by Kristin Pitzer

Most of the major Western performance horse events focus on horses aged seven and younger, but many horses that once had big limited-age careers can keep showing well into their late teens and early 20s. They might not have the range of motion and athletic ability they did in their younger days — something many human sports legends will attest to — but as long as they are kept fit and in good care, these older horses can still be competitive in weekend, ancillary and horse show classes, or even become teachers for rookies and youth that are getting started in the sport.

Riding and competing with older horses does take some extra finesse, and much like their younger counterparts, those that are kept in a consistent program will find the most success, said Dr. Don Lee, DVM, of Double X Veterinary Services in Sunset, Texas. Quarter Horse News spoke with him to learn more about keeping aged horses fit for competition.

“Aged” Will Vary Between Horses

It’s hard to pinpoint a number for when a horse is considered aged, as there are several factors, in addition to numerical age, that can cause a horse to slow down. Some horses can develop juvenile arthritis at the age of 3 or 4, for instance, and there are plenty of other soundness issues that might cause a horse to retire early from the limited-age show pen. A good rule of thumb, though, is that once a horse reaches the 15- to 20-year age bracket, you should start watching for signs that he needs to take a few steps back and ease off on hard competition.

“In barrel horses, you might see horses not clock as fast as they used to — they might lose a couple tenths, for instance,” Lee said. “In the cutting world, it’s a little harder as many of them are sore by the time they’re 10 to 12 and have a lot of maintenance. The biggest indicator is losing a step here or there.”

Aged horses might lose their topline and muscle mass as they get older, even if they are used frequently. If you see these symptoms in your horses, they could be indicators that your horse needs some extra care, such as having a veterinarian check him over for arthritis or altering your feeding program to be more senior-friendly.

Diet Can Make or Break Your Aged Horse

In their younger years, some horses might be easy keepers that seem to get fat on air. As horses age, though, especially if they’re getting worked often, their nutritional needs can increase. A horse that might have done well on a forage-only diet could begin to need grain supplementation.

“I like hay better than I like feed a lot of times, but for the aged horses, you often have to supplement some grain,” Lee said. “There’s many good feeds out there, and they’re all fairly comparable, but I recommend a high fat feed and good quality hay.”

Be sure to maintain your horse’s dental care, since it won’t matter how good the quality of the hay or feed you give them is if they’re unable to chew properly. Teeth should be checked regularly, especially in aged horses, as their mouths can change quickly.

“Teeth can be a big part of not only how they ride, but also how they’re able to masticate that feed and absorb the nutrients from the hay and feed you’re giving,” Lee said.

Movement Is Essential

Should your horse’s housing situation require you to leave him stalled all day, keep in mind that a horse that stands around without exercise will be more prone to injury than one that is worked regularly. Therefore, Lee recommended regular turnout for older horses when possible, along with three or four days a week of 30 to 45 minute rides. If turnout is not available, he advised daily exercise, particularly long-trotting.

“A lot of ligament and tendon injuries are injuries of fatigue, so either they don’t do anything with them for two months, pull them out of the pasture, enter them and use them, and then they break down because they’re fatigued and tired, or they’re overworked, and then they break down,” Lee said. “That’s why I like that 30 to 45-minute exercise range. That’s a combination of walk, trot, lope them a little bit, maybe slow work them, things like that.”

Warm-ups and cool-downs are also important, he said. It’s better to give them five minutes of walking before exercise to loosen everything up, and then five minutes to cool down afterward, rather than pulling the saddle off and throwing them back into their stall after a hard ride.

Stiffness Differs From Pain

If your horse regularly seems stiff coming out of his stall but eventually works out of it, he likely isn’t in pain, Lee said. Think about older humans when they first wake up in the morning — it often takes a few steps to work out the kinks. Likewise, it can take an older horse’s body a few minutes to loosen up after standing still for several hours.

“It’s just like us — if I sit down for a good period of time and then get up, it takes me three or four strides to get going,” Lee said. “There are different things, like mechanical things, that can create the appearance of lameness, so you have to judge that based on how they respond to flexes. Just because they’re a little stiff doesn’t necessarily mean they’re in pain.”

