Equine Nutrition Australasia (ENA)

05/12/2025

Equus Magazine
Thanks

Medical? Surgical? Strangulating? Here's a quick look at some common colic terminologies and what they mean. Click the link in the comments to learn more.

05/12/2025

Equitation Science International - ESI
Thanks

05/12/2025

Dr Shelley Appleton Calm Willing Confident Horses
Thanks

Rope Chewing: A Love Letter to Stress and Coping Mechanisms😅

Every trainer eventually meets the horse who, when faced with the simplest request, decides the only logical response is to grab the lead rope and chew it like it like life depends on it. Some people allow it, even encourage it, insisting it “helps him calm down.” Which sounds sweet, but it is a bit like believing you can handle stress by stress eating half the pantry. Comforting, yes. Helpful, absolutely not.

Rope chewing does not mean anything cool. It is not healthy self regulation. It is not emotional intelligence. It is a stress behaviour. A flashy little signal that says, “I am not okay doing this and my brain has left the building.” Once a horse is coping like this, the learning part of the brain quietly packs its bags. No horse can absorb new information while simultaneously trying to swallow the equipment.

My approach is simple. I do not punish it. I am not trying to create a villain with a dramatic backstory about “disrespect.” I just calmly interrupt the chewing and redirect that frantic energy into purposeful movement.

Movement helps the nervous system settle, brings the horse back into its body, and gives me a chance to make the task clearer. Movement is a horse’s natural way to cope with stress, and rope chewing only becomes an option when they feel stuck, restrained, or unmotivated to move. So help them channel the stress the way nature intended. Once the horse understands the task and feels safe doing it, the rope immediately loses its appeal and the horse settles.

But rope chewing is not always about confusion in the moment. Sometimes it is pointing to something deeper. When a horse turns to the rope, the real job is to look at the whole picture. You consider whether the horse is confused, whether the task is fair, or whether the horse is physically struggling in a way that would make even simple things feel impossible. Often it is not a training issue at all but a pain or soundness problem simmering underneath. I see this regularly in horses with chronically sore feet.

Ignore that sign and you might end up with an ulcered, sore, emotionally explosive gelding who now firmly believes lead ropes are the most important thing in their life.

The rope is never the problem, and it is definitely not the solution. It is simply the messenger telling you something is not sitting right for the horse.

When you help the horse understand the task and feel physically capable of doing it, the need for coping fades, the behaviour disappears, and the rope lives to see another day. And that is how you remove stress from your horse’s life and keep your lead rope out of its mouth.👄

This is Collectable Advice 96/365 of my personal challenge to post each day good ideas and insights for you to hit SAVE or SHARE but please dont copy and paste! Curious of my teachings, see comment below :)

05/12/2025

Mitavite Asia (MA) is excited to collaborate with Thompson & Redwood (T&R) in Western Australia.
Scientifically updated formulations, with palatable, safe ingredients MA are delighted to introduce a range of T&R equine specific products (feeds & supplements) throughout 2026 to the Malaysian Equine industry !


Having access & close interaction with Dr. Judi Maxwell, T&R's international equine nutrition advisor, to advise & help MA, all horse's health, well-being, conditioning & welfare will benefit as will the owners & caretakers knowledge & understanding.

05/12/2025

EquiLyn Nutrition
Thank You

🐴 Small Intestine: The Powerhouse of Digestion
After leaving the stomach, food enters the small intestine, the major site of nutrient absorption.

📏 Long & Efficient
The small intestine is 20 meters long, making up about 30% of the digestive system.

🔍 Three Key Sections
The small intestine is divided into three segments:
➡️ Duodenum: the first part, where pancreatic juices and bile mix with the food to begin digestion.
➡️ Jejunum: the middle section, heavily involved in absorbing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
➡️Ileum: the final section, absorbing the remaining nutrients, especially vitamins and bile salts.

🧬 Enzymes & Nutrient Breakdown
In these sections, enzymes and bile break down food into absorbable nutrients such as sugars, amino acids, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
This is where the horse actually absorbs most of the nutrition from its feed.

⏱️ Quick Transit
Food passes through the small intestine in 1 to 3 hours.
Because of this short transit time, horses need:
• high-quality forage
• low-starch meals
• small and frequent feedings

⚠️ Overload Risks
If too much starch or sugar arrives at once, the small intestine can’t digest it all.
Excess spills into the hindgut, causing:
• gas production
• acidity changes
• increased colic risk
• risk of laminitis

🌿 Why Forage Matters
Forage promotes a steady digestive flow and reduces starch overload.
Slow, continuous intake = smoother digestion + a healthier gut.

