Oils are a great way to add fat calories to a ration but provide only calories, not other nutrients. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The HorseQ: My new mares previous owners said shes a hard keeper during the winter and recommended adding fat to her diet in the colder months to help maintain her weight. But when I looked online, I found many recommendations about different supplements, oils, and grains, and Im not sure where to start. Whats the best way to add fat to a horses diet, and which products are most effective?A: When adding fat to the diet for weight gain it is important to ensure the diet remains well-balanced. Therefore, the most nutritionally complete way to add a fat source to your horses diet is to use a higher fat fortified commercial feed fed at the recommended daily intake level. These feeds often having 10-12% crude fat, not only adding fat to the diet but also essential vitamins and minerals, protein, and other nutrients.Oils are a great way to add fat calories to a ration but provide only calories, not other nutrients. Depending on the rest of the horses diet, it is possible when supplementing oil to provide your horse with adequate calories but create a diet that is deficient in other key nutrients, especially minerals and vitamins. This could hinder weight gain, as these essential nutrients are necessary for proper functioning of metabolic pathways. Another benefit of using fortified high-fat feeds is that they tend to contain sources of highly digestible fiber, such as beet pulp and almond hulls, so you have the benefit of adding cool calories from two different sources: fat and fiber.Rice bran is a popular choice due to a fat content of more than 20% on a dry matter basis. Rice bran should be stabilized and typically has added calcium carbonate to balance its otherwise high phosphorus content. However, few rice brans are otherwise fortified, so are unlikely to help with the overall provision of other necessary essential nutrients. Some better-quality rice-bran products will have added vitamin E. This in part helps maintain the products shelf life; horses with higher fat intakes also have higher vitamin E requirements. For this reason, if you compare feeds that have, say, 6% versus 12% crude fat, you will typically find that the 12% crude fat feed has a higher vitamin E content.It is tempting and easy to pour oil over an existing diet, which will certainly increase calorie intake; however, feeding large amounts of oil can backfire. If you overwhelm the small intestines ability to digest and absorb fat it will pass into the cecum and large colon where it can disrupt fiber fermentation. This could actually result in weight loss as the horse would not be able to get as much nutritional benefit from the forage in the diet. With very high intakes or sudden introductions of larger amounts of oil, manure can become oily. For these reasons, introduce oil slowly over 10 to 14 days, increasing by no more than a quarter cup every two to three days until you reach the desired amount.Oils all have different compositions of fatty acids, and recently omega-3 versus omega-6 fatty acids have gained a lot of attention. This is because these fatty acids play important roles in cell membrane fluidity, inflammation, and immunity. Both are necessary for these important functions, but relative amounts of each might influence overall response. As a result, corn oil is no longer as desirable as those oils with higher omega-3 contents such as canola oil. Flax oil and camelina oil provide more omega-3 than 6 fatty acids and are good choices; however, in large amounts cost might be inhibitive.An 8 fluid ounce measuring cup holds approximately 200 g of vegetable oil, which provides 1.8 Mcal of digestible energy, which is about 10% of a 500 kg (1,100 pound) horses maintenance requirements and is comparable to the energy provided by just over a pound of oats. Even though the horses natural diet is relatively low in crude fat, horses appear to utilize fat well and have been fed up to 230 g of fat per kilogram dry matter consumed as corn oil. However, the National Research Council cautions against feeding soybean oil at intakes exceeding 0.7 grams per kilogram body weight per day. Therefore, it is likely best to keep supplemental oil intake at no more than about 2 cups per day for an average sized horse.Lastly, consider whether increasing fat is actually the best feeding option for preventing weight loss in winter. Many horses lose weight in the winter due to the additional calorie expenditure used to keep warm. Feeding extra hay not only increases calorie intake but also generates internal heat due to the fermentation process necessary for digestion in the horses hind gut. Therefore, increasing forage for horses that have good dentition is always my first choice.

