Provet - Partners in Practice Magazine

Horse Nutrition Can Be Simple

How often do you ask your clients about horse nutrition? Here are seven simple rules to help guide you through educating them on this topic.

The simple rules when feeding all horses are:

Ad lib roughage
Low starch/sugar concentrates and feeds
Appropriate quality and quantity of protein
Omega 3 fatty acids are important for all horses
Vitamin E supports immune function
Hooves and feet of many horses benefit from biotin
Supplements can cause clinical and sub-clinical problems

Equine Diet Analysis & Clinical Nutrition in the 21st Century

We are becoming increasingly aware of the strong association between nutrition, diet and the health of ourselves and our companion animals. As Veterinarians and Veterinary Nurses, it is one of our many roles to be across current knowledge and to make it available to our clients and their horses. As well as the part they play in health, welfare and behaviour, diet and nutrition can support recovery from clinical conditions. This article provides an update on the applications and limitations of diet analysis and the importance of equine clinical nutrition.