Topics

Breeding and Reproduction

Horse breeding from planning through foal care

Hoof Care

Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot

Nutrition

Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses

Welfare and Industry

Discussions about the welfare of our equine friends

Diseases and Conditions

Horse-heath-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment

Horse Care

How to care for the basic health needs of horses

Sports Medicine

All aspects of caring for performance horses

All Topics

Farm and Barn

Design and maintain a healthy horse operation

Lameness

Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness

Vet and Professional

News and issues for equine health professionals
Magazine
Cover Story

Smart Strategies for Winter Horsekeeping

Tips for healthy horses and safe facilities when temperatures plummet.

Also in this Issue

Colic in Pregnant Mares
The Mysterious Fever of Unknown Origin
Navigating the Mysteries of Gray Horse Melanoma
Infographic: Feeding Hard-Keeper Horses
From Too Fat to Too Thin to Just Right
Longeing Do’s and Don’ts
Digital Edition

Give a Gift

Subscribe

Manage My Subscription
News

Latest News

Failure of Passive Transfer

Do I Need a Dental Exam For My Horse?

A Quick List to Help Prepare Your Horses for Winter

Choosing the Right Forage for Your Horse

Winterizing Horses

Feeding the Senior Horse With Dental Problems

More News

Disease Alerts

EDCC Health Watch

Event Coverage

2024 Olympics
2023 AAEP Veterinarian Wellness
2023 NAEP
2023 EquiSUMMIT
Features

Latest Features

How Much Does It Cost to Own a Horse?

September 26, 2024

Dealing With Equine Colic: Here are 33 Do’s and Don’ts

June 25, 2024

Additional Features

Promoting Longevity in Performance Horses

Managing Your Performance Horse’s Joints

Everything You Need to Know About Laminitis in Horses

How To Feed Your Horse

West Nile Virus in U.S. Horses

All Features
Q&As

Latest Q&A

A Quick List to Help Prepare Your Horses for Winter

December 10, 2024

Equine Nutrition FAQ Series

Sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition

Learn More

Q&As

Equine Behavior

Our animal behavior experts field your questions about why your horse does XYZ.

Horse Nutrition

Equine nutritionists respond to queries about forage, grain, supplements, and other related topics.

Performance Horse Health

Veterinarians and researchers tackle questions about equine athletes.
Visuals

Featured Media:

Managing Horse Wounds for Optimal Healing

Infographic: Understanding Progesterone in Mares

Quick Links

Webcasts

Infographics

Slideshows
Podcasts

Featured Podcasts

Polyacrylamide Hydrogel for Preventive Joint Care

Managing Your Horse’s Weight Through Thick and Thin

Podcasts

Ask 'TheHorse' Live

The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event.

Equine Innovators

Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky.

All Podcasts
Free Reports

Fact Sheet: Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)

Fact Sheet: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in Horses

Free Reports:

View All Free Reports

Quick referenced of horse conditions, diseases and health topics

Forms

Checklists and identification forms for horse owners
Tools

Normal Horse Vital Signs and Health Indicators

Mare Gestation Calculator

Adult Horse Weight Calculator

Additional Resources

Event Calendar
Horse Health Glossary
Get-A-DVM
New Products
Polls
TheHorse.com en Español
StableManagement.com

Nutrition Deficiencies

Subcategories:

None

How Can I Get my Picky-Eater Sport Horse to Eat Enough Calories?

William F. Gilsenan, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM August 27, 2024

Get advice on encouraging a hard-keeper to eat more. The first step? Rule out health problems.

Feeding Young Sport Horses

Anna Pesta Dunaway, PhD May 27, 2024

Choosing a high-quality feed and forage for your young horse is essential to ensuring her success in training while her body develops.

Reducing Horse Feed and Hay Waste

Madeline Boast, MSc May 13, 2024

An equine nutritionist explains why your horse might waste concentrate and hay and how you can combat this.

Feeding Horses That Have Dry Skin

Madeline Boast, MSc April 12, 2024

An equine nutritionist answers a reader question about how her horse’s diet might play a role in his poor coat quality and hair loss.

Can Horses Get Enough Protein From Hay Alone?

Clair Thunes, PhD March 13, 2024

One expert explains whether horses that maintain body condition well on forage alone get enough protein from only eating hay.

Cost-Effective Horse Feeding

Heather Smith Thomas February 5, 2024

Find out how to design an affordable feeding program while still meeting your horse’s nutritional requirements.

Equine Nutritional Deficiencies: Hair Analysis vs. Bloodwork

Clair Thunes, PhD January 22, 2024

Here’s a look at what hair analysis and bloodwork each can tell you about your horse’s nutritional health.

How To Prevent Nutrient Deficiencies During Winter

Clair Thunes, PhD January 8, 2024

Horses that are used to being on pasture during the spring, summer, and fall might experience nutrient deficiencies during the winter.

What is Missing in Your Horse’s Diet?

Haylie Kerstetter July 19, 2023

Based on a recent horse owner survey, researchers report the most common mistakes made when creating equine diets. Oversupplying calories tops the list.

Why Is My Horse Eating Dirt?

Karen E. Davison, PhD May 8, 2023

Horses might eat dirt due to nutrient deficiencies, among other causes.

can diet prevent scratches; 10 Equine Skin Problem Resources on TheHorse.com

Can Diet Prevent Scratches in Horses?

Clair Thunes, PhD March 20, 2023

My horse is turned out to pasture for at least part of each day. Every winter he gets scratches. Is there anything I can do nutritionally that might help prevent this?

Choosing Salt and Mineral Blocks for Horses

Clair Thunes, PhD June 6, 2022

How do you choose between plain white salt blocks, red mineralized blocks, and rock salt on ropes? One nutritionist offers advice on adding salt in your horse’s diet

7 Dietary Deficiencies in Horses

Chelsie J. Huseman, MS, PhD November 8, 2021

Providing a balanced diet that meets your horse’s nutritional needs and being aware of possible shortcomings are vital for his care. Read about seven aspects of your horse’s diet that might not be up to par.

Urine Test Developed for Vitamin-E-Related Disease Screening

Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA June 7, 2021

Veterinarians could soon determine which horses are at risk of certain neurologic diseases through a simple urine test that reveals how a horse breaks down vitamin E.

Tree-Eaters: Why Horses Chew Trees and What To Do About It

Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA May 17, 2021

Horses might chew trees for a variety of reasons, such as boredom or nutritional deficiency. Learn about the benefits and risks, and how to protect your horses and your trees.

Is Vitiligo in Horses Related to Copper Deficiency?

Clair Thunes, PhD October 12, 2020

Vitiligo results in depigmentation of a horse’s skin and might be related to stress or a nutritional deficiency. Research into the condition is limited. Here’s what we know.