Why regular dental checks are worth it

The state of a horse's teeth has a huge effect on its health and comfort, and also on how it takes in and uses its feed. Horses will not tell us outright that something is wrong, so regular dental checks should be a basic part of prevention. Dental problems can lead to poor digestion, loss of bodyweight, colic, gastric ulcers and even changes in behaviour.

Can the diet help settle a hyperactive horse?

Excitability is a problem many owners struggle with, especially with horses in hard training or with young, energetic individuals. Anxiety, nervousness or excessive reactivity can make everyday work harder and affect the safety and comfort of both horse and rider. Temperament depends on genetics and training, but diet plays a huge part in this. So how do you feed a horse to help it settle?

How the horse's gut works, and what that means for the diet

A horse's digestive system is a complex and exceptionally sensitive mechanism, and it differs markedly from that of other farm animals. Every owner, carer or trainer should understand how it works, because the way a horse is fed has a direct effect on its health, wellbeing and performance. Knowing how a horse digests helps you avoid serious problems – from colic, through ulcers, to dangerous metabolic disease. So how does the digestive system work, and what does that mean for the daily diet?

More owners are dropping cereals – why?

Only a dozen or so years ago, oats were the undisputed king of the equine menu. It seemed no diet could be complete without them. Today, though, you hear more and more often of owners who cut cereals out of their horses' feeding entirely – leisure horses and sport horses alike. Is it only a fashion, or a justified concern for the health and welfare of these animals?

Natural horse feeding – a trend or a real benefit?

In recent years more and more owners have turned to natural ways of feeding their horses. Pasture, herbs, hay from organic meadows, and less processed feed. It all sounds attractive, but does it really bring health benefits? Or is it just another fashion that will pass, like so many other trends? To answer that, it is worth looking more closely at what natural feeding actually is, and what it can mean for a horse's health.

Myths about horse feeding – what does the science say?

In riding and horse breeding there is no shortage of theories, beliefs and advice passed on “by word of mouth”. Some come from experience; others, unfortunately, from outdated information or misunderstandings. Feeding horses is especially prone to myths, and those myths often lead to needless restrictions or mistakes in the diet. In this post we look at a few of the most popular beliefs and at what current knowledge says about them.

Feeding horses in the competition season

The competition season is, for sport horses, a time of hard physical work, frequent travel, changes of surroundings and heightened stress. All of this has a huge effect on the body, so a properly balanced diet becomes essential not only for keeping them fit, but also for supporting recovery and preventing injury. A sport horse's diet does not end with hard feed and hay. What reaches the stomach directly affects performance, immunity, concentration and how quickly the horse recovers after work.

How to turn horses out safely

The grazing season in Poland runs from April right through to early autumn. For horses it is a special time – free movement, company, fresh air and access to natural food in the form of grass. Grass is considerably richer in protein, fats (especially omega-3 fatty acids), vitamins and minerals than hay, so it is an excellent complement to the diet. Grazing done badly can, however, lead to upset gut flora, bloat, diarrhoea, colic and even laminitis. So how do you turn horses out safely?

Hooves and coat – what they say about feeding

A healthy coat and strong hooves are not only a matter of looks. They are also among the clearest signs of a horse's health and… of the quality of its feeding. Many problems with the coat, or with the structure of the hoof horn, come not from the genes and not even from care, but from mistakes in the diet. If a horse has a dull coat, brittle hooves or uneven horn growth, it is worth looking at what goes into the manger.

Knowledge zone

Hello, my name is Anna Porożyńska and I am Grassland's equine nutrition specialist.