BEYOND THE FEED BAG

How turnout, stress and routine affect digestion We tend to think of equine nutrition as the science of calories, minerals, and macros - choosing the right concentrates, balancing the forage, and tweaking the supplements. But true nutrition goes far beyond what’s in the feed bag or supplement tub. The way a horse is managed -…

BylizzieAugust 12, 20250Comments

Horse Health

DEPRESSION IN HORSES

Research indicates that horses can experience depression. Here we'll review the pioneering study that sought to identify depression in horses and examine some of the causes, list the signs to watch for and give tips on how to help alleviate depressive symptoms in affected horses. The study A French study evaluated domestic horses for signs of…

BylizzieAugust 4, 20250Comments

Horse Health

HORSES AND HAY

Text: Rhiannon Cecil We all know horses eat grass, right? Feeding horses is a complex process, and each horse must be approached as an individual to find the correct balance. The different types of grass are suitable for different horses, each with their own requirements in terms of work and temperament. The basics Horses are hindgut fermenters…

BylizzieMay 19, 20250Comments

Horse Channel

REMUDA CREEK HORSEMANSHIP CENTRE

Tell us about your yard. Our yard is quite small, with 12 horses currently standing with us. We have the standard 20 x 60m dressage arena, two round pens, an EETO course, a grass jumping arena, a 20x40 Cowboy Dressage arena and we also have a huge 60 x 70m Western riding arena. We have…

BylizzieApril 30, 20200Comments

Ask HQ Horse Breed Horse Channel Horse Health

ASKHQ: INSULIN-RESISTANCE

Q: I have a question regarding insulin-resistant horses. I know about the condition, but would like further input about management? A: Management of the insulin-resistant horse or pony requires a multi-faceted approach: Minimising the sugar and starch level in the horse's total diet (including that in the hay given) is key: the less grain and concentrate…

BylizzieJanuary 22, 20200Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

HINDGUT DISTRESS

Horses are trickle feeders, designed to eat fibre all day long, rather than consuming large meals less frequently. Fibre digestion takes place in the hindgut where a population of micro-organisms break down the fibre, in a process called fermentation, to provide a source of slow-release energy. Fermentation requires a healthy population of bacteria in the…

BylizzieAugust 27, 20190Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health Know How

TOP TIPS FOR MAKING GRAZING LAST

Field rotation. This is one of the simplest options if you are able to divide your field into smaller paddocks. This system means that if your horses are kept in each paddock for four weeks at a time, the remaining paddocks can rest and rejuvenate during that period ready to receive the horses after the…

BylizzieJuly 31, 20190Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

TASTE

Just as in humans your horse's sense of taste is closely associated with his sense of smell. A horse's tongue is lined with small, sensitive fleshy projections called papillae that allow him to experience a variety of tastes. These papillae also exist in humans, and work in exactly the same way. Interestingly, the highest concentration…

BylizzieJuly 12, 20190Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

THE HORSE’S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

When chewing on hay or any other paddock vegetation, the horse chews with long jaw sweeps [dropcap]H[/dropcap]orses are trickle feeders and non-ruminant herbivores, meaning that they are designed to graze for most of the day on vegetation, and process their feed through one stomach chamber. The equine digestive system is unique in the way in which…

BylizzieMarch 14, 20180Comments

Horse Health Know How

GOOD GRASS: TYPES OF ROUGHAGE

There are various roughage options available for the South African horse. The main options include lucerne hay, teff, Eragrostis curvula, Rhodes grass and oat hay. Roughage should be chosen to best suit the horse’s nutrient requirements. AlphaAlfa explains the nutritional value of the different types of grasses in this month's issue. Legumes In comparison with grasses,…

BylizzieOctober 3, 20170Comments

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