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• Feeding Horses in a Group

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · December 7, 2011

  Owners should consider the dominant and passive behavior of horses when choosing to feed in a group.

• Feed Management Should Mimic Nature

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · December 1, 2011

  By understanding the horse’s instinctive feeding behavior, today’s feeding strategies can be shaped to mimic natural tendencies.

• Cribbing in Foals

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 18, 2011

  In foals, cribbing is often related to feeding schedule and composition of meals.

• Feeding After the Finish Line

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · October 24, 2011

  Retired racehorses can present some nutritional challenges to their new owners. While no single approach will be the magic solution for every horse, some general guidelines can help your recently retired athlete flourish.

• Factors Affecting Spontaneous Activity in Young Horses

  By Dr. Kathleen Crandell · October 21, 2011

  Have you ever wondered if the type of feed your horse eats affects how much he moves during the day? Little research has been done on the effects of diet on behavior, and specifically on spontaneous activity.

• Strange Tastes: Pica in Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · October 21, 2011

  While traditional lore holds that horses with strange appetites are seeking to make up for a nutritional imbalance, studies have shown that’s not the case.

• Slow Down Hay Consumption

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · September 29, 2011

  In order to prevent horses from bingeing in one session and extend the amount of time horses spend eating hay, many companies now offer hay nets, bags, and other devices designed to ration out small quantities of hay over a longer period.

• Make Horse Feed Changes Gradually

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · September 16, 2011

  Horses are creatures of habit, especially when it comes to their feed and management.

• Revelations About Ponies and Pastures

  By Dr. Kathleen Crandell · July 29, 2011

  Researchers were able to verify something horsemen have known for a long time: ponies can eat a lot of grass. But how does restricted turnout or muzzling affect intake?

• Feeding for Good Behavior in Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · July 19, 2011

  Can you influence your horse's behavior by tinkering with his feed management? In general, many behavioral problems such as stall vices can be improved by giving the horse something to do instead of exhibiting the behavior.

• Feeding Show Horses: A Matter of Balance

  By Dr. Clarissa Brown-Douglas · June 3, 2011

  Nutrition plays a vital part in getting the ideal performance from your equine athlete.

• Using Grazing Muzzles on Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · June 2, 2011

  For some horses and many ponies, grazing muzzles can be considered necessary equipment for much of the year. In many cases, they are life-saving apparatuses, especially for those equines that are susceptible to laminitis.

• Effect of Stress, Exercise, Feed Form, and Meal Size on Gastrin Levels in Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · May 19, 2011

  Meals of hay and concentrates cause gastrin levels to rise, increasing gastric acid production.

• Hay: The Favorite Lunch Munch for Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · March 30, 2011

  A stalled horse's chewing instinct apparently remains strong even if the horse's nutritional needs are fully met by various feed products other than hay.

• Inappetence in Horses

  By Dr. Bryan Waldridge · March 25, 2011

  Determining why a horse has decreased appetite or inappetence can be difficult, especially if it is the only clinical sign the horse is showing.

• Horse Behavior: Role of Nutrition Management

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · March 11, 2011

  Common horse management practices of confinement and feeding a few large meals daily have been shown to cause digestive irritation. Horses typically managed in this manner generally exhibit the highest incidence of behavioral problems.

• Reducing Stereotypic Behaviors in Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · March 7, 2011

  Some simple management practices might prevent horses from developing stereotypic behaviors, or reduce their frequency once established.

• Ten Cold Weather Feeding Tips

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 15, 2011

  Paying attention to special nutritional considerations can help a horse overcome the challenges of dealing with cold weather.

• Cold Weather Water Consumption

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 9, 2011

  Access to fresh, unfrozen water at all times is a staple of cold weather care for all horses.

• Horse Weight Loss: Environmental Factors

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 8, 2011

  Numerous causes can account for a horse's inability to maintain weight aside from not consuming sufficient calories.

• Long-Stem vs. Short-Stem Forages

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 21, 2011

  Long-stem forage is best defined as hay or pasture. Forage products that include extremely short pieces of fiber such as cubes, pellets, or chaff are often fed in lieu of long-stem forage.

• Geophagia: Eating Dirt Could Have Several Explanations

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · December 27, 2010

  While the behavior is not uncommon in both domestic and feral horses, the cause of geophagia (eating dirt) often can't be easily explained.

• Dirt an Important Source of Iron for Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · December 14, 2010

  Horses constantly ingest dirt when they graze. Excessive consumption of dirt, especially when pastures become short, sometimes causes potential problems such as sand accumulation in the large intestine. However, the dirt that horses normally consume while grazing supplies some essential nutrients, notably iron.

