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Equine Balanced Support, 393 Mt Eve Road, Goshen, NY (2026)

02/04/2026

Using Treats in Stall or Paddock Enrichment

Horses are inquisitive animals that require mental stimulation and opportunities to engage in natural behaviors, even when confined to stalls or small paddocks. One effective method to enhance daily enrichment is to use treats strategically, hiding them in foraging toys, hay nets, or puzzle feeders. This mimics the horse’s natural foraging behavior and encourages curiosity, exploration, and problem-solving.

Food-based enrichment has been shown to reduce signs of boredom, frustration, and stereotypic behaviors such as cribbing, weaving, or stall walking. When horses are provided with opportunities to seek out and earn treats through interactive objects, they engage more with their environment and show fewer stress behaviors. This is particularly valuable for horses on stall rest, those recovering from injury, or those in limited turnout situations.

Treats can also be scattered among hay piles or hidden in treat-dispensing balls to extend feeding time and support gut health. Prolonging the time spent eating aligns with the horse’s digestive system, which is adapted for near-continuous grazing.

While enrichment treats should be chosen carefully — low-sugar, forage-based options are ideal — their strategic use can transform a boring environment into one that supports cognitive stimulation and emotional well-being. Combined with consistent handling and environmental variety, treat-based enrichment is a simple yet powerful welfare tool.

02/03/2026

Biotin Supplementation Improves Hoof Quality: Evidence and Practical Application

Among the B‑vitamins, biotin (B7) is perhaps the most extensively studied in the context of equine hoof health. In a controlled research study, horses receiving daily supplementation of biotin over 10 months demonstrated statistically significant improvements in hoof wall growth rate and increased hoof hardness — especially in toe and quarters — compared to lower-dose or unsupplemented horses. At the tested dose (about 15 mg/day), the benefits were clear over time, illustrating that consistent, long-term supplementation can materially improve hoof integrity.

Mechanistically, biotin serves as a coenzyme for enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and keratin formation — all essential in producing strong, resilient hoof horn. Given that hoof growth cycles in horses are slow, improvements following supplementation typically become visible several months down the line, as new horn replaces older layers.

In practice, biotin supplementation (commonly at 15–20 mg/day for a 500‑kg horse) is widely recommended for horses with hoof problems: soft or brittle horn, cracked walls, “white‑line” separation, or poor shoe retention. While biotin is water‑soluble (limiting risk of toxicity), consistency is key: intermittent supplementation yields less benefit, and the process requires patience as new hoof growth gradually replaces old horn.

For owners prioritizing hoof integrity — whether for soundness, shoeing longevity, or aesthetic and welfare reasons — biotin remains one of the best-supported nutritional interventions.

02/02/2026

Feeding Concentrates and the Challenge of Starch Digestion

Grain and pelleted concentrates can provide concentrated energy and nutrients, particularly for performance horses. However, the equine digestive system is not designed to handle large amounts of starch in a single meal. Starches are partially digested in the small intestine, but when intake exceeds the digestive capacity, undigested starch reaches the hindgut.

Once in the hindgut, excess starch alters microbial populations, reduces pH, and increases the risk of hindgut acidosis. This acidic environment disrupts beneficial bacteria and can contribute to colic, diarrhea, and laminitis. For this reason, equine nutritionists emphasize limiting starch intake per meal, spreading concentrate portions evenly throughout the day, and always balancing concentrates with abundant forage.

Understanding starch digestion highlights why feeding frequency and ration structure are as important as feed type. Providing calories through forage, wherever possible, and carefully managing supplemental concentrates support both digestive balance and long‑term gut health.

02/02/2026

🎊 Happy birthday to everyone celebrating this week 🥳

02/01/2026

How to Store Hay to Preserve Quality and Safety

Proper hay storage profoundly affects its nutritional quality and safety. Hay that is stacked correctly and kept dry maintains higher nutrient integrity and minimizes mold growth. Moisture is the enemy of stored hay; water infiltration — from rain, high humidity, or poor drainage — can promote microbial growth and reduce palatability. Moldy hay not only loses nutrients but also poses respiratory and digestive risks to horses.

Good hay storage includes keeping bales off the ground (using pallets or gravel bases), covering stacks thoughtfully to protect from water, and ensuring ventilation to prevent heat and moisture buildup. Avoiding direct contact with earth and rain maximizes freshness. Indoor storage, such as in a barn or shed, offers the best protection, but even outdoor stacks can remain sound with proper covering and airflow.

Regularly inspect stored hay for signs of spoilage — musty odor, dark patches, heat, or dust — and remove compromised bales promptly. Clean, dry, well‑stored hay not only supports nutrition but also reduces respiratory irritants that can trigger allergies or chronic airway conditions.

01/31/2026

Ultrasound and Radiography: Imaging Tools Explained

Modern veterinary diagnostics rely heavily on imaging techniques, such as ultrasound and radiography (X‑rays), to visualize internal structures that cannot be assessed solely by physical exam. Radiography uses X‑rays to produce images of dense tissues such as bone and teeth. It is invaluable for diagnosing fractures, dental issues, joint changes, and navicular syndrome.

Ultrasound uses sound waves to create real‑time images of soft tissue structures, such as tendons, ligaments, and internal organs. It is beneficial for evaluating tendon injuries in limbs, abdominal organs during colic work‑ups, or reproductive structures in broodmares.

Understanding these terms prepares you to discuss diagnostics meaningfully: Which imaging modality is best for this problem? How is the procedure performed? Will sedation be required? What will the images reveal or exclude? Knowing what ultrasound and radiography accomplish helps you interpret findings and plan treatment based on visual evidence of internal structures.

