What are you feeding your horse????

Too much sugar? Too much protein?

Probably! Is he getting all of the nutrition he needs to be healthy and robust? With laminitis cases on the rise, it's worth re-evaluating your feeding program. Kathryn Watts, a professional agricultural contract researcher and consultant, offers up her expertise on the subject at SaferGrass.org. You'll be surprised...and you'll probably change your horse's diet.

http://www.safergrass.org/articles/index.html

Is your horse fat???

Are you sure??? Most horse owners overfeed, and still think their overweight horses are on the thin side. On a scale of 1 - 9, with 1 being extremely emaciated, and 9 being dangerously obese, what would you rate your horse's condition? Now go read veterinarian Susan Garlinghouse's article, "How to Condition Score Horses." Bet you'll be surprised.

http://www.shady-acres.com/susan/conditionscore.shtml

In a perfect world, we'd have total control over what our horses ate. But in boarding situations, and even as a hobby farm owner, it's not that easy. The variation in baled hay is considerable, even from the same grower. Follow Kathryn's advice on forage (C4 warm season grasses like Bermuda, summer prairie grasses, and other grasses of tropical origin are the best bet). A good supplement for overall nutrition is Strategy GX (grass formula); add a biotin supplement with both copper and zinc for hoof health and immune support, and a joint supplement (make sure you select one that contains BOTH chondroitin and glucosamine - studies show that they are most effective in combination!). If a condition score indicates your horse still needs more calories, beet pulp may be your best bet. Garlinghouse offers a great energy comparison chart in her article on the myths and realities of Beet Pulp here:

http://www.shady-acres.com/susan/beetpulp.shtml

Now, let's get all that sugar out of Dobbin's diet!!!