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My 14-year-old gelding was diagnosed with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and Lyme disease about five years ago. Treatment for EPM was effective except from some continued stumbling down hills. He has since tested positive for Lyme disease again, characterized by poor condition, subtle depression, and frequent gas colic. He’s fed 2 lb (0.9 kg) high-quality…

Vanna is my five-year-old event mare that needs to gain weight (BCS 4). She’s turned out in lush fields 12 hours each day, and gets first-cut orchardgrass (6 lb or 2.7 kg) in a haynet when she’s stalled. Each day she’s also fed senior feed (4 lb or 1.8 kg), alfalfa pellets (a few handfuls),…

I live in Florida, and I have fed my metabolically challenged horses Tifton and soaked timothy for the past three years. Unfortunately, I can no longer feed Tifton due to the barn owner’s fear of impaction colic. I have read different information on the NSC content of Tifton. Some sources say it is low, and…

My aged gelding maintains a typical Norwegian Fjord shape—he’s 14 hands (142 cm) and round, but not obese. He has white line disease, and I’m not riding him until his hooves improve. Right now, he’s on pasture for 9-10 hours a day, though he is muzzled, and he receives about 6 lb (2.7 kg) of…

I own a 10-year-old Quarter Horse mare diagnosed with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) via bloodwork with two episodes of tying-up in the past eight months. Both episodes were associated with a short period of no work and a weather change. She had dark-colored urine after both incidents. Her diet consists of brome/orchardgrass hay, available at…

Our yearling colt was diagnosed with left laryngeal hemiplegia following a bout with pneumonia. I am looking for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant support for help with nerve regeneration. Thoughts?

My 17-year-old, 16.1-hand Friesian gelding is at a body condition score of 8. He is trail ridden lightly and does some dressage. He was on four flakes of grass hay per day and his weight was normal but he had chronic diarrhea. I switched him to alfalfa in an attempt to clear the diarrhea. His…

My 19-year-old gelding, Mel, weighs about 1,000 lb (450 kg). Mel is worked six days a week, and the type of work varies (longeing, dressage arena work, trail riding). He is turned out in a large pen for a 4-6 hours daily but otherwise stalled. His daily ration includes 2 lb (0.9 kg) of senior…

I’m unhappy with my 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding’s weight. Shuster is 16.3 hands (170 cm) and ribby. In the year that I’ve owned him, he’s gained a lot of weight, but he’s still not close to where I need him to be, even though he’s consuming this daily: 8 lb (3.6 kg) grass hay, 3 lb…

I own three Rocky Mountain Horses, all mature, chubby geldings. In the winter, they spend seven or eight hours in a five-acre pasture. Because we get little snowfall and I keep pasture grasses taller in the fall, there’s always some forage for the horses to nibble during those hours, but they do not have access…

I own a yearling Warmblood gelding that I hope to use for dressage and low-level eventing. I’d like to begin an exercise program to ready his musculoskeletal system for the years of consistent, mindful work that lie in his future. I have an aquatic treadmill available to me. Is this type of exercise more appropriate…

Maguire is my 18-year-old Miniature Horse gelding. I would guess he weighs about 260 lb (118 kg) based on his height of 33 inches. He is in moderately fleshy body condition and needs to lose weight, as he is recovering from laminitis. Maguire is still not completely sound. His diet consists of teff hay. I…

I enjoyed the webinar Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., presented that provided nutritional tips for travel and competition. When she was ticking off some stomach soothers, she listed kaolin-pectin, something I've never heard of in my many years of horse ownership. What is it and where do I get it?

I have a 10-year-old Warmblood gelding. I think he’s in perfect weight for his 16.2-hand frame. He is fed 8-10 flakes of timothy hay and ration balancer. He doesn’t work very hard, just some light trail riding and arena work, though his workload will soon increase. He’s had two episodes of gas colic in the…

I have an orphaned 30-day-old colt. He is not drinking the liquid milk replacer but is nibbling at orchardgrass hay and chopped alfalfa hay. I am also feeding a milk-replacer pellet and some textured feed designed for growth. What else can I do for this foal?