Kentucky Equine Research staff members explore the connection between early spring grazing and horse's developing laminitis or colic. Hoof Nutrition Intelligence is brought to you by W.F. Young Co. (Absorbine).
Farriers know that there are as many different types of sport horses out there as there are ways to shoe them. The demands that humans place on their animals vary dramatically, from the intense bursts of speed required of a barrel racer or polo pony, to the animated strut of a park-seat Morgan, to the sustained output of an endurance horse or a trail horse working in the Rockies.
A team of researchers from Australia’s University of Queensland has determined that the population of a specific type of bacteria increases in the equine hindgut just prior to the onset of laminitis.
But nutrition can have a huge impact on those feet and your work on them, especially when it comes to laminitis, and often owners just don’t know when their horse-feeding practices are contributing to the problem. You can win a lot of loyalty, and reduce your chances of working on foundered feet, by helping educate your clients about nutrition as it relates to foot health.
If forages provide the “maintenance” energy that horses need for the workings of everyday life — grazing, sleeping, wandering from pasture to pasture, maintaining internal temperature — then cereal grains like oats, corn and barley are the turbo-charged portion of the diet.
As a farrier, you understand that the unfortunate irony of treating a horse with laminitis is that in many cases, the disease could have been prevented. As a hoof-care professional, you are familiar with the signs of laminitis. But many horse owners are not — particularly the increasingly common type of horse owner who didn’t grow up with horses.
It is widely held that gastrointestinal disorders can initiate laminitis, since about 75 percent of horses with laminitis develop it secondary to conditions such as enteritis, colic and over-consumption of feed.
Greg Martin, CJF, of Boerne, Texas, takes the unique approach of marketing his hoof-care practice with a Christmas parade float in Boerne and Comfort, Texas. The award-winning float boasts a variety of surprising features.
Life Data Labs Inc. is a dedicated product manufacturer committed to producing premium quality animal nutrition and health products through continuous product improvement and new product development. First-class ingredients, fresh products, consistent high quality and scientifically proven effectiveness are the principal features of Life Data Labs animal health products. And that's why they've produced the #1 recommended hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.
Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness.