HSF Equine Nutrition

11/20/2025

As we continue to monitor the current outbreak of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus infection (equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, EHM), let's take this opportunity to discuss once more the importance of biosecurity measures to stop disease spread. We recommend the following biosecurity precautions for horse owners, particularly if their horses have recently traveled to horse shows or were exposed to horses that have traveled:

1) Monitor horses for clinical signs (including fever, discharge from the nostrils, toe-dragging or a lack of balance) and take the temperature twice daily. Temperature greater than 101.5 F is considered a fever.
2) Immediately isolate any horse(s) showing clinical signs. Equine herpesvirus is an aerosolized virus and is spread through shared airspace, direct contact, and contaminated caretakers or equipment. A good isolation area is a separate barn or shelter that does not share airspace with healthy horses.
3) Implement movement restrictions until the situation is evaluated.
4) Contact your veterinarian to evaluate your horse and to propose a comprehensive biosecurity protocol.
5) Increase biosecurity measures that include extensive cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment that come in contact with affected horses: wash or sanitize your hands between interacting with horses; take time while filling water buckets and feed tubs, do not cross contaminate; minimize the use of shared equipment and tack.
6) Make sure your horse is up to date on vaccinations.
7) Establish communication with all parties involved (owners, boarders, trainers, etc.).

More resources and information regarding biosecurity are available on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at https://equinediseasecc.org/biosecurity

To learn more Equine Herpesvirus (EHV), visit: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/equine-herpesvirus

For outbreak updates, check the post here: https://equinediseasecc.org/news/article/Equine-Herpesvirus-Myeloencephalopathy-(EHM)-Outbreak

11/20/2025

🐴 EHV-1: What every horse owner needs to know

Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a highly contagious DNA virus that can cause respiratory illness, reproductive loss, and in some cases, the neurological condition EHM (Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy).

Common signs include:
• Fever
• Nasal discharge & coughing
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Reduced appetite
• Incoordination or hind-end weakness (neurological cases)

🏟️ Horse shows are major hotspots due to close contact between horses, inconsistent biosecurity procedures, and shared water sources or equipment.

⚠️ Horses can shed EHV-1 during the incubation period, meaning they may be infectious before showing any symptoms.

Disease Prevention
✔ Quarantine new or recently travelled horses for 3 weeks
✔ Follow your veterinarian’s vaccination recommendations
✔ Limit horse-to-horse contact during travel
✔ Do not share equipment or water buckets
✔ Keep records of all horse travel
✔ Maintain strong barn biosecurity and disinfect high-touch areas
✔ Monitor temperatures daily after travel or events
✔ Isolate any horse showing fever or respiratory signs
✔ Restrict movement during an outbreak

If you suspect your horse has been exposed, contact your veterinarian immediately.

🔗 Learn more:
🇨🇦 https://madbarn.ca/equine-herpesvirus/
🇺🇸 https://madbarn.com/equine-herpesvirus/

11/20/2025

What is Equine Herpesvirus (EHV)?

You've probably heard it called Rhinopneumonitis, a respiratory tract disease that results in "snotty noses," but EHV is more than that. Depending on the strain, this virus can also cause abortion in broodmares, and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) — the often-deadly neurologic form of the disease.

Because EHV is endemic in many equine populations, most mature horses have developed some immunity through repeated natural infection. However, they remain a source of infection for other susceptible horses, like weaned foals and yearlings, who usually display symptoms of the respiratory form of the disease in autumn and winter. Performance and show horses are also more vulnerable to the disease, as they commingle with unfamiliar equines in close quarters while under stress from travel and competition.

Proper biosecurity protocols can help reduce EHV outbreaks and other disease transmission. A variety of vaccines are also available for protection against both the respiratory and abortive form of the disease, but there is no equine licensed vaccine at this time that has a label claim for protection against the neurologic form (EHM).

Consult your primary equine veterinarian to learn more about this disease and work with them to determine the optimal vaccine protocol for your horses.

You can learn more about all three forms on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website here: https://equinediseasecc.org/infectious-diseases

11/19/2025

There's this huge misconception surrounding paddock paradise track systems that you need a lot of land and a small fortune to have one and manage it successfully.

Even worse, some of us with track systems feel like we're failing because they're muddy, not pretty or fancy.

Whilst surfacing, top of the art fencing and big barns are beneficial and nice to have, they aren't by any means required.

There is so much good coming from little, privately owned track systems built on rented land, small acreages and/or on a tight budget.