Horses that have old ligament or tendon injuries in their lower legs can lose range of motion in their ankles and feet. Those horses are still sound, Lee said; they just don’t have as much elasticity as they used to because the tissue may be scarred in from the injury.

Supplements or Injections Might Help

No matter how well you care for your horse or keep him legged up, at some point, his age will likely catch up with him. If he still enjoys being ridden and is in good health otherwise, there are supplements, injections and other medical solutions that can help prevent soreness and keep him going under saddle. Talk to your veterinarian about the different options available to see which is the best fit.

Your veterinarian will also be a great source for evaluating your horse’s diet and physical capabilities, and for helping you stay on top of any other care and maintenance needs. These are all crucial for keeping you hauling down the road together.

“I think to keep an aged horse going, regular exercise, a good diet and taking care of their teeth are important,” Lee said. “You never can forget the deworming program, either. That all plays into it as well. But if you’ve got good feed, good feet and good exercise, you can keep a horse going for a long time.”

This article originally appeared on American Quarter Horse News and is published here with permission.

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By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Apples and bananas used to be the predominant fruits available in your grocery store during the fall and winter. But lately, you can find all sorts of off-season fruits, including watermelon and blueberries, thanks to imports from more temperate climates. Your horses can also benefit from this variety. The old standbys - apples and carrots - still make nutritious treats but why limit your horse's enjoyment to just these?

Day in and day out, your horse eats the same thing. Boring?... yes. Unbalanced?... definitely. It's not likely that he has acres of unimproved land to explore, as he would in a wild setting, where he would eat flowers, seeds, edible weeds, and fruits from vines and trees. It is our job as horse owners to fortify their ho-hum diets with added nutrients from fresh foods. Sure, there are whole food supplements on the market, really nice ones in fact[i]. But why not add the real thing? Fruit tastes a lot better and is chock full of antioxidants and other valuable nutrients that can have a powerful impact on your horse's health.

Flavonoids are potent antioxidants

Dark blue and red berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries as well as cherries and red grapes, contain antioxidants known as epicatechins and anthocyanidins that belong to a group of antioxidants known as flavonoids. Since these flavonoids also give the fruit its color, the deeper the color, the more antioxidant-power the fruit contains. Red grapes also offer resveratrol, an antioxidant that has recently become popular as a horse supplement. (Dark chocolate also contains resveratrol, which is great for you, but never give it to your horse!)

Bananas, surprisingly, are high in anthocyanidins. Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes, while known for their vitamin C content, also contain considerable amounts of flavonoids such as hesperidin, rutin and quercetin, which work with vitamin C to promote antioxidant activity. Another biologically active flavonoid known as lycopene, adds a red color to watermelon, papaya, and mangos. Important to note: tomatoes are high in lycopene, but are highly toxic to horses.

Beta carotene is a flavonoid that offers an orange color to apricots, papayas, mangos, cantaloupe, nectarines, and peaches, as well as carrots. It is not only a powerful antioxidant, but is a precursor to vitamin A within your horse's body.

Fruits are also a reliable source of vitamins and minerals. Dried fruits such as figs and dates are particularly concentrated in calcium, zinc, and potassium. They also contain B vitamins, beta carotene, and vitamin K.

Fruits round out the diet beyond traditional supplements

Concentrated supplements may offer many of the nutrients found in fruits. However, it's difficult, if not impossible, to gather the entire essence of a plant in a commercial product. By feeding the whole food, you offer your horse trace nutrients that nourish his body in a way that cannot be duplicated by opening a container. It is important to note, however, that filling in the nutritional gaps created by a hay-based diet generally requires concentrated supplements; you would have to feed an unrealistically large amount of fruits and other whole foods to meet this requirement. Fruits should be offered in addition to a balanced diet, to round it out, but not to offer everything your horse needs.