A 3-year-old Standardbred filly in Perth County, Ontario, recently tested positive for strangles after becoming lethargic and developing a low-grade fever and a draining abscess under the jaw. She is currently under quarantine.EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. TheEDCCis an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.About StranglesStranglesin horses is an infection caused byStreptococcus equisubspeciesequiand spread through direct contact with other equids or contaminated surfaces. Horses that arent showing clinical signs can harbor and spread the bacteria, and recovered horses remain contagious for at least six weeks, with the potential to cause outbreaks long-term.Infected horses can exhibit a variety of clinical signs:FeverSwollen and/or abscessed lymph nodesNasal dischargeCoughing or wheezingMuscle swellingDifficulty swallowingVeterinarians diagnose horses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing with either a nasal swab, wash, or an abscess sample, and they treat most cases based on clinical signs, implementing antibiotics for severe cases. Overuse of antibiotics can prevent an infected horse from developing immunity. Most horses make a full recovery in three to four weeks.A vaccine is available but not always effective. Biosecurity measures of quarantining new horses at a facility and maintaining high standards of hygiene and disinfecting surfaces can helplower the risk of outbreakorcontain one when it occurs.

A 25-year-old warmblood gelding in Loudoun County, Virginia, is suspected positive for EHV-1 after developing clinical signs on November 27, including ataxia and incontinence. He is currently quarantined at a veterinary hospital.EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. TheEDCCis an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.EHV 101Herpesvirus is highly contagious among horses and can cause a variety of ailments in equids, including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory disease usually found in young horses), abortion in broodmares, and EHM.RELATED CONTENT: Everything You Need to Know About EHV-1In many horses, the first or only sign of EHV-1 infection is fever, which can go undetected.In addition to fever, other common signs of EHV-1 infection in young horses include cough, decreased appetite, depression, and a nasal discharge. Pregnant mares typically show no signs of infection before they abort, and abortions usually occur late in gestation (around eight months) but can be earlier. Abortions can occur anywhere from two weeks to several months following infection with EHV-1.Horses with EHM usually have a fever at the onset of the disease and might show signs of a respiratory infection. A few days later, neurologic signs such as ataxia (incoordination), weakness or paralysis of the fore- and hind limbs, urine retention and dribbling, loss of tail tone, and recumbency (inability to rise) develop.Herpesvirus is easily spread by nose-to-nose or close contact with an infectious horse; sharing contaminated equipment including bits, buckets, and towels; or clothing, hands, or equipment of people who have recently had contact with an infectious horse.Routine biosecurity measures, including hygiene and basic cleaning and disinfection practices, should be in place at all times to help prevent disease spread.Current EHV-1 vaccines might reduce viral shedding but are not protective against the neurologic form of the disease. Implementing routine biosecurity practices is the best way to minimize viral spread, and the best method of disease control is disease prevention.

