Eulinga Park Equine

Eulinga Park Equine Riding School now OPEN- Ponies and Horses supplied

Horse Training, Re education and lessons
Building trust and confidence for both horse and rider

Just a reminder that Eulinga Park Equine will be closed from 21st December and reopening on the 6th January to give all ...
20/12/2024

Just a reminder that Eulinga Park Equine will be closed from 21st December and reopening on the 6th January to give all our staff & horses a break over the Christmas & New years period! (Donโ€™t worry theyโ€™ll still be spoilt) ๐Ÿฅ• ๐Ÿฅ•

If you message our page or work phone these messages will be replied to on 6th Jan!

We wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year! We thank all of our clients for the ongoing love & support over the past year! ๐ŸŽ„๐ŸŽ„๐ŸŽ„

๐Ÿฆ„Gift Vouchers๐Ÿฆ„๐Ÿฆ„Are you looking for that last minute present? ๐Ÿฆ„Want to give a gift of wonderful memories? School horses ...
19/12/2024

๐Ÿฆ„Gift Vouchers๐Ÿฆ„

๐Ÿฆ„Are you looking for that last minute present?

๐Ÿฆ„Want to give a gift of wonderful memories?

School horses (and all gear) provided or bring your own, come and learn something new, build your confidence in a relaxed and professional environment

Ages 4- Adult

19/12/2024
18/12/2024

Food for thought

15/12/2024

Please stay safe tomorrow everyone! If you need to get out, get out early!!!!
If you have horses hard to load and there is a threat get help right away!
Happy to help load and transport if itโ€™s safe!

10/12/2024
Yesterday Zippy and these 3 fabulous kiddos represented Eulinga in the walking Nativity Scene in the Middle of Everywher...
01/12/2024

Yesterday Zippy and these 3 fabulous kiddos represented Eulinga in the walking Nativity Scene in the Middle of Everywhere Christmas Parade, thank you to the Combined Churches for representing us and Grant McKillop Photography for the photo

01/12/2024

Not just a grain of salt โ€“ why is it so important to add salt to your horseโ€™s diet?

By now, I am sure many of you are aware that it is important to provide adequate salt to your horse or herd. But why is this specific nutrient so vital to their health? First, I want to cover the physiological role of salt and what it does in the body, and then we will discuss the best ways to add it to the diet!

When I was teaching Anatomy and Physiology to pre-vet students, we talked a lot about ions in the body including sodium, chloride, calcium, and potassium. These ions are present in bodily fluids and need to be available in appropriate amounts to maintain proper neuronal signaling, muscle contractions, transport, and digestion, among other important physiological processes. Additionally, these ions play a critical role in the fluid balance of the body specifically related to thirst, sweat, and urination. Considering salt is 40% sodium and 60% chloride, it provides two of these important ions that allow these functions to take place.

One of the most helpful ways I have found to explain the physiological role of salt is with the saying, โ€œWater follows salt.โ€ Let's simplify the physiological process that accompany this relationship:

๐Ÿ’ง Increased salt consumption in the diet increases the thirst response and thus we drink more water and can become more hydrated.

๐Ÿ’ง When we sweat, we not only lose water but other electrolytes, with sodium and chloride being the main culprits that contribute to the composition of sweat. This is because sodium is needed to facilitate the loss of water when we sweat and thus needs to be replenished in addition to water during exercise.

๐Ÿ’ง Decreased salt intake encourages our bodies to retain the salt we already have. To do this, our kidneys decrease salt in the urine which subsequently decreases the amount of the water in the urine. This is because our body needs to tightly regulate the balance between ions (such as sodium) and the bodily fluids they reside in for many physiological processes to occur The result is a much more concentrated urine which is why you may hear yellow urine (which is more concentrated) is a sign of dehydration while a more clear urine suggests we are more hydrated.