Sugar content of common fruits

Fruits do contain a significant amount of sugar. If you have insulin resistant horses, you may be thinking that this article is not for you. While you do need to limit their sugar (and starch) intake, there still can be room for some tasty fresh fruit. The key is moderation, combined with evaluating how much sugar your horse is getting in his entire diet.

Horses love bananas (one of their favorite flavors[ii]). They also like watermelon, cherries, blueberries, and of course, apples. The chart below gives you an idea of how much sugar is in these and other fruits:

Sugar Content of Common Fruits[iii]
Fruit	Grams of sugar
Apple, one medium	13
Apricots, one (no pit!)	3
Banana, one 7 inch	14
Blackberries (1 cup)	7
Blueberries (one cup)	15
Cantaloupe, 1/8 small melon	4
Carrot, one 8 inch	3
Cherries, 6 (no pits)	6
Dates, three (no pits!)	12
Figs, one small	7
Grapes (red, green), 10 grapes	8
Honeydew melon, 1/8 7 in melon	13
Mango, 1/2 fruit (without pit)	15
Nectarines, 1 small (without pit)	10
Orange, one medium	15
Papaya, one small (remove seeds)	9
Peaches, 2 3/4 inches (no pit)	15
Pears, one medium	17
Plums, one medium (remove the pit)	7
Raspberries (1 cup)	5
Tangerines, 2 1/2 inch	9
Strawberries, 3 medium	3
Watermelon, one wedge	28

Some peels are worth eating

A wonderful way to offer your horse something tasty and nutritious is to feed the peel instead of the whole fruit. Apple, banana, and orange peels, as well as watermelon rinds, cut into bite-sized pieces, have less than 1 gram of sugar per cup. Apple peels are particularly beneficial. They contain a substance called "ursolic acid" which has been shown to stimulate muscle growth, increase carbohydrate metabolism, and reduce body fat in laboratory animals.[iv] Avoid the peels of tropical fruits such as mangos and papayas since they can be irritating to the skin.

Putting this into perspective with the rest of the diet

To reduce the sugar content of your horse's diet, you should strive to feed less than 10% of the total diet as simple sugars and starch. If you've had your hay or pasture analyzed, the ethanol soluble carbohydrate (ESC) value represents the simple sugar content.

Let's say your grass hay contains 7.10% ESC and 1.80% starch on a dry matter basis. Their sum is 8.90% - that's excellent! This would be a good hay to offer free-choice to your horse.

If your horse consumes 25 lbs per day of this hay, he/she will consume 2.225 lbs of ESC + starch (25 lbs X .0890). Convert that to grams (multiply by 454), providing your horse with 1010.15 grams of sugar and starch. If your horse also eats a cup of blackberries per day, you'll be providing an additional 7 grams of sugar. This brings the total sugar/starch intake to 1017.15 grams per day, or 8.96% of the diet. Not much of a difference.

One caveat: It is best to divide the amount of fruit you'll be serving over the course of the day, rather than feeding it all at one time. A large amount of sugar fed at once will create a higher blood glucose peak than if it were fed in smaller amounts throughout the day.

Bottom line

Fruits are bountiful sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them a valuable addition to any horse's feeding regimen. Diets that need to be low in sugar and starch can still safely accommodate moderate amounts of fresh fruits. This will not only be pleasing to your horse, but will offer additional nutrients that likely do not exist in the current diet.

This article originally appeared on Getty Equine Nutrition and is published here with permission.

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This excerpt is adapted from Newcomer to the Horse World by Andrea Sinner, Esq.,

Horses may be “just” a hobby to you, and certainly sometimes things happen that impact your ability to uphold your responsibilities. However, the best way to build a productive relationship with your barn is to fulfill three responsibilities fully and consistently as near to 100 percent of the time as possible.

• Time: A barn runs on a schedule. Know the hours they are open and abide by them unless there is a medical issue. When you have a lesson, be tacked up and ready to get on your horse at lesson start time. Only when you are capable and allowed to ride alone, you might also consider coming a bit early to have a longer warmup. But check with your trainer, as sometimes overlapping with an earlier lesson time is unhelpful.