If your horse is benefiting from their environment, then nothing else really matters. Things can be improved upon, hurdles can be overcome and adaptions can be made.

Arguably, our understanding and knowledge is much more important.

Knowing the importance of having everything working in harmony together - diet, movement, environment, hoof care - is often the deciding factor behind how healthy and happy our horses actually are.

Not your fencing, or your equipment, or your restrictions.

We appreciate track systems of all sizes and shapes here - big or small, surfaced or unsurfaced, new or old, private or commercial.

Regardless, if you have your horse's best interest at heart, then you're welcome here

11/15/2025

11/15/2025

Ration Balancers

What is a ration balancer?
Think of eating a protein bar that has your daily amount of vitamins, minerals and protein in a small portion.

Ration Balancers are designed to be fed at a low feeding rates, meaning usually 1-3 lbs. maximum. Balancers are typically pelleted feeds, and include most of your horse's daily basics. Ration Balancers are excellent for horses who need low calorie diets, horses needing low grain & low nsc diets, horses who are over conditioned, and those who are doing excellent on forage alone but need daily vitamin/minerals/amino acids guaranteed.

What Ration Balancers are often missing are calories and fat, which can leave some horses needing more. In many cases you can add Ration Balancer to other diets, for instance a horse who needs more calories than a Balancer provides can have a Performance or Complete feed added on at a lower feeding rate than is typically recommended- where the balancer acts as the main vitamin/mineral/protein source and the other grain acts as extra fat and calories, plus extra digestible nutrition. This can be especially important for older horses, horses with poor teeth, horses with weight difficulty, and more.

Next we'll get into complete feeds, and how they can be fed alone AND with a balancer!

11/14/2025

Quidding can be caused by a number of dental problems and is usually due to either the horse being in pain or because they are physically unable to chew long fibre forage efficiently.

In pain related cases, the horse may be avoiding chewing in a specific area of the mouth due to discomfort. This can result from conditions such as periodontal disease caused by diastemata, or fractured, displaced, or even loose teeth, which may be causing soft tissue injury.

In cases where they are physically unable to chew efficiently, the horse might be struggling due to uneven grinding surfaces, large malocclusions restricting lower jaw movement, or excessive tooth wear from old age, resulting in lack of occlusion and therefore compromised chewing ability.

If you notice your horse quidding, it’s important to have them checked by your EDT promptly. A thorough dental examination will identify the cause of the quidding, allowing you to discuss a treatment plan with your EDT and potentially any dietary changes.

If your horse lives out over winter, remember to regularly check the area around the hay for signs of quidding. It’s also important to monitor body condition under rugs throughout the season.

www.baedt.com

11/11/2025

Forage in the Diet

Forage is incredibly important to horses for so many reasons. Horses are hind gut fermenters and use fibrous forage as energy and to keep their microbiome healthy. They also produce stomach acid 24/7 365 and require near constant forage grazing to fill their stomachs, forming a protective layer against the acid that protects the upper part of their stomach from acid splash. Forage that is chewable & digestible is a nonnegotiable for horses, that includes young horses, performance horses, seniors and every horse inbetween.

I am a huge believer in using forage first in the equine diet. At the same time, domestication of horses means that we are in charge of making sure they have everything they need. To do this, when we feed our horses it's best to make sure what I call "The Base Diet" is covering all of our horse's daily nutrient requirements, and then any forage they eat during the day is often considered extra.

Now, let me explain more!
Because the "Base Diet" can absolutely consist of mostly hay. However, the truth is that unless you are having your hay tested regularly, most people don't know if their hay is covering their horse's daily needs. Of course hay testing is an option, but not for everyone. The same goes for pasture in a way, because it's ever changing and incredibly difficult to accurately test.

That's why I typically recommend to my clients feeding a diet of a Performance feed, Complete feed, Ration Balancer, OR vitamin/mineral/protein supplement as the "Base Diet", and then feeding hay based on GI needs and body condition needs.

So what are the forage options out there?

