Equine Nutrition

I always kept up with nutrition articles in equine magazines and made sure my horses maintained the proper weight, but I never once thought about making sure their diets were balanced nutritionally.  In February of 2005, I switched George to a grass and grass hay based diet, feeding a small amount of grain but eliminating sweet feed altogether, as part of my transition to Natural Hoof Care.  Seven months later, when Frankie came into my life, I had to take things a step further.  The veterinarian who diagnosed Frankie with the cervical spine injury informed me that some boney changes were already occurring.  With that in mind, I wanted to make sure that I did not make things worse with an imbalanced diet, given the fact that he was, and still is, growing, and his bones are still forming.  Many people do not realize the critical role that proper nutrition, especially minerals in the correct balance, plays in bone formation in horses.

After much research, I contacted Dr. Melyni Worth, PhD., for consultation after reading the her excellent article on OCD and nutrition in young horses.  Using her book and advice I was able to devise a sound nutritional program for not only Frankie, but also George and Val.  I have also found Eleanor Kellon’s book on supplements and nutraceuticals to be invaluable in determining what supplements I need to include in my horses’ diets.  My horses all eat a grass hay based diet and none of them are fed grain or concentrated feed. I think their coats, weight, and hoof health speak volumes about what proper nutrition can yield.

Another area of equine nutrition that has interested me, as an owner of an “easy-keeper” miniature horse, is prevention of laminitis and Cushing’s disease.  One website that I have found particularly useful is safergrass.org.  I have also found the use of a grazing muzzle for Valentine to be a life saver, in that it prevents her from having to be separated from the boys when they are grazing.

Also Recommended:

Susan Evans Garlinghouse’s website – Susan is a veterinarian with an MSc in Equine nutrition.  She has some excellent articles on equine nutrition on her site.

Horse Journal magazine - Like a Consumer Reports for horses, this journal accepts no advertising and offers excellent information about equine nutrition in addition to conducting field trials of equine dietary supplements.