• Attention: Pay attention to your horse (watch for bumps or scrapes, mood shifts, responsiveness when riding, and so on), your trainer (listen to what they’re saying, make sure you understand), your peers (if you are riding, it is your job to not run into anybody), your body (check your strength, balance, breath, mood, and so on), and your gear (all the things you need to take care of and ride your horse). When you’re new, it will seem overwhelming. Once you have practice, it will become more natural. In the early days, ask lots of questions, and pay attention as much as possible.

• Money: The simplest point here is to pay all your bills on time, every time, to everyone. If every member of a barn did this, things would run a lot more smoothly. Nobody wants to chase you for money; it’s not fun. And if you know you will be late, talk about it with the person you owe money to. It’s still not great, but at least they can try to plan around the negative impact to their cash flow. When you commit to something, ranging from a lesson to a show, know that if you back out at the last minute, you are still likely responsible for most, if not all, of your original financial commitment.

In addition to those three responsibilities, here is an attempt at nine principles to help you be a positive, constructive, and healthy part of your barn community.

• Take care of your horse. This remains job #1, so abide by everything below as long as it doesn’t conflict with caring for your horse.

• Say something if you see anything wrong with any horse. Even if you are incorrect about something being amiss—you will make mistakes in the early days, and likely forever—it is far better to say, “Is this right?” than to let it go and have something bad happen. Empty water bucket, stall door open, swollen leg, fly mask off one ear, blanket hanging mostly off the horse in turnout, anything…make a query to a responsible person.

• Mind your own business. Unless horse or rider safety is in question (see prior point), stay out of whatever is going on in the barn that you might find intriguing. This goes for junior meltdowns, terrible lesson happenings, a ridiculous choice in horse boot color, a dreadful mistake someone made in the ring…all of it. You have your values, other people have theirs. Let it be.

• Be kind to all the humans. All. Of. Them. Trainers, barn staff, grooms, farriers, vets, other riders, moms of other riders, visiting uncles of other riders, UPS delivery person, snow-plow person, hay-delivery person…everyone. Even in a small barn, you will meet a lot of people. 99 percent of them are hard-working people who love horses, even if some are a bit tired and jaded. Bond on the strength of that shared love of horses, and let any other concerns go.

• Be kind to all the horses. Do not feed horses that are not yours unless you have direct permission from their person, but being present and loving to every horse in the barn is always appreciated.

• Take care of your stuff. Keep your gear clean, put your stuff away, and clean up after your horse (including manure, hoof pickings, mane trimmings… all of it). Multiple trainer friends of mine requested repetition here: Put. Your. Stuff. Away. Sure, we all make mistakes and forget sometimes, but focus on this topic and apologize sincerely when you err.

• Wait your turn. If someone is talking to your trainer or barn manager or whomever, wait until they are done and then ask your question. Better yet, signal you want to chat, then walk away to give them some privacy.

• Wait, and be ready, for your turn in lessons. When you’re in a group lesson, let the trainer finish coaching the prior rider, but also be ready to go as soon as it is your turn. This can be like threading a needle; pay attention to the flow, and you’ll get in the groove.

• Share any barn concerns politely, privately, and early. Whether you are concerned about how your horse is being cared for or feel you’re not making as much progress as you like, you need to raise it politely and directly with your trainer or barn manager. This sounds obvious, but do not add your complaint to the petri dish that is the barn gossip machine. It doesn’t solve the problems and only makes it harder for the professionals trying to help you and your horse.

Newcomer to the Horse World: The Insider's Guide for the Amateur Equestrian
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This excerpt is adapted from Newcomer to the Horse World by Andrea Sinner, Esq. and is reprinted here with permission from Trafalgar Square Books.