Competing through the winter months helps you stay focused and motivated, or just allows you to have some fun with your horse. At the same time it also introduces a variety of challenges, whether youre a showjumper, eventer or dressage guru. Of course, arenas are different sizes, but it makes sense that the smaller the arena, the harder it becomes, particularly if youre jumping.In this article, event rider Barry Meningen shows us how to deal with the tighter corners, closer-together jumps and distractions an indoor school brings.Why indoors is differentFor the combination tackling fences, the first thing we have to cope with is a cluttered arena, explains Barry. This becomes even more troublesome when competing in arena eventing, where there are showjumping and cross-country fences to negotiate there can be up to 20 of them and its not always easy to see which is coming next.Even though you may have 20 fences to jump, there could be more still in the arena, to take into account classes of different heights. This can cause issues because the fence your horse locks on to next, as he lands, might look like the obvious next fence to them, but it could well not be.Your horse will need to wait for instructions from you, but also be prepared to think for himself when needed both things you can practise at home. They also need to be balanced to deal with all the tight turns involved.One problem I see is horses backing off fences because theyre jumping towards the wall, says Barry. They dont realise youre making a turn on landing and may have lost all impulsion before they get to the fence, which could lead to a stop or knockdown. Being able to keep them forward throughout the round is essential.Perfect your indoor jumping techniqueHow to set up the fencesTheres lots you can do at home to prepare for jumping at an indoor competition, and I want to share one of my favourite exercises with you, says Barry. You only need five sets of wings and 10 poles, but it allows you to practise different aspects of jumping that will really help once youre in the ring.To set up this exercise, place a cross-pole on the centre line towards the A end of the arena, a double cross-pole towards the C end of the arena, and two other cross-poles placed either side of this an an angle. The three fences at the C end should be three strides away from the one at A.(See diagram).Set up the cross-poles at a height your horse is capable of and comfortable with.Exercise 1After warming up, turn onto the centre line and ride straight down over the two fences at A and C. You can trot into the fence if your horse is young or inexperienced, and pick up canter as they land.The turn onto the centre line will be tight, so use your inside leg and outside rein to help your horse balance without losing impulsion.Keep your horse straight and remember to aim for three strides.Turn as soon as you land over the second fence to mimic what youll face indoors.Ride this exercise on both reins starting on the rein your horse finds easiest.Exercise 2This time, youll make sure of all three of the fences at the C end of the arena.As you turn onto the centre line, decide which fence youre going to jump at C middle, left or right. Your horse will be anticipating going straight down the centre line as theyve done this a few times in the previous exercise.As you take off, put a little more weight into your left stirrup if youre aiming for the jump on the left, or your right stirrup to jump the fence on your right. Stay even for the one straight ahead. This indicates to your horse which way you want them to go on landing. This requires quick thinking, which is perfect for preparing to ride at competitions.Remember to count your three strides between the fences.Repeat this exercise a number of times, each time mixing up which of the fences you jump to keep your horse listening.Exercise 3This requires the help of a friend, and is a step-up from the previous exercise.As you turn onto the centre line, your friend should shout out which fence they want you to aim for, changing it each time.Turn tightly on the centre line so you dont have a lot of time to think. This will test your reactions and ability to direct your horse whilst keeping them focused and straight. It will also test how responsive your horse is to your aids.As soon as you land over the second fence, make a tight turn. Ride the exercise on both reins, checking your horse is balanced throughout.Meet the expert: Barry Meningen is a UKCC-qualified British Eventing coach. He trains pony and riding clubs and is a BE80(T) coach. He has competed up to advanced level on home-produced horses and also in pure show jumping and dressage.The post Three exercises to prepare your horse for jumping indoors this winter appeared first on Your Horse.

December 11 3yo approval; December 12 2yo championship Among others, 3yo stallions represent many applauded sires, such as Balou du Rouet, Chacoon Blue, Conthargos, Qlassic Bois Margot... While 2yo youngster sires include such names as Cornet Obolensky, Hardrock Z, Quel Homme de Hus and, of course, Diamant de Semilly. Among the damsires of []The post Save the dates and discover the best SF young stallions appeared first on Breeding News for Sport Horses.

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has issued an update on the number of passport applications processed during the week ending December 6th, through Horse Source. This week, 464 foal passports were issued, bringing the number completed to 2,511. A further 90 other services passports (including change of ownership, and endorsement and importations) have been issued. There has been a total of 6,204 foal passport applications received through Horse Source, of which 5,831 are pedigree applications. To date, 3,994 foal kits have been returned from breeders to HSI for pedigree applications, with the number of pedigree foal passports issued to breeders now 2,237. A further 274 non-pedigree applications have also been completed, bringing the total to 2,511. There are currently 512 samples that have returned from the laboratory to HSI and these will be quality checked and issued over the course of the next week. We are currently awaiting the return of []

Ocala, FL The first Hunter Derby Friday of the 2024 December Show Series brought skilled hunter combinations to the WEC Stadium for an exciting lineup of three competitive derbies: the $12,500Golden Ocala36-39 Hunter Derby, the $10,000UF Veterinary HospitalUSHJA National 3 Open Hunter Derby, and the $10,000 USHJA National 3 Jr/Am Hunter Derby. Course designer Kenny Krome set flowing tracks that showcased each horses rideability[...]Read MoreThe post Megan Young and Malito Make Memories in the $12,500 Golden Ocala 36- 39 Hunter Derby appeared first on World Equestrian Center.

Wilmington, Ohio The $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby was the highlight event of the evening in the R+L Arena at World Equestrian Center Wilmington (WEC), where the top three athletes fought for the leading prize, posting scores just half a point apart. After a competitive handy round, Jennifer Schwartz rose to the top of the leaderboard with Sarah Norths 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood[...]Read MoreThe post Jennifer Schwartz Pilots Pura Vida to Win the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby of Winter Classic 2 appeared first on World Equestrian Center.