So how is this connected to supplying salt in the diet? Unfortunately, salt will not be found in adequate amounts in most forages or horse feeds. While many commercially manufactured feeds provide adequate vitamins and minerals for horses when fed at the appropriate feeding rate, the exception here is sodium. This decision is intentional as sodium in a feed has been shown to reduce palatability. As a result, we as horse owners must add salt to the diet to ensure our horses meet their requirements.

This is an important feeding habit because when salt is consumed, the water will follow due to an increased thirst response. A hydrated state is critical in maintaining gut motility, which is the movement of feedstuff throughout the GI tract. Gut motility is very important to prevent digestive upset including conditions such as colic. Additionally, salt, water, and other electrolytes, are lost in the sweat of a hot or exercising animal. Providing salt in their diet encourages them to drink and replenish water and electrolytes lost during this process.

So how can we provide adequate salt to the horse? When I am in the field, I most frequently see salt blocks placed in the living areas of the horse. Unfortunately, these blocks were designed for other livestock and horsesโ€™ tongues are typically not rough enough to consume adequate amounts of salt from a block on a daily basis. While I still provide these blocks for my horses to allow voluntary intake, I also choose to top dress salt on their daily feed at a rate of 2 tablespoons (~30 grams) per 1,000-lb horse per day. This is often enough to meet sodium requirements of an average horse that is not in intense work.

What about the other forms of salt? I choose to feed my horses a loose iodized salt and you can often get a big bag of livestock salt at your local feed store! I choose iodized salt as iodine is an important nutrient that is not included on common forage analyses and can often be deficient in the diet (for humans as well which is why it was added to salt in the first place). The amount of iodine present in the salt is not enough to cause a toxicity but can help ensure your horse has adequate amounts of the nutrient.

Another common option I get asked about is Himalayan salt. While there may be some great claims on the label, this product is still 98% salt (with a few extra minerals) and often much more expensive. So if your horse is bougie or you want to create a certain โ€˜vibeโ€™ in their stall, go for it! But it is by no means better or necessary to use Himalayan salts when compared to your average salt product. This is similar to the colored mineral blocks at many feed stores, which are essentially just pretty salt blocks. While they are not harmful, they can be misleading as they will not supply adequate minerals to the horse, such as zinc and copper, and therefore cannot replace certain feeds in the diet.

But while we may have favorites, feeding horses is just as much of an art as it is a science, and the main goal is to ensure the horse is consuming adequate amounts of sodium. As Dr. Rachel Mottet says, โ€œThe best kind of salt is the one your horse will eat!โ€ If that means you have to provide Himalayan salt, go for it! But as always, consult with your equine nutritionist or veterinarian if you have any questions about your specific situation.

Happy Holidays!
Dr. DeBoer

29/11/2024

Thought for the day:
Start with the mundane and move to the fabulous or start with the fabulous and go backwards from there.
Your choice.

INDOOR ARENA HIRE! Still want to ride but not get wet? Weโ€™ve got the solution for you โ˜”๏ธโ˜”๏ธBook in the link on our FB pag...
29/11/2024

INDOOR ARENA HIRE!

Still want to ride but not get wet? Weโ€™ve got the solution for you โ˜”๏ธโ˜”๏ธ

Book in the link on our FB page ๐Ÿด๐Ÿด

Lesson availability next week! ๐Ÿด๐ŸดMonday 3pm with Cindy Tuesday 12pm with Cindy Bring your own horse along or ride one of...
27/11/2024

Lesson availability next week! ๐Ÿด๐Ÿด

Monday 3pm with Cindy

Tuesday 12pm with Cindy

Bring your own horse along or ride one of our school horses!

Message our FB page to book ๐Ÿฅ•

20/11/2024

๐—ช๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ช๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜†: ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—›๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€

Have you ever wondered how gear like nosebands impacts your horseโ€™s comfort? A recent study* reveals some important facts about the effects of very tight nosebands on horses. The findings show that nosebands tightened to the extreme can cause stress and stop horses from showing natural behaviours. Hereโ€™s what the study discovered and why it matters.

๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฑ๐˜† ๐—”๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜?

