Winter has come on strong here in much of North America, with some wild temperature swings. In winter, we rely more on hay for forage as pasture is unavailable. Hay and other dried forages have a lower water content compared to fresh pasture. In addition, extra hay is often provided to help a horse keep warm on cold days. More forage = more water needs! However, it is not uncommon for horses to drink less as temperatures drop. This week, we'll revisit some tips to help keep your horse hydrated in winter, and many of these tips are applicable all year as well. Some may sound familiar! The bottom line is that is is extremely important that a horse drinks sufficient water, especially in winter. Listen in for tips and reminders, and let us know if YOU have a good idea as well!

The study referenced in this episode:

Kristula and McDonnell, 1994. Drinking water temperature affects consumption of water during cold weather in ponies. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 41(3-4):155-160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(94)90020-5

This week I am joined by special guest, Dr. Katie Young, an equine nutritionist who consults for Kentucky Equine Research and who councils clients independently. Dr. Young has spend her career in the equine feed industry and is a wealth of experience an knowledge! This week, Dr. Young talks about Myofibrillar Myopathy (MFM) in horses. We'll discuss how it differs from polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) (types 1 and 2), what to look for and how to support MFM from a dietary standpoint.

Horses with MFM may present with decreased performance or unwillingness to go forward. Dietary management is quite different from PSSM. Listen in to learn more!

*Cover Art Graphic from:

Koutakis, et al., 2015. Abnormal Accumulation of Desmin in Gastrocnemius Myofibers of Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease: Association with Altered Myofiber Morphology and Density, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Impaired Limb Function. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry. DOI:10.1369/0022155415569348

Additional reading on MFM can be found at these links:

https://ker.com/nmdl/resources/mfm/

Valberg, et al., 2017. Clinical and histopathological features of myofibrillar myopathy in Warmblood horses. Equine Vet J.;49(6):739-745. Online at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28543538/

Dr. Stephanie Valberg herself explains the diagnostics of MFM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdkNMUMhQvY

Welcome back to season 3 of Farm To Stable. It's the time of year here in North America when many equestrians are getting ready to head south to warmer climates for the winter. Dramatic change in environmental temperature from cold to hot can trigger or exasperate anhidrosis, a condition in which sweating is drastically reduced despite an increase in body temperature. So, how is anhidrosis managed? We'll talk about it in this episode.

Research References:

Johnson, E., et al. 2010. An epidemiologic study of anhidrosis in horses in Florida. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 236(10). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.236.10.1091

Marlin, et al. 1996. Acclimation of horses to high temperature and humidity. Equine Athlete. 9: 8-11.

Marlin, et al. 1996. Physiological responses in non-heat acclimated horses performing treadmill exercise in cool, hot, dry and hot humid condition. Equine Veterinary Journal (Suppl.) 22: 70-84.

Marlin, D. & Nankervis, K. 2002. Thermoregulation. In: Equine Exercise Physiology. Blackwell Science. Publishing. Oxford, UK.

Shmalberg, J and Xie, H. 2009. The clinical application of equine acupuncture. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 29(8): 645-652.

Cover photo: istockphoto.com

In this episode, I'll give some general tips for helping a horse gain weight. As winter gives way to spring, it is not unusual for horse owners and managers to notice that an animal has lost weight in the colder months. Also, weight may be needed to support additional training or performance. Whatever the reason, there are few simple things to begin with.

Link to Body Condition Score Card (Texas A&M University): https://vetmed.tamu.edu/files/vetmed/vmth/laminitis/Equine_Body_Condition_Scoring.pdf

Video about how to body condition score a horse: https://youtu.be/bq0ZXnSlsNQ?si=C-FmKaO5c9uCofxq

Link for forage analysis services: https://equi-analytical.com/

Here in North America, the temperatures are slowly getting warmer, and grass is growing faster and faster. For many horses, that means a transition from winter hay to spring pasture. As with anything, such a change requires time to minimize the risk of digestive upset, and should not be done suddenly. This week the discussion focuses on some general tips whether you have lush pastures growing, a small amount of pasture or only a dry lot. Some additional resources are here from:

Penn State University: https://extension.psu.edu/transitioning-horses-to-spring-grazing

University of Guelph: https://ovcpetnutrition.uoguelph.ca/2021/03/11/transitioning-your-horse-from-hay-to-grass-safely-this-spring/

These are quick reads with some easy to follow guidelines for transitioning to spring pasture. Thanks for listening!

Episode Art Photo Graphic from the University of Guelph Factsheet, link posted above.

Diet can have an influence on a horse's soundness and mobility. There are seemingly endless amounts of products on the market claiming to support movement, but do they work? In most cases the research is limited. Individual horses may respond differently to each supplement, so as long as a product is safe, it can be a matter of trial end error.

Don't forget the importance of a balanced diet to lay the foundations for optimum performance. That includes maintaining a healthy body condition. Here is an excellent video produced by TheHorse.com, that features Dr. Bob Coleman of the University of Kentucky describing how to body condition score (BCS) a horse. The link is: https://youtu.be/bq0ZXnSlsNQ?si=NlQJAZRkGrjB6KRj I highly recommend watching this and getting familiar with BCS!

We're getting into the available science (as always) this week, so listen in and see what we know (and what we don't!)

Following up to last week's podcast all about the broodmare, this week the focus is the foal and stallion. The growing foal has tremendous nutrient needs, often much higher than that of a high performance horse! Healthy growth takes a careful balance of exercise, energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Some general feeding examples will be discussed. We won't forget about the stallion, of course, but from a nutritional point of view, he's probably the easiest to feed!

Episode Photo Art: Pixabay

It's foaling season here in North America, and the nutrition of the broodmare is key for a healthy foal. A pregnant mare's nutritional needs are not static, and they do change throughout pregnancy and lactation. For example, a mare in the first month of lactation has about double the calorie needs compared to maintenance! Protein needs almost triple, and that also means amino acids increase too. Vital nutrients need to be balanced and carefully changed to address the mare's needs at each stage of pregnancy to ensure the foal has the best foundation for proper development in utero and growth when born. Listen in for some general guidelines!

Episode Photo Art: Soledad Lorieto/Upsplash.