Genetically modified (GM) crops represent an important segment of worldwide agriculture, as evidenced by the amount of land used to cultivate them and their widespread use in both human and animal industries. Genetic modification allows desirable traits to be imparted to plants, primary of which are insect resistance (Bt technology) and herbicide tolerance (Ht or […]

J.D. Pagan, C. Whitehouse, B.M. Waldridge, A.M. Grev, S.W. Garling, O.L. Yates, S. Davis, B. James, The effect of soaking or steaming timothy hay on voluntary intake and digestibility by Thoroughbreds. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. Volume 33, Issue 5, Page 350. (Proceedings of the 2013 Equine Science Society Symposium) Three mature Thoroughbred geldings were […]

Mesquita, V., Pagan, J., Valberg, S., Waldridge, B. and Whitehouse, C. (2014), Effect of Non-Structural Carbohydrate, Fat and Fiber Intake on Glycogen Repletion Following Intense Exercise. Equine Veterinary Journal, 46: 33. (International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology 2014) Muscle glycogen is a potentially limiting substrate for horses during intense exercise. Low-starch, high-fat concentrates have become popular […]

Assembled by the nutritionists and veterinarians at Kentucky Equine Research (KER), this easy-to-use guide includes practical feeding and management strategies for young horses and breeding stock, including foals, orphan foals, weanlings, yearlings, two-year-olds, gestating and lactating mares, and stallions.  

Low-carbohydrate diets are often recommended for horses with metabolic syndrome and high-fat diets are useful for managing horses suffering from RER and PSSM. It is questionable whether these types of diets are appropriate for normal, non-obese horses. This study was conducted to determine whether a moderate daily intake of carbohydrate from oats or a high […]

Pagan JD, Brown-Douglas CG and Huntington PJ (2012). Carbohydrates are well tolerated by most Horses. Proceedings of the Australasian Equine Science Symposium 4: 1-3

Assembled by the nutritionists and veterinarians at Kentucky Equine Research (KER), this easy-to-use guide includes practical feeding and management recommendations for the following diseases: Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) Exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) Malignant hyperthermia (MH) Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP)

How can you tell whether your horse is too thin, too heavy, or in just the right body condition? This free downloadable chart prepared by Kentucky Equine Research uses pictures and directions to guide horse owners through the easy steps to match their horses to body condition scores from 1 (poor) to 9 (extremely fat).

Most healthy horses have body condition scores between 4 and 6. Healthy horses can be thinner or heavier, and certain life stages may prompt scores outside this range. As researchers study metabolic issues that influence body weight, it is becoming obvious that maintaining horses in moderate body condition may be much healthier than keeping them […]

Hindgut acidosis is a common problem in horses consuming large quantities of either grain or fructan-rich forages. This dietary regimen may lead to shifts in hindgut acidity when a portion of the grain starch is not digested in the small intestine. Passing into the cecum and colon, the starch is rapidly fermented, changing the environment […]