The third annual Equitana USA, held June 10-13 in Louisville, Ky., included an array of presentations, exhibits, clinics, and demonstrations, ranging from horse health to training methods to how to become a better rider. Following are some of the highlights from Equitana.

Behavior

You want your horse to feel good, but you don’t want your horse to feel so good that he is difficult to control. Melyni Worth, PhD, emphasized the relationship between nutrition and behavior in her workshop presentation at Equitana. If he does “act up,” she said, it might be in what you are or are not feeding him. If he has too much energy and he is very fit, he might be getting too many soluble carbohydrates in the form of starch and sugar, or it might be a case of his getting too little magnesium or exercise.

Worth encouraged looking for other sources of behavioral problems and ruling them out, such as pain or discomfort. Then check for sources of fear, such as overaggressive handling. Increasing his exercise and/or turnout time might prove beneficial