And how you can improve it Text: Ricolette du Preez, Founder of Supreme Equine Nutrition and Independent Equine Nutritionist, (BTEC) Professional Dip in Equine Nutrition (UK), BSc Dietetics. Gut health plays a fundamental role in the overall wellbeing, performance, recovery, and behaviour of horses. However, many factors can negatively affect or compromise the equine gastrointestinal system…
HQ: Can you tell us briefly how Spurwing was founded in 1993 and what the core inspiration behind the brand is? Spurwing was founded in 1993 with a clear and practical vision: to produce reliable, high-quality horse feed that genuinely supports performance, health and longevity. The brand was born out of hands-on experience in…
AskHQ: What should you consider when choosing an equine Veterinary Expense Policy? Answered by Hollard Equipage Equipage: Owning a horse in South Africa is both a privilege and a substantial financial responsibility. With rising veterinary costs, increased travel for competitions and higher risk exposure in terms of climate change, more horse owners are turning to equine…
When and how to supplement Few topics in equine nutrition generate as much confusion and conflicting advice as electrolyte supplementation. Walk into any tack shop, and you'll find shelves stocked with electrolyte products in every conceivable form: powders, pastes, pellets, liquids. Ask ten different horse owners when and how to use them, and you'll likely…
Prevention and treatment for wet weather With South Africa experiencing heavy rainfall across many regions, mud fever cases are on the rise. This painful bacterial skin infection thrives in wet, muddy conditions and can quickly escalate from minor scabs to serious lameness if left untreated. What causes mud fever? Mud fever, also known as pastern…
USEF launches research fund with focus on competition horse welfare The late Chromatic BF, the 13-year-old Oldenburg show jumper who died at the 2024 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Finals in Riyadh, will leave a lasting impact on equine welfare through a new research fund established in his honour. US Equestrian has announced the first two…
Q: I’ve been told my horse has a curb on his hock. What does this mean? A: A curb on a horse’s hock is a form of soft tissue swelling or thickening that appears just below the point of the hock, at the back of the leg. It’s usually caused by strain or injury to the…
New findings on equine asthma and why management at competitions matters For many horses, show environments, rather than being optimal for performance, carry hidden risks to their respiratory health. Increasingly, research is pointing to inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and equine asthma as leading causes of reduced performance in sport horses, often triggered or worsened by…
When raising a young horse, it’s easy to obsess over the size of the foal, the straightness of the legs, the condition of the coat, and, of course, how early they start looking ‘like a horse.’ But appearances can be misleading. The real foundation of a future athlete lies beneath the skin, in how the…
What’s worth it, what’s not The equestrian world has entered the digital age, and not just in the show office. From rein tension sensors to girth pressure monitors, heart rate trackers, arena cameras, and motion analysis software, the modern tack room is starting to look more like a laboratory. But for every welfare-driven breakthrough, there’s…

