Farm To Stable: An Equine Nutrition Podcast

Dr. Nettie Liburt
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Farm To Stable: An Equine Nutrition Podcast

Welcome to Farm To Stable: An equine nutrition podcast. Here you will find practical, science-based facts from a professional PhD equine nutritionist, and some surprise guests along the way. I aim to help horse owners navigate the many questions and common concerns about feeding horses. Resources, links and other useful information will be provided based on show topics. If there are topics you'd like to hear about, contact me at equinenutritionphd@yahoo.com! (Music (C) Unsound Music/Randy J. Weiner)

  1. Managing Changes or Additions to the Horse's Diet

    4 DAYS AGO

    Managing Changes or Additions to the Horse's Diet

    I recently heard from a friend who is at a barn that changed the type of feed they were providing. Sadly, they ended up with a few cases of colic. While I don't know all the details, I thought it was a good topic to discuss - when making changes to a horse's diet, how and why it needs to be done slowly and carefully. Listen in for tips and guides on how to do this and what to do if you need to add something new to the diet as well.

    15 min
  2. Revisiting Winter Hydration Tips

    27/12/2024

    Revisiting Winter Hydration Tips

    Winter has come on strong here in much of North America, with some wild temperature swings. In winter, we rely more on hay for forage as pasture is unavailable. Hay and other dried forages have a lower water content compared to fresh pasture. In addition, extra hay is often provided to help a horse keep warm on cold days. More forage = more water needs! However, it is not uncommon for horses to drink less as temperatures drop. This week, we'll revisit some tips to help keep your horse hydrated in winter, and many of these tips are applicable all year as well. Some may sound familiar! The bottom line is that is is extremely important that a horse drinks sufficient water, especially in winter. Listen in for tips and reminders, and let us know if YOU have a good idea as well! The study referenced in this episode: Kristula and McDonnell, 1994. Drinking water temperature affects consumption of water during cold weather in ponies. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 41(3-4):155-160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(94)90020-5

    14 min

  3. 13/12/2024

    Pre-, Pro- and Post-biotics: An explainer

    Pre-, pro- and post-bitoics get a lot of attention in the world of equine nutrition. There is lots we do know, but even more that we don't (but we're working on it!) This week, I'll explain what each actually is and why we need more research in horses. Some of the references used for this podcast are listed below. Adams, A.A., et.al. 2015. The effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA) and prebiotic supplementation on inflammatory cytokine production and immune responses to vaccination in old horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 35(5):407-408. Auwerda, P. Undated. Digestive anatomy and physiology of the horse. Iowa State Extension and Outreach, Equine Science. Accessed online at: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/equine/blog/dr-peggy-m-auwerda/digestive-anatomy-and-physiology-horse Coverdale, J.A. 2016. Can the microbiome of the horse be altered to improve digestion? Journal of Animal Science. 94(6):2275-2281. Heaton, C.P., et al. 2019. Are prebiotics beneficial for digestion in mature and senior horses? Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 76: 87-88. National Research Council. 2007. Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 6th Ed. National Academies Press. Washington, DC. Ray, L. 2018. Understanding a horse’s digestive system. University of Georgia Extension. Accessed online at: https://site.extension.uga.edu/forageteam/2018/09/understanding-a-horses-digestive-system/ Respondek, F., et al. 2011. Dietary supplementation with short-chain fructooligosaccharides improves insulin sensitivity in obese horses. Journal of Animal Science. 89(1):77-83. Weese, J.S. 2002. Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 22(8):357-360.

    20 min
  4. Myofibrillar Myopathy (MFM) in Horses with Dr. Katie Young

    29/11/2024

    Myofibrillar Myopathy (MFM) in Horses with Dr. Katie Young

    This week I am joined by special guest, Dr. Katie Young, an equine nutritionist who consults for Kentucky Equine Research and who councils clients independently. Dr. Young has spend her career in the equine feed industry and is a wealth of experience an knowledge! This week, Dr. Young talks about Myofibrillar Myopathy (MFM) in horses. We'll discuss how it differs from polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) (types 1 and 2), what to look for and how to support MFM from a dietary standpoint. Horses with MFM may present with decreased performance or unwillingness to go forward. Dietary management is quite different from PSSM. Listen in to learn more! *Cover Art Graphic from: Koutakis, et al., 2015. Abnormal Accumulation of Desmin in Gastrocnemius Myofibers of Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease: Association with Altered Myofiber Morphology and Density, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Impaired Limb Function. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry. DOI:10.1369/0022155415569348 Additional reading on MFM can be found at these links: https://ker.com/nmdl/resources/mfm/ Valberg, et al., 2017. Clinical and histopathological features of myofibrillar myopathy in Warmblood horses. Equine Vet J.;49(6):739-745. Online at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28543538/ Dr. Stephanie Valberg herself explains the diagnostics of MFM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdkNMUMhQvY

