Kentucky Equine Research has created a free 90-page guide titled Nutrition of the Performance Horse that broadly covers the best ways to manage equine athletes, regardless of discipline, and includes practical management strategies and effective solutions for nutrition-related problems. In-depth discussions are also included regarding common issues such as gastric ulcers, hindgut acidosis, joint care, […]

Proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole reduce nutrient digestibility in humans. This study determined the effect of omeprazole on the digestibility of diets containing limestone or marine-derived calcium (BMC) and to assess changes in blood parameters associated with gastric acid production and calcium status in horses. Thoroughbreds were used to evaluate the digestibility of diets containing […]

Held every four years since 1990, the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) are the major international championship for eight equestrian disciplines. Although the 2010 and 2018 editions of WEG took place in the U.S., the majority of the horses competing came from Europe and were fed feeds made by European manufacturers. In 2010, Kentucky Equine […]

Most Australian horses rely on pasture for some of their nutrient intake, and many are just on pasture without supplementary feed for some part of the year. To determine the nutrient intake of horses on pasture for comparison with recommended daily allowances, nutritionists need to know not only the pasture intake but also the nutrient […]

Most Australian horses rely on pasture for some of their nutrient intake, and many are just on pasture without supplementary feed for some part of the year. To determine the nutrient intake of horses on pasture for comparison with recommended daily allowances, nutritionists need to know not only the pasture intake but also the nutrient […]

Joe D. Pagan, Ashlee Hauss, Alyx Swanhall, Emma Ford, Erica Rugg, Aline Bouquet, and Abby Pritchard Kentucky Equine Research, Versailles, Kentucky, USA   Water, hay, and feed intake was measured in 6 Thoroughbred racehorses (age 3.3 ± 0.5 y) (BW 468 ± 14.1 kg) for 56 d at a training center in Lexington, Kentucky, during […]

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)

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 […]

Although the majority of horses can be managed using methods that group them based on age, activity level, or stage of production (i.e., pregnant mares or weanlings), some horses fall outside of the “norm.”

A 6 x 6 Latin square design experiment was conducted to determine glycemic response in horses fed six different feeds at 3 different levels of intake. Six Thoroughbred geldings were fed mixed grass hay and one of six diets: cracked corn, whole oats, sweet feed (45% cracked corn, 45% whole oats, and 10% molasses), sweet feed + 10% corn oil, alfalfa forage, or a low starch, high fermentable fiber mix (25% rice bran, 25% soy hulls, 25% wheat bran, and 25% soaked beet pulp).