Twelve horses wearing double bridles and crank nosebands were part of the study. Researchers tested four levels of tightness:

1. Unfastened (UN): The noseband was loose.
2. Two-Finger Space (CAUN): Room for two fingers under the noseband.
3. One-Finger Space (HCAUN): Room for just one finger.
4. No Space (NAUN): Noseband tightened all the way, with no room underneath.

During each treatment, they measured heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), eye temperature, and how often horses licked, chewed, or yawned.

๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐——๐—ถ๐—ฑ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฑ?

Stress Levels Went Up
- Heart Rate: Increased significantly when the noseband was tightest.
- HRV: Decreased, showing the horses were under stress.
- Eye Temperature: Got hotter, a common sign of stress in horses.

Natural Behaviours Disappeared
- Licking and Chewing: These behaviours stopped completely when the noseband was tightest.
- Swallowing: Horses swallowed half as often with the tightest noseband.
- Yawning: Rare during all treatments but increased after the nosebands were removed.

๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—˜๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜€
When the nosebands were taken off, the horses made up for lost behaviours. They yawned, licked, and chewed more than they did before the nosebands were put on. This rebound suggests the tight nosebands left them feeling deprived.

๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐——๐—ผ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ป?
The study shows that very tight nosebands cause stress and stop horses from acting naturally. Researchers recommend:

- Keeping It Comfortable: Ensure at least two fingers of space under the noseband.
- Checking Tightness at Competitions: Gear stewards should enforce rules against overly tight nosebands.
- More Research: Experts need to explore how nosebands combined with rein tension and a rider affect horses.

๐—ช๐—ต๐˜† ๐—œ๐˜ ๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€
Your horseโ€™s well-being is key to a good partnership. This research reminds us that gear like nosebands should always prioritise their comfort and health.

๐Ÿ“ธ Pic: An example of an infrared image of the eye region. The cross indicates the position of the maximum temperature within the area of the eye used for analysis.

* "The Effect of Noseband Tightening on Horsesโ€™ Behaviour, Eye Temperature, and Cardiac Responses," by Kate Fenner, Samuel Yoon, Peter White, Melissa Starling & Paul McGreevy (2016)

For anyone needing a horse scoped, a great opportunity at a wonderful practice
20/11/2024

For anyone needing a horse scoped, a great opportunity at a wonderful practice

Decembers Gastroscope Day - 06/12/2024
Booking essential.

Itโ€™s officially that time of year where the flies are out and the sun is sharp. These look to be a fantastic option for ...
18/11/2024

Itโ€™s officially that time of year where the flies are out and the sun is sharp. These look to be a fantastic option for UV protection in all the sizes

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/vnJX99Attfw9qPxW/?mibextid=ox5AEW
17/11/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/vnJX99Attfw9qPxW/?mibextid=ox5AEW

๐Ÿด ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—จ๐—น๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜†

๐Ÿ’ธ We as human beings definitely love to overcomplicate the way we feed and manage our horses. While yes, there are certainly instances where some horses do require ulcer preventatives, there are several management tools we can implement that are much cheaper than most medications, treatments, or supplements and yet are continuously overlooked when we suspect our horses may have ulcers.

๐ŸŒพ ๐€๐๐ž๐ช๐ฎ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‘๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐š๐ ๐ž is management tool #1 and is arguably the most important fixture in any horseโ€™s diet regardless of their susceptibility to developing ulcers.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ The equine species is physiologically designed to be ingesting and digesting roughage on an almost continuous basis.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ Horses only produce saliva (a natural gastric acid buffer) while physically masticating (chewing) their food but will continuously produce gastric acid regardless of whether there is food entering and exiting their stomach.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ Long-stemmed roughage acts as a fibrous mat that sits in the bottom portion of the stomach and helps to prevent acid splash from damaging the non-glandular (upper portion) of the stomach.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ A horse who is grazing on overgrazed, short, leafy grass shoots with no length or fibrous material may not be receiving enough roughage to prevent gastric ulcers if they are not supplemented with hay.

