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                                        Horse Nutrition and Weight Issues

                                          by Diane Ellis - August Edition 2009 

Obesity in horses is becoming an equine epidemic. Virginia Tech in 2007 studied 300 horses from more than 100 farms, finding 51% were overweight and 19% where obese with a body score condition (BSC) of 8 to 9. Just as in overweight and obese humans, horses suffer from some of the same health issues.

• Stress to the joints due to overloading, concussion and bearing too much weight
• Lameness
• Arthritis due to joint deterioration
• Insulin resistance which is the same as type ll diabetes in humans, but in horses this can lead to a condition called laminitis which can further develop into founder
• Heat stress and heat stroke
• Heart disease and certain cancers

Weight reduction in horses should be specific to each horse’s individual health status, history and inherited genes. A weight loss program should include lowering the amount of feed, consuming diets lower in energy concentration (proteins) and increasing caloric expenditure through exercise.

Hay and pasture grasses over the years have been genetically improved to promote weight gain and growth in cattle and other food animals. Alfalfa has the highest protein content and is one of the main sources of feed for food animals. It is one of the easiest hay to grow which makes it the cheapest to buy, but not the best for horses. It may save you money up front, but what you save you will easily put out in vet bills from medical conditions in an overweight or obese horse.

Most domesticated horses are kept in a confined space and do not have to travel far at all for their food that comes via a well intentioned owner. Some domesticated horses are pastured with lots of lush, fresh, green grass right at their noses. Most people think this is a better way to feed and keep their horses, but what some don’t know is that a pastured horse can have the same problems as a stabled horse. They can both be susceptible to laminitis and insulin resistance caused from an overload of carbohydrates, starches and proteins. Most pasture laminitis occur in April & May when a pasture’s non structural carbohydrates (NSC) content is at its highest where plants are young and growing and environmental conditions favor rapid growth and accumulation of carbohydrates. These carbs consist of sugars in the form of glucose, sucrose and fructose.

In addition to any hay you feed, baled, pellets or cubes you will need to add a good high quality vitamin/mineral supplement that is geared towards the region in which you live. All the required nutrients a horse need’s can no longer be found in the hay we provide because of the depleted soils in which they grow.

Caution should be taken when turning horses out to pasture once spring has arrived. Start with 5 to 10 minutes a day for the first week and increase each day by 5 minutes daily on a weekly basis until the horse can stay out all day. This is not a good choice for some horses. Employ the help of your vet to decide what is best for each individual horse.

A horse that weighs 1000 pounds needs about 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kg) of good-quality hay per day which varies depending on the horse’s age, health, breed and daily exercise. Good quality hay consists of different grasses from a certified grower which is indicated by yellow bailing string.  Always remember to supply free access to fresh, clean, unfrozen water at all times.

Exercise should be started slowly especially when a horse has had little or no exercise and even when they have been rested for only a few weeks. Ask your vet to make sure your horse does not have any physical conditions or ailments that need to be addressed before beginning. Ground work is a great way to exercise a horse at any age, especially before you ride. Keep a log of your progress which makes it easier to see your results and what changes you need to make along the way.  Go out and enjoy time with your horse and be healthy!    

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Why Think Like A Horse?
by Diane Ellis - August Edition 2009 

Have you ever wondered what a horse is thinking? How they view us and how we fit into their world? We must first have an understanding of life from the horse’s perspective to fully understand how they think and the reasons why they react in their unique ways to each other, people, other animals and the environment in which they live.

Each species has developed different survival techniques, skills, psychology, behavior, language and ways of communication that make’s each one a unique individual within their own species. We all have different strengths and weakness inherited from our ancestors that make us who we are and how we exist in the world.

Horses don’t reason the same as humans. They don’t normally think things through to reach a logical decision. Nature designed horses to react through their senses of sight, smell and feel for survival. They are a prey animal and their first instinct is to run fast to get away from the danger and think later.

So why do humans continue to expect horses to change their unique way of being to be the same as theirs? Many a human has tried to change another human usually with a well meaning intention, to only receive an outcome far from what they expected, sometimes a disastrous one. When we try to humanize other species we are showing disrespect for another’s existence. When we try to change something to fit our own needs and expectations we end up destroying the very essence of who they are from the very first moment we come in contact with them, creating a disconnection between us.

When we look at them through our eyes only and do not take into consideration who they are and what they need in order to survive in our environment, we never achieve the deepest connection possible with them. Without thought before hand of how our very presence may affect them, the magic is gone and so is the respect between us. Horses will never reach their full potential unless we learn to be with them as a calm and assertive leader just like the lead stallion and lead mare in a herd. We must respect them as a fellow species allowing them to live as closely as possible to their natural way of living and being. 

And even though every species is different in their own way, there is one unique common thread of communication which we all share and that is universal life energy. We are all born with the ability to use it and feel it but some of us have chosen to ignore it. Forgetting what it feels like and how to communicate with it.

In Klaus Ferdinand Hempflings book entitled “Dancing With Horses” he explains communication. “Natural balance is the communication between two beings by the most subtle, almost invisible, signals, minute changes in the centre of gravity and through pure thought and feeling.”

One of most important things to remember that all around you the animals are reading your energy every moment. The horse is looking to you for signs of positive energy that tells them you are a confident herd leader. One that he/she can trust with the ability to lead and protect them. If we do not fulfill that role for our horses they will try to fill it. In most species there are few true leaders and mostly followers. When a follower tries to be a leader they rarely make a good one. When the horse tries to be the leader and the human does not know how to be the calm assertive leader, our relationship with them will be plagued with problems.

Our emotions tell the horse everything they need to know about us from the energy it produces. No matter what words we use or the emotions we attach to the words we deliver, our energy does not lie. That is why it is so important to be a calm and assertive leader at all times.      

When we can understand the horse’s senses and instincts we start to understand how they think and why it is so important when establishing a relationship with our horse that is based on love, respect and trust.   

Why Think Like A Horse?

To Eliminate Misunderstandings

To Reduce Episodes of Panic and Exploding

To Help Keep Communication Consistent Through Understanding

To Bring Out the Horses Full Potential

To Reduce Stress in the Horse

To Help the Horse Be Confident

So They See Us as Another Horse

So the Horse Can Trust Us and Feel Protected Through Our Role as Herd Leader

When we think like a horse, we allow ourselves to be touched by the very essence of who they are. We become a more compassionate, caring and sensitive person. We realize we are connected to each other like all other species through the universal life energy we all share. We will then achieve balance between all species uniting us together as one.