💚 In Short
The small intestine is the horse’s main digestive engine, designed for continuous, moderate feeding, not large grain meals.
Supporting this system means better nutrient absorption and long-term wellness.

Image source: Equipedia IFCE

05/12/2025

EquiLyn Nutrition
Thanks

The stomach is the first major site of digestion after the esophagus and plays a crucial role in breaking down food.

🐴 Small but Important
The horse’s stomach is very small only 8–10% of the entire digestive system and is designed for continuous grazing, not large meals.

🧪 Acid & Enzyme Action
Once food enters the stomach, gastric acid and enzymes begin the first stages of digestion, especially of proteins.
Food doesn’t stay long usually 15–30 minutes before moving into the small intestine.

⚡ Continuous Acid Production
Horses produce stomach acid 24/7, even when they aren't eating.

🌿 Forage Protection
Forage helps:
• buffer the stomach acid
• protect the stomach lining
• support steady, healthy digestion

⚠️ When Horses Go Too Long Without Food:
Constant acid can lead to:
• gastric ulcers
• stress and discomfort
• unwanted behaviours (wood chewing, eating bedding, irritability)

💚 In Short
The horse’s stomach is a sensitive organ built for small, frequent intake.
Providing regular or free-choice hay supports their natural eating patterns and protects their digestive health.

Image source: Equipedia IFCE

Hashtags:

05/12/2025

The Zen Vet Thanks

The horse’s neck isn’t just for steering, it plays a huge role in balance, coordination, and communication between rider and horse.

Tension or misalignment in the cervical spine can create a ripple effect through the shoulders, back, and hindquarters, affecting overall performance.

Gentle chiropractic care and bodywork can help restore alignment and relieve tension, helping your horse move freely and comfortably again.

Learn more about cervical issues on our blog post at: https://www.thezenvet.com/post/is-cervical-pain-holding-your-horse-back-understanding-neck-issues-and-their-impact-on-performance

05/12/2025

EquiManagement Thank You

In this episode, Stephanie Batliner discusses the FDA approval process for pioneer and generic animal drugs, the role of pharmacy compounding, and more.

05/12/2025

Hoofology & Regina Fränken
Thanks

THE ENDLESS BATTLE BETWEEN HOLISTIC, CLASSICAL, NATURAL, FUNCTIONAL, CORRECTIVE METHODS…

…AND “I JUST TRIM THINGS.”**
(A geopolitical conflict fought exclusively on Facebook at 2am.)

Welcome to the hoof-care landscape, a place where adults with professional qualifications behave like rival cult leaders fighting for control of a small island nation made entirely of frogs and coping mechanisms.

Every method has followers.
Every follower has opinions.
Every opinion is defended with the ferocity of a starving terrier guarding a stolen sausage.

Let’s meet the factions.

THE HOLISTIC HERETICS

Float into the yard like a barefoot druid performing an exorcism on a pastern.
They trim by moon cycle, planetary alignment, and vague “energetic feedback.”
Will confidently announce your horse’s hoof is experiencing ancestral trauma.
Horse yawns.
Owner weeps.
You stare into the distance, reconsidering your life choices.

Their followers post things like:
“Science hasn’t caught up to us yet.”
Yes. Because science is busy.

THE CLASSICAL FUNDAMENTALISTS

Everything they know was chiselled into stone tablets by a dead cavalry officer in 1872.
Believe the hoof should be “exactly 52° because that’s what the book says.”
Have never met a horse who read the book.
Own compasses, rulers, and calipers that could measure tectonic plates.
Say things like:
“The toe should align with the cosmic axis.”
Nobody asks what that means because nobody wants the 40-minute explanation.

THE NATURAL EXTREMISTS

Your horse must live exactly as horses lived in the wild…
…except in the UK
…on clay soil
…in February
…in rain that can dissolve metal.

They will insist shoes are the root of all evil, forgetting that their own horse is currently 3/10 lame because the track turned into custard overnight.

Their mantra:
“He just needs movement.”
He can’t move.
He’s stuck in the mud.
He’s been in the exact same place for two hours.

THE FUNCTIONAL ENGINEERS

Do not see horses.
Only algorithms.

Carry iPads, graphs, overlays, and software that could run a satellite.
Trim according to lines drawn by a man in Ohio who hasn't touched a horse since 2014.
Say things like:
“If you just zoom in, you’ll see what the hoof should have done.”
Meanwhile, the horse steps in a bucket.

THE CORRECTIVE WEAPONISED BRIGADE

Arrive in a truck the size of a warship.
They have forges, anvils, welding equipment, a full Iron Man workshop.
If a problem can’t be solved with steel, wedges, or fire, they are uninterested.
Will attach more metal to a horse than the average Victorian bridge.