🌾Long Stem Forage - your basic baled hay usually of orchard grass, timothy grass, alfalfa hay, meadow grass hay.
🌾Hay Pellets - timothy or alfalfa typically, compressed into pellets to be soaked then fed, can replace up to 100% of long stem forage as needed for horses unable to eat long stem forage.
🌾Hay Cubes- timothy or alfalfa typically, compressed into cubes to be soaked then fed, can replace up to 100% of long stem forage as needed for horses unable to eat long stem forage.
🌾Chopped/Bagged Forage - pre chopped and bagged hay, cut to make it easier to chew and also store/transport. Many of these are hay mixes and often have oils (such as soy or flax) added as a dust binder.
🌾Beet Pulp - by product of the sugar beet industry, beet pulp is a palatable and digestible prebiotic food product that can replace up to 50% of forage in the diet as needed and is often the forage ingredient in Complete feeds.
🌾Straw - while not typically seen as edible forage, straw is edible and can be used to replace roughly 10% of forage in the diet, typically used for over conditioned horses on strict diets who need to extend their chewing time.

Horses need to be eating 1.5-2.5% or f their body weight in forage daily. For a 1000 lb. horse that's usually between 15-20 lbs. This includes all forages- grass, long stem hay, hay pellets, chopped hay, beet pulp etc. Products like pellets and cubes, even beet pulp, can all be especially helpful for horses with dental issues, trouble holding or picking up weight, and for extra hydration (as most of these products should be soaked before feeding).

There are so many different forage types to choose from, each one a little different. Sometimes it can take some trial and error to see which forage and how much works best for your individual horse, luckily for most horses the more forage the better, especially with winter coming up.

If you need help choosing a forage option that works best for you, reach out to schedule with me!

11/11/2025

Forage in the Diet

Forage is incredibly important to horses for so many reasons. Horses are hind gut fermenters and use fibrous forage as energy and to keep their microbiome healthy. They also produce stomach acid 24/7 365 and require near constant forage grazing to fill their stomachs, forming a protective layer against the acid that protects the upper part of their stomach from acid splash. Forage that is chewable & digestible is a nonnegotiable for horses, that includes young horses, performance horses, seniors and every horse inbetween.

I am a huge believer in using forage first in the equine diet. At the same time, domestication of horses means that we are in charge of making sure they have everything they need. To do this, when we feed our horses it's best to make sure what I call "The Base Diet" is covering all of our horse's daily nutrient requirements, and then any forage they eat during the day is often considered extra.

Now, let me explain more!
Because the "Base Diet" can absolutely consist of mostly hay. However, the truth is that unless you are having your hay tested regularly, most people don't know if their hay is covering their horse's daily needs. Of course hay testing is an option, but not for everyone. The same goes for pasture in a way, because it's ever changing and incredibly difficult to accurately test.

That's why I typically recommend to my clients feeding a diet of a Performance feed, Complete feed, Ration Balancer, OR vitamin/mineral/protein supplement as the "Base Diet", and then feeding hay based on GI needs and body condition needs.

So what are the forage options out there?

🌾Long Stem Forage - your basic baled hay usually of orchard grass, timothy grass, alfalfa hay, meadow grass hay.
🌾Hay Pellets - timothy or alfalfa typically, compressed into pellets to be soaked then fed, can replace up to 100% of long stem forage as needed for horses unable to eat long stem forage.
🌾Hay Cubes- timothy or alfalfa typically, compressed into cubes to be soaked then fed, can replace up to 100% of long stem forage as needed for horses unable to eat long stem forage.
🌾Chopped/Bagged Forage - pre chopped and bagged hay, cut to make it easier to chew and also store/transport. Many of these are hay mixes and often have oils (such as soy or flax) added as a dust binder.
🌾Beet Pulp - by product of the sugar beet industry, beet pulp is a palatable and digestible prebiotic food product that can replace up to 50% of forage in the diet as needed and is often the forage ingredient in Complete feeds.
🌾Straw - while not typically seen as edible forage, straw is edible and can be used to replace roughly 10% of forage in the diet, typically used for over conditioned horses on strict diets who need to extend their chewing time.

Horses need to be eating 1.5-2.5% or f their body weight in forage daily. For a 1000 lb. horse that's usually between 15-20 lbs. This includes all forages- grass, long stem hay, hay pellets, chopped hay, beet pulp etc. Products like pellets and cubes, even beet pulp, can all be especially helpful for horses with dental issues, trouble holding or picking up weight, and for extra hydration (as most of these products should be soaked before feeding).

There are so many different forage types to choose from, each one a little different. Sometimes it can take some trial and error to see which forage and how much works best for your individual horse, luckily for most horses the more forage the better, especially with winter coming up.

If you need help choosing a forage option that works best for you, reach out to schedule with me!

Featured is a video made for me by a friend on feeding beet pulp 🐴