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The Mounted Patrol Foundation (MPF) and the Woodside-area Horse Owners Association (WHOA!) are accepting applications for the $10,000 Woodside-area Equestrian Merit Scholarship Award. For the sixth year, this scholarship is jointly sponsored by the two organizations to support the continuing education of a high school senior who has demonstrated involvement in and a future dedication to equine-related activities. Community involvement and academic achievement will be considered, with a strong emphasis on financial need.

Application deadline is May 9, 2025, at 3:00 pm.

Eligible applicants are high school seniors involved in equine-related activities and residing in Bay Area Counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma) who have been accepted to a continuing education program this fall. Such programs may include: college, university, trade school, or other educational programs.

Applicants will need to provide at least one reference letter from their teacher, instructor, counselor, or individual who can attest to their equine involvement. Up to three reference letters will be accepted.

Applicants will be required to show financial need by submitting a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or equivalent documentation.

Applicants will provide transcripts showing their GPA.

The $10,000 Woodside-area Equestrian Merit Scholarship Award will be paid directly to the recipient’s continuing education program in support of the recipient’s tuition, fees, expenses, room, and/or board.

The scholarship will be awarded June 6, 2025.

Applications are available March 1, 2025 online at the Woodside-area Horse Owners Association. To learn more about the Mounted Patrol Foundation, please visit their website Mounted Patrol Foundation.

Both MPF and WHOA! share a deep interest in the next generation of equine-motivated individuals. The two organizations are committed to helping people further the interests of the equine community in their career, avocation or equine-related goals.

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By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Non-GMO. Do you know what it means? And is it better than GMO? It must be, right? Otherwise, it wouldn't be displayed on food-labels as something to brag about. But is it the same as organic? Is organic better than non-GMO? So many questions! Confused?

What does GMO mean?

GMO stands for "genetically modified organism." GMO foods have been genetically engineered to withstand certain conditions or chemicals, in particular, herbicides that can tackle weeds -- one of the most significant problems that farmers face. The development of plants that could survive when sprayed with a weed-killer was a dream come true for farmers desperate to find a solution to this overwhelming problem.

The most dramatic and frightening of all GMOs are those that are "Roundup Ready." These GMO crops can be sprayed with the herbicide, Roundup (Monsanto), dramatically increasing productivity by killing the damaging weeds without harming the plant. Sounds wonderful on the surface, that is, until you dig deeper.

Glyphosate is the concern

The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate. The research on this herbicide is extensive, and troubling. Glyphosate was thought to be nearly non-toxic, however researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology determined that glyphosate is a major contributor to health issues including the obesity epidemic in the US. The brain can also be affected, increasing the incidence of autism, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and depression.[i]

Glyphosate takes the place of glycine in body proteins. Glyphosate is a synthetic amino acid similar to glycine. Acting as a glycine analogue, it may be substituted for glycine in proteins throughout the body, linking it to an extensive list of diseases including gluten intolerance and celiac disease, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, reproductive issues, diabetes, respiratory disorders, adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, osteoporosis, chronic inflammation, and cancer.[ii]

Glyphosate alters the uptake of minerals. When a plant is sprayed with glyphosate, it binds metals within the plant's tissues, impairing the micronutrient content of the plant. The leaf concentration of minerals including iron, manganese, copper, zinc, magnesium, and cobalt have been shown to decrease in plants sprayed with glyphosate.[iii] There is discussion that glyphosate can chelate minerals inside the body, reducing their bioavailability for biochemical functions, creating disease states in humans and animals.[iv]

The extensive use of glyphosate on our crops is leading to herbicidal resistance. To counteract this, more is being used,[v] and different chemicals are added to the mix. And look for new GMOS to be developed by agrochemical companies.[vi] A disturbing trend indeed.

This is a vastly complex subject. I am only beginning to scratch the surface. It is also controversial which makes it difficult to differentiate between truth and propaganda. Consequently, I mostly rely on peer-reviewed research studies to offer the best information available.

What about your horses?

