Farm To Stable: An Equine Nutrition Podcast (TM)

This week, we'll define what "as fed" and "dry matter" really mean, and why these terms are important for understanding your horse's forage intake. It's time to take a deep dive into weighing and managing forage intake - not only for horses that need a controlled diet, but also so you are an educated owner with a deeper understanding of what your horse consumes in a day. I'll give examples about how to manage a weight loss diet as well as how to start with maintaining ideal forage intake when a

Soaking hay properly is important when carbohydrate content needs to be controlled in the horse's diet. Soaking time, water temperature and hay variety all influence the outcome. While soaking can reduce carbohydrate content by up to 40%, you will also lose some soluble proteins and some dry matter as well. Listen for tips and techniques to soak properly and to ensure you are feeding your horse the proper amount after all the soaking and draining is done!

In this episode I'll talk about why it is very important to weigh your horse, and give you some tools on how to do so. Some helpful links are here too:Body Condition Scoring System, from Texas A&M University (where it originated!): https://vetmed.tamu.edu/files/vetmed/vmth/laminitis/Equine_Body_Condition_Scoring.pdfExcellent video by TheHorse.com and Dr. Bob Coleman from the U. of Kentucky about how to body condition score your horse: https://youtu.be/bq0ZXnSlsNQ?feature=sharedThe "Healthy

In this episode I'll define ration balancers, and give examples of when they may or may not be appropriate for a horse's diet. Additional references are promised, including links with information on how to read a hay analysis:Equi-Analytical Laboratories: https://equi-analytical.com/resources/glossary-of-nutrient-terms/From U. of MN: https://extension.umn.edu/horse-nutrition/understanding-your-hay-analysisFrom Penn State U.: https://extension.psu.edu/understanding-a-hay-analysisAnd more information

Horse owners are often not sure where to turn for real information about equine nutrition. The internet is full of both good and bad information, and I'll give you tips about how to find the right consultant. In this first episode, I'll talk about how to find a qualified equine nutritionist, questions to ask and resources available to you right now.