Their motto:
“Better living through hardware.”

AND THEN THERE'S YOU

Covered in hay, mud, regrets, and yesterday’s coffee.
You’re not here to join a faction.
You’re not here to recite scripture.
You’re not here to perform interpretive spiritual hoof theatre.

You just… trim things.
You show up, look at the feet, use your brain, use your tools, fix what needs fixing, and leave before someone corners you with a printout.

When asked for your “method,” you say the most triggering words imaginable:

“I use whatever works.”

This phrase alone could start a civil war.

THE COMMENT SECTION WARFARE

The battlefield.
The arena.
The place where hope goes to die.

Someone posts a frog.
Within six minutes:

A Natural Extremist says it’s thrush.

A Corrective Specialist says it needs a bar shoe.

A Holistic Practitioner suggests grounding exercises and Himalayan salt.

A Classical Purist quotes a cavalry manual from 1904.

A Functional Engineer draws 19 red arrows.

Two people start fighting about diet.

Three more argue about trimming cycles.

Someone blocks someone.

Someone reports the post.

An admin says “Ladies please.”

A rogue chiropractor enters the chat.

You turn off notifications and lie face down on the floor.

THE OUTRO — THE REAL TRUTH (WHICH THEY’LL ALL IGNORE)

All the factions — every last one — are absolutely convinced they’re doing what’s best for the horse.

They’re all right sometimes.
They’re all wrong sometimes.
And none of them, not one, has ever improved a hoof through Facebook combat.

Meanwhile you’re in the stable, being the quiet, unfashionable heretic who just… works.

You are methodless.
Factionless.
Religionless.
Faithless.
But your horses are sound.

And that, ironically, is the only doctrine that ever mattered.

05/12/2025

Equine Bodyworks By Mary Sargeant
Thanks

Those desperate to sell often latch onto those desperate to heal.

I think listening to that sentence the other day was probably the most profound thing I had heard in a long time and often why we can be seen as cynical when big claims are made in this industry and often in the human world of wellness aswell.

I once listened to someone who only took the last chance horses owners exhausted from trying to find an answer, horses no better or worse then when they first began both hopeful that someone may just make things a little better, the person was seen as a saviour yet watching him I saw a charlatan, the words were powerful yet if only they meant as much as the lack of action he actually did, but you see these horses and owners lay no blame at this mans door when the inevitable failing happened for his words were simply if I cant help then no one can, so just throw in the towel and sob quietly so I can hear my money being counted.

Those desperate to sell will have a technique, a method, a supplement or course to give you all the answers and often the same answer for every ailment, a cure for all no matter what the issue, every question is answered with a yes, every undiagnosed lameness can be fixed every degenerative condition will magically regenerate but only if you follow the rules for if your horse fails it will be your and your horses fault not the seller, and often more than not even if you do follow the rules by the letter the desperate seller will take no part in taking any responsibility in it not working as thousands of clients have been successful so you the owner must be at fault.

I was the owner that could not find the answers for my horse and while I had well meaning advice given I also had the vultures circling above tempting with lotions, potions and cures yet I knew deep down that his condition was something a 10 step programme couldnt help and I was not willing to throw money into the wind in the hopes it would land on something that could help, if you tell me that you have cured thousands of horses you better have documented every one as proof☺️.

Something novel for the body often brings a change yet depending on what is wrong, yet temporary may not be good enough for long term especially if everytime we progress we land right back at the beginning. As owners we can often want to believe something so much we not the horses begin to have a placebo affect, there is nothing wrong with that as for me that is simply hope on our part yet what is wrong is if the professional keeps you in that hope when sometimes all is lost as the only beneficiary is then the professional for both horse and owner may not progress or worse regress but not feel strong enough to speak up

05/12/2025

Optim Equine Thanks

Did you know that the gut microbiota of foals significantly impacts their health later in life and that the use of antibiotics in foals may negatively impact long-term health and athletic performance?

The composition of a foal’s gut microbiota (the community of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live in their digestive tract) has been shown to influence the likelihood of respiratory illness and disease, orthopaedic injuries and athletic performance later in life.

Antibiotic use in foals is one of the many factors which can disrupt a healthy microflora balance and the effects of this are likely to persist later into life.

Research has demonstrated that foals who receive antibiotic treatment in their first month of life have a significantly higher risk of respiratory disease later in life. These same horses also had poorer athletic performance later in life, comparative to foals who didn’t receive antibiotics.

05/12/2025

Thanks
saddlefitting.us