I know you're thinking that this information applies to you and your family. But let's focus on the foods that your horses consume. Since there are GMO versions of soybeans, corn, alfalfa, canola, cottonseed (used for oil) and sugar beets, as well as GMO wheat in development, there is no doubt that your horse is affected. Yet, there is little research that specifically looks at glyphosate's impact on horse's health. There was a recent study using dairy cows in Denmark,[vii] where it was shown that glyphosate intake significantly decreased their serum levels of cobalt and manganese. Additionally, they showed elevated creatine kinase (CK) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme levels. CK is indicative of tying up (rhabdomyolysis) and possible kidney failure. Increased ALP indicates potential liver damage and bile duct blockages.

In 2006, over 1000 racehorses, between two and three years of age, were examined for health problems.[viii] More than half of them were found to suffer from inflammatory airway disease, joint problems, and fractures. It has been argued that high performance demands or the overuse of the drug Lasix may contribute to these conditions, but there is mounting evidence that glyphosate exposure may be a significant cause of their deteriorating health.[ix]

Most soybeans in the US are genetically modified to be Roundup ready. It has been determined that GMO soybeans have substantial amounts of herbicide residues.[x] Soy is a common ingredient in most commercial horse feeds, used as soybean meal, along with its oil (often denoted as vegetable oil) and hulls.

Beet pulp is a byproduct of the sugar beet industry. I have often recommended it as an excellent carrier feed when adding supplements to the horse's diet. However, most beet pulp comes from GMO sugar beets and may very well be a concern.

Does that mean that non-GMO products are safe?

Not necessarily! The non-GMO label is not a measure of safety in and of itself. True, GMO crops are more likely to be sprayed with Roundup -- that is the very purpose of the genetic modification. It is a good start, but not a guarantee since non-GMO crops, unfortunately, can also be sprayed with Roundup.

Glyphosate is sprayed as a pre-harvest desiccant.[xi] This process, known as desiccation, involves spraying Roundup on the crops a few days before harvesting. It kills the foliage and accelerated the drying of the grain. Using glyphosate on wheat, barley, or oats, for example, two weeks before harvest, allows for increased product uniformity and yield, and improved harvesting efficiency, especially in humid environments.[xii]

Sugar cane, used for your table sugar as well as molasses, is often sprayed with Roundup. But the most alarming crop is your horse's forage. Your horse's hay may be the cause of unexplained health issues. According to federal regulations, animal feeds, grass hays, and alfalfa hay are permitted the highest levels of glyphosate that any other food group.[xiii]

Organic ensures no glyphosate

According to the USDA,[xiv] organic crops must start with organic seeds and be grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, irradiation, sewage sludge, or genetic engineering. That means that to be certified as organic, it must also be non-GMO! And since non-GMOs do not necessarily protect you against glyphosate contamination, you are much better off seeking organic products.

Nearly 80 USDA certifying agencies can authorize farms and businesses as meeting USDA organic regulations.[xv] One such agency, the California Certified Organic Farmers, allows products to be labeled, Organic is non-GMO and more, when they meet certification guidelines.[xvi]

It is far more expensive to be organic than non-GMO, since "non-GMO" is a subset of organic. Companies who are proud to offer organic products are educating their consumers by using this type of labeling.

There is good news

Many small farms simply cannot afford to use Roundup. Or they may choose to grow their crops organically without undergoing the expensive organic certification process. Such companies are happy to share with you that their crops are "glyphosate-free."When in doubt, I recommend contacting the individual company, farmer, or hay grower/broker to see if they have tested their products for glyphosate. Testing it on your own is expensive, but as a last resort, this may be worth the cost.

Bottom line

There is a large body of research on the negative impact glyphosate has on overall well-being. If your horse has health problems that cannot seem to be resolved, his glyphosate intake may be the culprit. Don't be misled into thinking that if a company brags about being non-GMO, it is glyphosate-free. However, if a product is certified as organic, it means that it is non-GMO, along with being glyphosate-free. Many researchers have made a fervent plea to governments throughout the world to introduce new legislation that would restrict its usage.[xvii]

This article originally appeared on Getty Equine Nutrition and is published here with permission.