    23 min
  5. Anhidrosis in Horses

    14/11/2024

    Anhidrosis in Horses

    Welcome back to season 3 of Farm To Stable. It's the time of year here in North America when many equestrians are getting ready to head south to warmer climates for the winter. Dramatic change in environmental temperature from cold to hot can trigger or exasperate anhidrosis, a condition in which sweating is drastically reduced despite an increase in body temperature. So, how is anhidrosis managed? We'll talk about it in this episode. Research References: Johnson, E., et al. 2010. An epidemiologic study of anhidrosis in horses in Florida. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 236(10). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.236.10.1091 Marlin, et al. 1996. Acclimation of horses to high temperature and humidity. Equine Athlete. 9: 8-11. Marlin, et al. 1996. Physiological responses in non-heat acclimated horses performing treadmill exercise in cool, hot, dry and hot humid condition. Equine Veterinary Journal (Suppl.) 22: 70-84. Marlin, D. & Nankervis, K. 2002. Thermoregulation. In: Equine Exercise Physiology. Blackwell Science. Publishing. Oxford, UK. Shmalberg, J and Xie, H. 2009. The clinical application of equine acupuncture. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 29(8): 645-652. Cover photo: istockphoto.com

    16 min

  6. 19/04/2024

    Tips for Helping a Horse Gain Weight

    In this episode, I'll give some general tips for helping a horse gain weight. As winter gives way to spring, it is not unusual for horse owners and managers to notice that an animal has lost weight in the colder months. Also, weight may be needed to support additional training or performance. Whatever the reason, there are few simple things to begin with. Link to Body Condition Score Card (Texas A&M University): https://vetmed.tamu.edu/files/vetmed/vmth/laminitis/Equine_Body_Condition_Scoring.pdf Video about how to body condition score a horse: https://youtu.be/bq0ZXnSlsNQ?si=C-FmKaO5c9uCofxq Link for forage analysis services: https://equi-analytical.com/

    15 min
  7. Tips for Transitioning Onto Spring Pasture

    12/04/2024

    Tips for Transitioning Onto Spring Pasture

    Here in North America, the temperatures are slowly getting warmer, and grass is growing faster and faster. For many horses, that means a transition from winter hay to spring pasture. As with anything, such a change requires time to minimize the risk of digestive upset, and should not be done suddenly. This week the discussion focuses on some general tips whether you have lush pastures growing, a small amount of pasture or only a dry lot. Some additional resources are here from: Penn State University: https://extension.psu.edu/transitioning-horses-to-spring-grazing University of Guelph: https://ovcpetnutrition.uoguelph.ca/2021/03/11/transitioning-your-horse-from-hay-to-grass-safely-this-spring/ These are quick reads with some easy to follow guidelines for transitioning to spring pasture. Thanks for listening! Episode Art Photo Graphic from the University of Guelph Factsheet, link posted above.

    15 min

  8. 05/04/2024

    Nutrition and Mobility - Supplement Review

    Diet can have an influence on a horse's soundness and mobility. There are seemingly endless amounts of products on the market claiming to support movement, but do they work? In most cases the research is limited. Individual horses may respond differently to each supplement, so as long as a product is safe, it can be a matter of trial end error. Don't forget the importance of a balanced diet to lay the foundations for optimum performance. That includes maintaining a healthy body condition. Here is an excellent video produced by TheHorse.com, that features Dr. Bob Coleman of the University of Kentucky describing how to body condition score (BCS) a horse. The link is: https://youtu.be/bq0ZXnSlsNQ?si=NlQJAZRkGrjB6KRj I highly recommend watching this and getting familiar with BCS! We're getting into the available science (as always) this week, so listen in and see what we know (and what we don't!)

    17 min
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About

Welcome to Farm To Stable: An equine nutrition podcast. Here you will find practical, science-based facts from a professional PhD equine nutritionist, and some surprise guests along the way. I aim to help horse owners navigate the many questions and common concerns about feeding horses. Resources, links and other useful information will be provided based on show topics. If there are topics you'd like to hear about, contact me at equinenutritionphd@yahoo.com! (Music (C) Unsound Music/Randy J. Weiner)

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