Horse transport and housing has an effect on the animals’ stress levels, according to Shannon Garey, a PhD candidate under the direction of Theodore Friend, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAABS, of Texas A&M. Garey presented results of an ongoing study on
Developed by a team at Utah State University, a proposed equine distress monitor system combines a tilt sensor, accelerometer, and wireless technology interfaced with a computer in order to alert horse owners to animals in distress. The tea
Horses are better able to maintain fitness when turned out on large pasture, according to Patty Graham-Thiers, PhD, of Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, Va. She presented results of her recent study at the 2009 Equine Science Society
The study group’s objectives were to determine if there is a difference in blood glucose and insulin response to feeding hay types with varying water soluble sugar and starch (NSC) content between horses with PSSM and control horses.
Composting is one option for disposing of a horse carcass after euthanasia. Researchers at West Texas A&M recently conducted a study to determine if residues of sodium pentobarbital might remain in compost as a potential environmental hazard
In California, teff is being called the “perfect grass for foundered horses.” But is teff hay always safe for horses that are intolerant of high-sugar forage?
Over the past few years researchers have described a strong association between insulin resistance and laminitis in equines. They are working now on defining standard testing protocols and interpretations to identify horses at highest risk for laminitis. Many questions remain unanswered. How should insulin resistance be defined and diagnosed? How do researchers interpret test results? Can
Knowing the nutrient composition of hay is vital to assuring horse’s needs are being met.
A breakthrough in laminitis research by a team of scientists at University of Queensland, Australia, and colleagues, was published in August 2007 The Veterinary Journal. The study explains an important link in sugar and starches as
Did the brown, stemmy, overmature hay you thought was perfect for your easy keepers make them even fatter?
As the snow recedes and green starts to reappear in your pastures, do you see bare spots, or areas with too many weeds? Has your grass production diminished to the point that what used to be your main source of forage now is only a playground?
In 2005, feed regulatory officials were informed that sun-cured alfalfa products might be used in products labeled as dehydrated alfalfa, thereby substituting a product of possibly inferior nutritional quality to unsuspecting consumers. This
Drought causes pastures to dry up, weeds to flourish, and horses to get thin without supplemental feeding. But there are other things going on in your fields that you need to know about in order to protect your horses from problems such as
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