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By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Beet pulp is the pulp of the sugar beet plant, after the sugar has been removed. So the remaining pulp has virtually no sugar. If molasses is added to improve taste, it is low — less than 3% -- that’s approximately ½ cup of sugar in 10 lbs of beet pulp. And you likely wouldn’t feed anywhere near that amount — it takes 2 quarts of beet pulp to equal 1 lb, so 10 lbs would be 20 quarts!

Beet pulp contains 15% fiber, a little less than the 18% fiber typically required to be considered a forage. But it is still a good source of fiber because this 15% is mostly digestible fiber, meaning it is easily digested by the bacterial flora in your horse’s hindgut. And better yet, it doesn’t get digested in the foregut, so blood glucose levels are not affected. So it has a low glycemic index and minimal insulin response, making it a wonderful feed for any horse that needs to reduce starch and sugar intake. And from a digestible energy (calories) perspective, beet pulp is right up there with the big cereal grains. It supplies 1.3 Mcal/lb compared to oats, with 1.5 Mcal/lb.

It comes in two forms — pellets and shreds. Pellets must be soaked to prevent choke. The shredded form can be fed dry, but soaking will ease your mind since it is very dry and some horses labor over chewing it. Soaking time depends on the water temperature. If you have hot water in your barn, the beet pulp shreds will soak this up almost immediately; pellets will require approximately 30 minutes. Cold water will take longer to soak up. But do not soak beet pulp overnight; bacteria and mold will accumulate.

Beet pulp is a good source of calcium, though not as high as alfalfa. Don’t worry about feeding too much calcium when offering beet pulp because much of the calcium is bound to oxalates, making it less absorbed. For the same reason, you cannot rely on beet pulp calcium to offset a high phosphorus intake (from bran, for example).

Finally, beet pulp makes an excellent carrier for supplements or medications. If your horse is on hay or pasture, and you want to add a vitamin/mineral supplement, you need to add it to something. The supplement will mix in well with soaked beet pulp, and you won’t find it sifting to the bottom of the feed bucket. One more thing — be sure to add your supplement once you’re ready to feed; don’t soak it since prolonged water contact will destroy most vitamins.

After all these good aspects, there is one thing that you need to be aware of... the vast majority of beets grown in the US are genetically modified to withstand being sprayed with Roundup (Monsanto). This herbicide adds glyphosate to your horse's body and may have significant health consequences.* To avoid this, choose a non-GMO source of beet pulp since Roundup is not generally sprayed on this type of crop. Consider Speedi-Beet by Emerald Valley Equine.

This article originally appeared on Getty Equine Nutrition and is published here with permission.

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by Kristin Pitzer

The birth of a long-awaited foal is a special time for any breeder, but it can also be an occasion fraught with anxiety. Even if you do everything right — feed your mare correctly, keep her in good shape, vaccinate her on schedule — and are present during the birth, unexpected things can still happen.

In some cases, a foal may seem normal when it’s born, but then fail to meet milestones such as standing, nursing and following the mare around. This is often the case in foals with neonatal maladjustment syndrome (NMS), also known as “dummy foal syndrome,” hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy or perinatal asphyxia. Quarter Horse News spoke with Dr. Rudy Madrigal at Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery in Weatherford, Texas, to get more information on what causes dummy foals and how to proceed if you think your foal might be affected.

Elevated Levels of Neurosteroids May Cause NMS

NMS was originally believed to be caused by low oxygen levels during birth, resulting in damage to the foal’s central nervous system. New evidence suggests that, instead, it may result from the failure of placental hormones, or neurosteroids, to decrease after birth, keeping the foal in a sedated state. Signs of NMS include the foal’s inability to find and suckle on the udder, as well as a lack of interest in following the mare after standing. Foals can develop symptoms within minutes after birth, or it may take up to 48 hours to see anything abnormal.

“Foals show a variety of neurologic signs — decreased affinity for the mare, not nursing, aimlessly wandering, weak to absent suckle reflex, depressed, respiratory changes and seizures,” Madrigal said. “It is seen in approximately 1 to 2% of births, with no breed or discipline predilection.”