• Feed Management May Influence Behavior Including Stereotypies

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · December 13, 2010

  The effects of feed types and feed management have been studied to determine the effects, if any, of modern feeding practices on equine behavior.

• Handling your Horse

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 17, 2010

  Recent research suggests that horses prefer to be handled from the left side, possibly due to the way they interpret things seen with the eye on that side.

• Helping the Cast Horse

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 17, 2010

  A horse that has lain down too close to a fence or wall and gotten into a position from which he can't get up is referred to as a "cast" horse. Cast horses sometimes panic and struggle, while others simply lie in the cast position until help arrives. The problem may be that the horse is unable to straighten his front legs, or get his hind legs in a position to push himself up, or both.

• Radios in the Barn

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 15, 2010

  Many stables leave a radio playing on the theory that music and/or human voices help to reduce boredom and keep horses calm.

• Stereotypies and Learning Rates

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 15, 2010

  Stereotypies are repetitive behaviors like weaving, stall walking, head bobbing, and cribbing that are often seen in horses that spend a great deal of time confined to their stalls.

• Radios Causing Gastric Ulcers

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 15, 2010

  Should you keep a radio playing in the barn to keep the horses company?

• Getting Horses Back into Condition

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 15, 2010

  Once a horse is in fit athletic condition, taking a week off now and then won't bother him. However, if he's idle for a longer period-three months, for example-how do you begin getting him back into condition, and how long will the process take if you want to avoid injuring him by asking too much?

• Low pH Levels and Stereotypies

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 15, 2010

  Stereotypies are repetitive behaviors such as weaving or cribbing

• Stallion Group Management

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 8, 2010

  Turning stallions out in pairs or groups can be moderately risk-free and allows the horses to develop social relationships.

• Exercise Important for Stalled Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 3, 2010

  A study of the effect of different types of exercise on behavior among stalled horses suggested that regular exercise was likely to provide positive benefits on horse welfare, training ability, and handler welfare.

• Poisoning by Common Pasture Plants

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 3, 2010

  Reports of horses poisoned by pasture plants tend to increase in late fall and early winter, possibly because pasture grasses are less available due to dry conditions and the beginning of dormancy.

• First Horse Show: Prepare Your Young Horse for Success

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 1, 2010

  If you've competed at lots of horse shows, the drill is pretty routine. You know what will happen at the show, whom you will probably see there, and how long you'll be gone. Assuming your horse is a show veteran also, there shouldn't be many surprises.

• The Horses Are Out!

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 1, 2010

  For a horse owner, almost nothing is more frightening to think about...and most horse enthusiasts have encountered this situation from time to time, either with their own horses or someone else's. It seems that no amount of thought or precautionary management can completely protect horses from the danger, and owners from the worry, resulting from an escape.

• Weaning: Stress Can be Minimized by Management

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 27, 2010

  Every foal has to go through it; every owner admits to some worries about it; and almost everyone survives it. For something that happens every year, weaning never seems to take on the status of "just another day's work." Separating a foal from its dam is guaranteed to produce some anxiety in both animals.

• Managing Horses with Airway Disease

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 27, 2010

  A common name for the problem is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is also known as recurrent airway disease, recurrent airway obstruction, or inflammatory airway disease. The descriptions of the gelding and mare seem to discuss very different conditions because the disease can result from reactions to varying environmental stimuli.

• Choke: Age, Sex, and Severity Affect Outcome

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 17, 2010

  Obstruction of the esophagus, commonly known as choke, is a life-threatening condition for horses and a panic-inducing event for their caretakers.

• Vaccine Decreases Unwanted Horse Behavior in Study

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 17, 2010

  Vaccination with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a reproductive hormone, might decrease unwanted behavior in stallions and mares, researchers recently reported.

• Intrauterine Marbles Fail to Alter Estrous Cycles or Related Behavior

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 17, 2010

  Intrauterine placement of marbles in pony mares did not change reproductive physiology or normal sexual or social behavior, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Liverpool.

• Does Nutrition Influence Equine Behavior?

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · December 13, 2009

  In cases where a thorough veterinary exam does not turn up a medical explanation for the horse's actions, changes in feed management may be important in modifying the way a horse behaves. Advice from a professional horse trainer or riding coach is also an option, especially if the horse presents a danger, rather than just an aggravation, to it owner or handler.

• Choking Horses: Prevention and Treatment

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · October 25, 2008

  If the horse is fed in a group where he must eat quickly to avoid competition, isolating him at feeding time may help. Making sure the horse is not quite so hungry at mealtime, either by feeding some hay before grain or by feeding smaller meals more frequently, may slow the greedy eater.