01/30/2026

Balancing Treat Use with Diet and Behavior

While treats can be valuable training tools, overuse or poor selection can lead to behavioral problems, nutritional imbalance, or weight gain. Responsible use of treats involves balancing reinforcement value with overall caloric intake and monitoring for undesirable side effects such as mugging, pushiness, or anticipatory stress.

Behavioral studies show that structured treat use — with clear cues, boundaries, and consistency — is far more effective than free-feeding or random treating. Treats should reinforce specific behaviors and be withdrawn when the horse demands or becomes rude. This preserves the treat’s reward value and maintains respect in the horse-handler dynamic.

From a dietary perspective, choosing low-sugar, high-fiber, or specialized training treats helps mitigate metabolic risk, especially in easy keepers or horses with insulin resistance. Small, measured amounts allow for frequent reinforcement without affecting total daily rations.

Treats should never replace forage or balanced feed. Instead, they should complement an existing diet, chosen with awareness of the horse’s health status, workload, and weight.

When used mindfully, treats remain a highly effective tool for learning, enrichment, and partnership building — without compromising physical or behavioral health.

01/29/2026

The Importance of Forage in Equine Digestion

Forage — grass or hay — is the cornerstone of a horse’s diet and digestive health. Horses evolved as continuous grazers on fibrous forage, spending up to 18 hours a day nibbling and ruminating. This constant intake promotes regular saliva production, which buffers stomach acid and supports smoother digestion throughout the gut. Unlike ruminants, horses do not regurgitate cud, so chewing and saliva flow during continuous grazing play a critical buffering role.

Fiber in forage reaches the hindgut, where microbes ferment it into volatile fatty acids, providing a significant portion of the horse’s energy needs. A forage‑rich diet also supports intestinal motility — the rhythmic contractions that move digesta through the digestive tract. When forage is reduced or replaced with large amounts of concentrate feed, digestion becomes less efficient, and the risk of problems like impaction colic increases.

Forage quality matters too. Fresh pasture offers high moisture, vitamins, and readily fermentable fiber, while dry hays vary in nutrient density and digestibility. Balancing forage type and quantity to match a horse’s age, workload, and metabolic health ensures both energy needs and digestive stability are met.

01/28/2026

Grass Hay: The Most Common and Versatile Choice

Grass hay is the most commonly fed forage for horses worldwide. It comes from grasses such as timothy, orchardgrass, ryegrass, and bermudagrass. One of its main advantages is its relatively balanced nutrient profile, moderate calorie level, and high fiber content. This makes grass hay suitable for a wide range of horses — from retired seniors and easy keepers to moderate‑work pleasure mounts.

The maturity stage at harvest influences the quality of grass hay. Younger, leafy hay is more nutrient‑dense and palatable, whereas overly mature hay contains more stem and less digestible fiber. Grass hay tends to be lower in protein and energy than legume hay, reducing the risk of excess calories for horses that don’t need intense energy.

Good grass hay should smell fresh, be free of dust and mold, and have a greenish color. When stored properly, it can provide a reliable base forage year‑round. Because of its versatility and moderate nutritional plane, grass hay is often the first choice for general feeding programs, especially when forage quality is prioritized over concentrated calorie density.

01/27/2026

Piloerection: Active Control of Insulation in Horses

Piloerection is the horse's ability to raise the hairs of its coat to adjust insulation in real-time. This physiological process is controlled by tiny muscles called arrector pili at the base of each hair follicle. When activated — often in response to cold temperatures or sudden gusts of wind — these muscles contract, causing the hairs to stand upright. The result is an increase in coat "loft," enhancing the thickness and air-trapping capacity of the coat and thereby boosting its insulating value.

This adaptation allows the horse to respond flexibly to changing weather conditions. Even without growing a thicker coat, a horse can increase its insulation on demand by erecting its existing hair. This is particularly important during sudden cold snaps or when wind chill makes the ambient conditions colder than the thermometer indicates.

However, this mechanism only works effectively if the coat is dry and clean. Wet or matted hair collapses, preventing loft and diminishing the coat's ability to trap warm air. For this reason, blanket use in wet weather or after exercise (when horses sweat) can be critical in protecting thermoregulation.

Though under-discussed, piloerection is a powerful, dynamic adaptation, especially when combined with a thick winter coat. It allows horses to fine-tune their heat retention with little to no energy cost, a vital advantage for grazing animals in open environments.

01/27/2026

Hematology: The Basics of Blood Testing

Hematology refers to the study and analysis of blood. In veterinary medicine, a hematology panel — often part of a complete blood count (CBC) — evaluates components such as red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets. These data provide insight into oxygen transport, immune status, inflammation, infection, anemia, and overall systemic health.

When you bring your horse in for a wellness exam or when clinical signs suggest an internal issue (e.g., lethargy, fever, weight loss), your vet may recommend hematology tests. Results help identify whether a horse has an infection, blood loss, immune system response, dehydration, or chronic inflammation. White blood cell counts can rise in response to infection or stress, while red blood cell measurements can indicate anemia or hydration status.

Understanding the term hematology enables you to discuss test results meaningfully: What do changes in white blood cell counts signify? Are abnormalities likely chronic or acute? How will the results influence treatment choices? By grasping the basics of hematology, you become a more informed partner in interpreting diagnostics and planning follow‑up care.

01/27/2026

What a fun surprise! Congratulations to Mini Therapy Horses for getting the recognition they deserve for all the great work they do with the VA Hospital 💕💕

Equine Balanced Support

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