Foals that are improperly positioned before birth and require assistance to pass through the birth canal; foals that experience placental separation, known as red bag deliveries, or placentitis, which is infection of the placenta; c-section deliveries; fescue toxicity; and other conditions may all predispose a foal to NMS.

Supportive Care Is Essential to Recovery

Once signs develop and an NMS diagnosis is confirmed, foals must be treated, or else they can develop secondary issues. The most common of these is sepsis, which can lead to death.

“Treatment in these foals is largely supportive, with IV fluids, oxygen supplementation with respiratory support, IV antibiotics, nutritional support, antioxidant, anti-seizure medications and immunity support,” Madrigal said.

Treatment is grueling and can be costly. Foals may need to be tube-fed, and those experiencing seizures might need to be placed in a padded environment to protect them from injury. Some foals can recover in a couple of days, but others may need supportive care for more than a week. All that work can pay off, though — the average survival rate is 85%, and most of those foals can go on to live normal lives and even perform. Those that do not have an infection or limb paralysis have a better outlook.

The Madigan Squeeze Technique Can Be Life-Saving for Some Foals

Depending on the foal, a technique called the Madigan Squeeze Technique could be useful in correcting NMS. Named after its developer, Dr. John Madigan, the technique was developed to create pressure that mimics traveling through the birth canal. Since rapid delivery during birth is suspected to be a cause of NMS, and dummy foals behave as though they are asleep, it is believed that applying pressure to the foal signals its transition from sleeping in the womb to wakefulness.

According to the UC Davis Center for Equine Health, the Madigan Squeeze Technique works by applying pressure to the ribs with ropes looped around the ribcage for 20 minutes, the normal time it takes to travel through the birth canal. Full instructions can be found here; however, this procedure should only be performed by a veterinarian or under their direct supervision. Madrigal cautioned that not every foal is a candidate for the procedure.

“Madigan Squeeze Technique is only shown to work on foals with elevated levels of neurosteroids,” Madrigal said. “This should be used with caution, as other causes can mimic dummy foal, and this can lead to late referral and intervention.”

Don’t Mistake Other Conditions for NMS

The symptoms seen in dummy foals can also be indicative of other conditions, so it’s always best to have your veterinarian involved if you suspect NMS. Other causes of decreased nursing and lethargy include sepsis, aspiration pneumonia, ruptured bladder, fractured ribs and true hypoxic state, a condition where the body’s tissues are receiving an insufficient supply of oxygen and can’t maintain normal physiological function.

The earlier your veterinarian can intervene in these issues, the better the prognosis for your foal, Madrigal said. Therefore, it’s important to not jump to an NMS diagnosis without ruling other problems out.

Research on Dummy Foals Is Helping Human Medicine

NMS is linked to autism in humans — the behavioral abnormalities seen in foals, such as detachment, are similar to symptoms children with autism express. Researchers in veterinary and human medicine are working together to investigate whether increased levels of neurosteroids could contribute to both disorders.

This article originally appeared on American Quarter Horse News and is published here with permission.

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By Kentucky Equine Research Staff

In combination with exercise, nutrition is an essential component of managing horses with myopathies. The optimal feeding program for an individual horse is tailored to the diagnosis of a specific underlying myopathy.

The key points of this article include:

• Horses with exertional rhabdomyolysis caused by types 1 and 2 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1 and PSSM2-ER) benefit from low nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) diets and supplementary fat as a metabolizable form of energy.
• Horses with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis can be managed by lowering NSC, but not to the extreme of PSSM, and then replacing needed calories with fat.
• Arabian horses with myofibrillar myopathy (MFM-ER) can be managed with moderate NSC, supplementary fat, amino acids, and antioxidants N-acetylcysteine and coenzyme Q10.
• Warmblood horses with MFM benefit from a similar diet to MFM-ER horses but with less additional fat.

Read more: The Role of Nutrition in Managing Muscle Disorders