depending on location!) Among the throng of flying pests, stable flies rank […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|05.30.202205.31.2022|7:30pm10:27am What’s Your Horse’s Favorite Color? Researchers Suggest It May Be Turquoise Is it possible horses have color preferences? Does your palomino prefer purple, your Trakehner turquoise, your mare mauve? Can horse owners ever know? Researchers recently explored color preferences through the use of different colored water buckets.1 Preference was determined based on how much water was consumed from galvanized steel buckets painted one of six colors: red, […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|05.25.202205.31.2022|7:04pm3:14pm NSAID Safety In Horses: Effective Drugs, But Beware GI Impacts Since their introduction to the veterinary marketplace, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been a staple in equine practice. From fevers to wounds, from colic to laminitis, NSAIDs remain a go-to medication today, but even the most helpful anodynes have limitations. “Older NSAIDs such as ketoprofen and phenylbutazone decrease inflammation by inhibiting enzymes involved in inflammation, including one […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|05.24.202205.23.2022|3:55pm7:04pm Mineral Content Of Pasture Affects Hoof Composition In Foals Rife with nutrients, high-quality pasture provides horses with many essential minerals, especially when grown in rich soil. Nutrient deficiencies in soil, however, can lead to pasture grasses with mineral shortages. A classic example involves low-selenium soils giving rise to low-selenium forages. Deficiencies can then carry over into body tissues. Researchers evaluated the calcium, copper, and […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|05.22.202205.23.2022|7:16am3:05pm Study Shows Rhizoma Peanut Could Be A Good Quality Legume Hay Option For Horses When horsemen think of legume hay, alfalfa invariably springs to mind with clover or lespedeza as possible runners-up. Few people probably think of rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth), a warm-season perennial legume. While rhizoma peanut gets high marks for productivity and persistence in varying management and environmental conditions, how does it stack up nutritionally against […]
by Kentucky Equine Research|05.19.202205.19.2022|4:44pm6:51am Dietary Excesses May Explain Poor Hoof Condition Horse owners frequently turn to hoof supplements when faced with dry, crumbly, brittle, or chipped hooves, believing their horses must have a nutritional deficiency, usually a shortage of biotin or zinc. According to a comprehensive review of factors that hasten hoof deterioration, dietary excesses may play a greater role than originally thought. Classic examples of how […]