• Flehmen: The Horse with the Upturned Lip

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · September 23, 2008

  Flehmen is the term used to describe the behavior in which a horse extends its neck, raises its head, and inhales as it rolls its upper lip back, displaying its front teeth.

• Tips for Feeding Weanling Horses

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 17, 2005

  Weaning is synonymous with stress. The process produces anxiety among foals and mares, not to mention their caretakers. To ease the transition all foals must face-from maternal coddling to self-sufficiency among peers-owners can do a little homework before the day of parting arrives.

• Mounted Police: A Horse on the Force

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 1, 2004

  What makes a police horse's job unique is the variety of experiences and challenges that each day brings. While all horses are expected to respond to their riders' signals, it's of paramount importance that the mounted police officer can trust his horse to remain calm and obedient, no matter what happens.

• Equine Behavior Basics

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · September 23, 2004

  Why do horses behave the way they do?

• Molasses used in Horse Feed for Palatability and Energy

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · December 6, 2003

  In addition to the type and amount of concentrate being fed, owners of hyperactive horses should look at other areas of management. Horses that are kept in a stall or small corral much of the day will likely be more difficult to handle than horses that have more liberal access to free exercise. Full-time turnout and regular work are sometimes all that is necessary to curtail the expression of excess energy.

• Shout: Weaning Day for a Young Colt

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 23, 2003

  When the realization hit that his dam was nowhere to be found, Shout became uneasy and lapped the field at a full tilt gallop. Higgins did little to ease Shout's anxiety, merely watching the seemingly half-crazed Shout careen around the field. Skean seemed less fazed by the separation; she may have even been relieved to bid farewell to her youngster.

• Feeding After the Hammer Falls

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 17, 2003

  Thousands of horses change hands annually at public auctions. While the most conscientious of buyers may flood the seller with innumerable questions regarding their most recent equine acquisition, many horses are shipped without feeding instructions. When they arrive at their destination, the horses are often placed immediately on the new owner's feeding schedule, which may be considerably different than the familiar one.

• Putting the Kibosh on Cribbing

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 4, 2003

  Wood chewing is simply the nibbling and splintering of wooden surfaces with the teeth; sometimes the wood is swallowed and sometimes not. This behavior is thought to spring from the horse's natural appetite for a varied diet.

• Colic Risk Factors

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 2, 2003

  Equine colic is loosely defined as abdominal pain. The causes are numerous, and the signs of discomfort (rolling, kicking at the abdomen, pawing, sweating) are familiar to most experienced horse handlers. Colic is one of the most common health emergencies, with an incidence of just over 9 cases per 100 horses in an average year. It is a leading reason for surgery and a frequent cause of death in horses.

• Shuttle Stallions Do Double Duty

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 4, 2002

  Temperament is certainly a factor in deciding which stallions make good candidates for shuttling, but it is only one small piece of the decision-making process. Bloodlines are a larger factor.

• Nutrition for Horses on Stall Rest

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 3, 2002

  Horses recovering from colic, surgery, high fever, or colitis can present many challenges for their owners, but one that is frequently overlooked is how to feed horses through the illnesses. While countless researchers have devoted years of study to determine the proper nutritional balance for horses of different ages and workloads, little has been done to outline proper nutrition for the sick adult horse.

• Dental Care

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · October 29, 2002

  Some veterinarians provide dental treatment in addition to their other services. Others prefer to supervise a professional equine dentist who has the specialized training, equipment, and experience to complete the work quickly and competently.

• Head Shaking May Have a Variety of Causes

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · October 29, 2002

  Have an equine dentist do a thorough oral exam to make sure the teeth do not have sharp points or edges that are irritated by the pressure or position of the bit. In young horses, the shallow-rooted wolf teeth sometimes interfere with the bit and can easily be removed by a dentist or veterinarian.

• Stocking Rate: How Many Horses on This Pasture?

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 10, 2002

  Stocking rate is defined as the number of horses allowed to graze a unit of land for a specific amount of time. Making the most of pastures by optimizing stocking rate may reduce other forage expenditures. Stocking rate is contingent upon numerous factors including grazing behavior, level of pasture management, forage species, seasons, and weather patterns.

• Pica: The Peculiar Palate

  By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 10, 2002

  Pica is the desire to eat unusual substances that possess little or no nutritional value, such as dirt, wood, hair, and feces. This phenomenon has been observed in horses of all ages, breeds, and sexes.