๐ŸŽ ๐‡๐š๐ฒ ๐๐ž๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐„๐ฑ๐ž๐ซ๐œ๐ข๐ฌ๐ž is management tool #2 and is one of the absolute best pre-ride ulcer preventions money can buy. It is much more effective than chaff, and lucerne hay is often more effective than grass hay.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ In comparison to chaff, hay takes longer to masticate (chew) which results in increased saliva production which is full of bicarbonate (a natural gastric acid buffer).

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ There is some evidence that suggests the rough cut edges and short lengths of chaff paired with reduced chewing/grinding in the mouth may actually aggravate gastric ulcers if they are present. Hay tends to have more stalk and leaf, softer edges, and longer lengths which requires a little more time in the mouth to grind down prior to swallowing.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ Lucerne is an excellent source of bioavailable calcium which acts as a natural buffer against gastric acid and may help to reduce the acidity of the stomach. While any hay type is better than none at all, this is why lucerne is often more effective from an ulcer prevention standpoint.

๐ŸŒฝ ๐๐จ๐ง-๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐œ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐›๐จ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‚๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ is management tool #3 and a factor that so many people are uncomfortable with because of how easy it is for feed manufacturers to skew, or not disclose at all, sugar and starch values and ingredient profiles.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ Unless the horse in question is working intensely, it is unlikely that quick-release energy ingredients such as grain are necessary in the diet.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ Where the horse is at risk of gastric ulcers, every attempt should be made to substitute cereal grains for alternative ingredients that have a lower non-structural carbohydrate content. Fun fact: beet pulp provides roughly the same digestible energy (calorie) content that oats do, but in the form of digestible/soluble fibre rather than sugar and starch.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ Feeding an ulcer supplement (which are rarely effective anyway unless they have undergone clinical trials, are APVMA approved, and have proven efficacy of ingredients), in my opinion, is pointless and a waste of money if you are going to continue feeding grain-based premixed feeds that are low in fibre and require little chewing because they are pelletised or cubed.

โœ… While not a strict list, some of my favourite feed ingredients for all horses, regardless of ulcer susceptibility, include hay (so underrated!), lucerne, lupins, lupin hulls, soy hulls, beet pulp, and copra meal.

14/11/2024

Horses, as social animals, are naturally wired to engage in allogrooming (grooming between horses).

This behaviour establishes and maintains social bonds, with horses selecting specific partners. Allogrooming also strengthens pair bonds and enhances herd cohesion.

Research indicates that allogrooming in the region of the neck and withers, compared to any other region, causes a significant lowering of heart rate, suggesting a calming effect and potential anxiety alleviation.

This lowering of heart rate is also seen when humans groom horses in those regions.

This natural stress-reduction mechanism is accompanied by increased oxytocin, the pleasure molecule, reinforcing the behaviour and its positive social and emotional effects.

Allogrooming frequency among horses tends to increase after herd conflicts, implying a role in conflict resolution and social harmony maintenance.

After a disagreement, it helps to reduce tension and reaffirm social bonds.

Horses that are kept singly often show insecure behaviour that many riders and trainers do not recognise as a consequence of separation.

Fulfilling horses' need for touch and social interaction is not just about preventing problem behaviours; it is also about addressing their fundamental psychological and emotional needs.

By providing environments that allow for these natural behaviours, we can significantly improve horse welfare and reduce stress-related issues.

Thoughts?

Can you tell theyโ€™re sisters? ๐Ÿคฃ Our full sisters Poppy & Bubbles getting some love this morning! ๐Ÿฅ•๐Ÿฅ•
11/11/2024

Can you tell theyโ€™re sisters? ๐Ÿคฃ

Our full sisters Poppy & Bubbles getting some love this morning! ๐Ÿฅ•๐Ÿฅ•

Address

387 Sale-Heyfield Road
Fulham, VIC
3851

Opening Hours

Monday 12pm - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm

Telephone

+61429808269

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Eulinga Park Equine posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Eulinga Park Equine:

Videos

Share